To achieve successful sustainability transition, "justice" must be considered as its core guiding principle and intrinsic social foundation. This process has profound geographic attributes that must take into account spatial, scale, and relational dimensions to avoid reproducing or exacerbating existing inequalities. Grounded at the intersection of social-technical transition theory and the concept of just transition, this article systematically discusses the following: Low-carbon transition as a profound transformation of social-technical systems, its complexity necessitates the inclusion of justice as a core consideration, as mainstream "technology-efficiency" pathways often neglect the social dimension, leading to unfair distribution and resistance. Therefore, justice is the moral prerequisite and social foundation for the smooth progress of transition. The concept of "justice" is rooted in various justice movements and has evolved into a comprehensive framework encompassing recognition, procedure, distribution, and corrective justice, requiring the recognition of the rights of vulnerable groups, ensuring their participation in decision-making, fair sharing of benefits, and compensation for losses. Additionally, the article critically reflects on the theoretical shortcomings that may arise from the dominance of the "Global North" in current concepts, inability to reflect the demands of the "Global South," as well as practical issues such as the disconnect between theory and policy, over-reliance on technology, and binary opposition in governance pathways. Importantly, the article emphasizes that just transition inherently involves numerous geographic issues, with geographical perspectives on space, scale, and relationships revealing geographic imbalances in the consequences of transition, tensions in multi-scale interactions, and spatial manifestations of power struggles. Therefore, spatial justice, scale politics, and cross-border responsibilities must be central considerations. Finally, the article calls for a comprehensive, multidimensional, and interdisciplinary approach to advance research and practice, highlighting the irreplaceable role of geography in identifying unjust patterns, analyzing formation mechanisms, and designing context-specific pathways.
