Incorporating just transition strategies in developing country Nationally Determined Contributions

The report identifies significant barriers to implementing just transition strategies in developing countries, including a lack of conceptual consensus, the misconception that the concept only applies to developed nations, and weak institutional capacity. It proposes a structured template for NDCs that includes labour market planning, stakeholder engagement, and the creation of inter-departmental coordinating committees. Through case studies of Latin American countries and a policy roundtable, the document emphasizes that no 'one size fits all' approach exists, particularly due to the prevalence of informal economies and varying levels of social protection in low- and middle-income economies.

• There is a significant lack of consensus regarding the meaning and application of the 'just transition' concept, particularly within the context of developing countries, which hinders its integration into policy.
• A common misconception exists that just transition principles are primarily relevant for developed countries, leading developing nations to fail in incorporating these principles into their NDCs and domestic climate plans.
• Developing countries face specific labour market challenges, such as high unemployment and large informal sectors, which are often absent from just transition dialogues and shift the focus toward general job creation rather than green job transformation.
• Effective stakeholder engagement is often obstructed in developing countries by limited institutional capacities and a lack of involvement from workers, employers, and civil society.
• Governmental fragmentation is a barrier, as responsibilities for climate policies are spread across different departments that frequently fail to communicate or coordinate.
• The report argues that just transition models must be responsive to specific domestic circumstances, as no universal approach is applicable across different national contexts.
• Analysis of NDCs from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico reveals that labour market strategies are generally not linked to low-carbon transition strategies, and social dialogue is not an established process in these nations.
• The report recommends the COP24 President’s Toolbox of Just Transition Strategies as the most coherent framework for governments to use when presenting just transition commitments in their NDCs.

APA

Glynn, P. J., Błachowicz, A., & Nicholls, M. (2020). Incorporating just transition strategies in developing country Nationally Determined Contributions. Climate Strategies. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/CS_Just-Transition-NDCs-report_web.pdf

Chicago

Glynn, Peter J, Andrzej Błachowicz, and Mark Nicholls. Incorporating just transition strategies in developing country Nationally Determined Contributions. Climate Strategies, 2020. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/CS_Just-Transition-NDCs-report_web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Glynn |first1=Peter J |last2=Błachowicz |first2=Andrzej |last3=Nicholls |first3=Mark |title=Incorporating just transition strategies in developing country Nationally Determined Contributions |publisher=Climate Strategies |date=March 2020 |url=https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/CS_Just-Transition-NDCs-report_web.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{glynn2020incorporating, author = {Glynn, Peter J and Błachowicz, Andrzej and Nicholls, Mark}, title = {{Incorporating just transition strategies in developing country Nationally Determined Contributions}}, institution = {Climate Strategies}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/CS_Just-Transition-NDCs-report_web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }