On Thursday, 20 June 2024, we organised a presentation of the SAŠA Centre for Just Transition and the SAŠA collective just transition brand at Villa Bianca for representatives of just transition stakeholder groups in the Savinjska-Šaleška region.

The just transition of the Savinjska-Šaleška (SAŠA) region is a story of the residents, local communities, companies, trade unions, associations, and public institutions of this area. In order to express the solidarity of all stakeholders in the SAŠA region in the just transition, a collective brand and slogan for the just transition, “A New Direction Forward,” were created. The hope is that every entity in the SAŠA region will identify with them.

The SAŠA Development Agency, which operates the SAŠA Centre for Just Transition, developed the collective brand in collaboration with experts from OPA!celica.

The visual elements of the logo convey rich symbolic meanings. The logo JUST TRANSITION OF THE SAŠA REGION symbolises the synergy of cooperation and trust in diversity. The handshake expresses equality, while the intertwining of the “fingers” symbolises the convergence of views, mutual support, and cooperation in achieving common goals. The different lengths of the fingers create an image of steps, illustrating the complex but persistent process of progress and growth and the transition from the bottom up. The colours represent the transition from the old to the new. They symbolise the transition from darkness to light, representing energy, growth, optimism and positive progress. The black colour represents the current state of the region, which is dominated by heavy industry. The transition through blue indicates a transitional period that involves wisdom and thoughtfulness, while green represents the final rebirth, full of freshness and growth. Blue often symbolises the sky and water, while green represents nature, growth and harmony, representing the connection between the elements of the earth and the harmonious relationship between man and nature. The sequence of colours and the direction of their transition indicate intertwining, process synergies, reliability and growth.

The slogan for the just transition, “A New Direction Forward,” is based on guidelines outlined in a joint creative process with stakeholders. The just transition is an inclusive social process that encourages openness to change and improvement, enables optimistic planning for the future, and creates realistic expectations and achievable goals for sustainable growth based on solidarity. A new direction, a vision for the future, and a drive for development are key elements of the just transition.

Basic brand elements are available for all stakeholders to combine with their own institutional image, along with several applications: letterhead, PowerPoint templates, video conference backgrounds, social media templates, and infographics. The elements of the comprehensive graphic image are available for download at www.ra-sasa.si and www.biljanak.sg-host.com/cpp-sasa.

As part of the event, employees also presented the work of the SAŠA Centre for Just Transition, which establishes local partnerships, conducts training, provides support in project preparation, records spatially and environmentally degraded areas, develops visions for the revitalisation of coal mining heritage, and conducts studies and analyses for the effective and timely implementation of the strategy.

The just transition is a programme that will bring the following to the SAŠA region:

• Restructured economy that will provide new jobs with higher added value, thus enabling people to work and live in the region;
• Sustainable transformation of energy and district heating in the Šaleška Valley;
• Ensure social security for employees in the coal mining and energy sectors;
• Take care of the remediation of degraded areas, which will enable further spatial development and a high-quality natural and living environment.

The activities of the SAŠA Centre for Just Transition are fully funded by technical assistance from the Just Transition Fund.

SAŠA Centre for Just Transition

Additional information:

• Janja Burkelc
• 031 405 328
• cpp@ra-sasa.si