Project: Justice, Carbon, Nature (JUCAN) 

Theme: Governing Nature-Based Climate Solutions: Prospects for a Just Green Transition in Africa 

Deadline: December 31, 2025

Introduction

The Justice, Carbon, Nature (JUCAN) project (https://jucan.uonbi.ac.ke/), led by the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) in collaboration with the University of Nairobi (UoN), the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), and the Africa Research and Impact Network (ARIN), invites submissions for a special blog series. 

As the continent embraces Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) to combat climate change, critical questions around governance, power dynamics, and social equity must be addressed. This peer-reviewed blog series is committed to advancing an inclusive, evidence-based dialogue by amplifying diverse voices and insights on how NbS can be governed to truly advance environmental justice across Africa. 

The selected contributions will serve as crucial, evidence-based inputs for an upcoming national stakeholder convention on NbS, convened by ARIN and JUCAN partners. Your insights may be used to directly inform panel discussions, plenary remarks, and printed materials, maximizing the impact of your work within the policy and practitioner community. Furthermore, all selected blogs will be published and promoted on the websites of all partners, supported by a targeted social media campaign led by all partner institutions. 

The JUCAN Nexus: Theme and Focus 

We seek contributions exploring the Justice-Carbon-Nature Nexus: Exploring governance, institutional dynamics, and the lived realities of a just green transition in Africa. 

The project’s main research question is: “What are the implications of NbS governance for a just transition in Kenya?”. The blog series aims to capture the complexities of integrating climate goals with social equity in NbS projects, focusing on the mechanisms, institutions, and power relations that shape project outcomes. 

What We are Looking For 

We invite original blog submissions (maximum 2,000 words) that incorporate empirical research, reflective practice, or critical analysis. Submissions must adopt a justice and/or governance lens to address the JUCAN project’s core focus. 

Topics of particular interest that align with JUCAN’s research objectives include (but are not limited to): 

• Governing Justice in NbS: Analyzing how distributional, procedural, and recognition justice are implemented, or fail to be implemented, in African NbS projects. 
• Power and Institutional Dynamics: Examining power asymmetries and the roles of formal/informal institutions in shaping NbS governance and decision-making processes 
• The Private Sector and Carbon Finance: Critical analysis of private sector influence in voluntary carbon markets, and the justice considerations arising from carbon governance models. 
• Community Perspectives and Lived Experiences: Documenting inclusion, exclusion, and the real-world experiences of local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and women in NbS and carbon projects.
• Land Tenure and Institutional Pluralism: The interplay between statutory land rights, customary institutions, and devolution in the design and implementation of NbS initiatives9. 
• Transparency and Accountability: Addressing data gaps, access to information, and effective participatory feedback or grievance mechanisms in carbon/NbS initiatives. 
• Carbon Markets at the Local Level: Evaluating local-level carbon credit awareness and the socio economic effects of market dynamics on rural livelihoods. 
• Cross-African Learning: Comparative case studies or emerging best practices in NbS and justice implementation across different African regions. 

We strongly encourage contributions that integrate case studies, personal narratives, or community-based storytelling, especially from underrepresented regions, emerging practitioners, and marginalized perspectives. 

About the JUCAN Project 

Justice, Carbon, Nature (JUCAN) is dedicated to generating actionable insights that support more inclusive, equitable approaches to climate and conservation governance. By focusing on institutional dynamics, power relations, and diverse stakeholder experiences, JUCAN explores how Nature-Based Solutions can be effectively governed to advance environmental justice across the African continent. The project aims to produce scientific results, enhance the partners’ capacity for research, and propose governance solutions for NbS. 

Submission Guidelines 

• Deadline: December 31, 2025 
• Word Limit: Maximum 2,000 words (excluding references) 
• Format: Word document, Times New Roman, 12pt 
• Language: English 
• Style: Blogs must be accessible, engaging, and jargon-free. Writers must include practical examples, case studies, or personal narratives, where possible. 

Who Can Contribute? 

We welcome blog submissions from across Africa and beyond, including: 

• ARIN fellows and JUCAN-affiliated researchers 
• PhD and MSc students 
• Civil society leaders and community representatives 
• Policy practitioners and NbS stakeholders 
• Climate justice storytellers and journalists

Submission Contact 

Maria Nailantei – m.nailantei@arin-africa.org, copying Prof. Thuita Thenya – jucan@uonbi.ac.ke & Florence Onyango – f.onyango@arin-africa.org