With its Green Deal the European Union is stepping up to the challenge of climate change, aiming to reduce its overall emissions by 55 % by 2030 and to net zero by 2050. This transition will have significant impact on our societies, economies and inevitably on every individual, be it as a worker, consumer, or a citizen in his/her day-to-day life. Progress to enact strong climate policies has been slow so far, and there is risk that the negative effects of the transition on workers and their communities will likely worsen. If policymakers do not address these social costs, governments risk public backlash against increased climate action. Drawing from historical examples, this paper makes recommendations for the EU to minimize the negative effects of today's changes on workers and their communities and to achieve a 'just transition'. This paper focuses on two dimensions of the concept of just transition. The first concerns 'distributional justice': Does the energy transition guarantee an outcome that is just for workers and their communities? The second dimension concerns 'procedural justice': Is there participation by citizens and stakeholders in policymaking, and is the government responsive to their input?