Incorporating just transition strategies into developing countries NDCs and Covid-19 responses

The report examines the application of just transition principles in developing countries, highlighting the need for context-specific definitions and the inclusion of the informal economy. Through case studies in Indonesia, Ghana, and Colombia, it finds that while awareness of just transition varies—with Colombia being the only one to explicitly include it in its revised NDC—there is a general lack of practical application and cross-ministerial coordination. The document emphasizes that Covid-19 responses have not yet been linked to climate strategies and recommends a participatory, co-produced approach to policy development to ensure marginalized groups are not left behind.

• Awareness and understanding of 'just transition' vary significantly across the studied countries; Colombia is the only one of the three to explicitly include the concept in its revised NDC submitted to the UNFCCC in December 2020.
• A major obstacle to implementing just transition strategies in developing countries is the high prevalence of the informal economy, which requires tailored engagement methods as these workers are often undocumented and lack state support.
• In Indonesia, the concept of just transition is known to some government bureaus due to international involvement, but it has not been applied to the national context, and the term is sometimes misinterpreted as a 'mere' transition.
• In Ghana, while government officials are aware of the term 'just transition', they do not share a common meaning for it, and there is no explicit mention of such strategies in the country's current NDC.
• Covid-19 pandemic responses in the studied countries have focused on immediate health and fiscal relief for vulnerable groups but have not yet been linked to climate adaptation or mitigation strategies.
• In Ghana, a survey of informal workers revealed that while 80% are aware of climate change and 88% suffered sales drops due to lockdowns, only 1.25% received government stimulus assistance, with some citing bias toward the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
• Colombia's revised NDC includes a target for the Ministry of Labour to formulate a national strategy for a just transition of the workforce by the end of 2023.
• Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), donors, and investors are increasingly aware of just transition but do not yet include it as a specific requirement in their lending and investment decision criteria.
• The report recommends that national governments establish dedicated departments or officials responsible for a fair transition and form working groups to co-produce strategies with a wide range of stakeholders.

APA

Błachowicz, A., Hunjan, N., Lochner, L., Azifa, A., Halimanjaya, A., Lestari, T., Soejachmoen, K., Anaman, K. A., Quaye, R. M., Anartey, P., & Uribe-Botero, E. (2021). Incorporating just transition strategies into developing countries NDCs and Covid-19 responses. Climate Strategies. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Incorporating-just-transition-strategies-into-developing-countries-NDCs-and-Covid-19-responses.pdf

Chicago

Błachowicz, Andrzej, Nia Hunjan, Lillian Lochner, Azka Azifa, Aidy Halimanjaya, Tari Lestari, Kuki Soejachmoen, et al. Incorporating just transition strategies into developing countries NDCs and Covid-19 responses. Climate Strategies, 2021. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Incorporating-just-transition-strategies-into-developing-countries-NDCs-and-Covid-19-responses.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Błachowicz |first1=Andrzej |last2=Hunjan |first2=Nia |last3=Lochner |first3=Lillian |last4=Azifa |first4=Azka |last5=Halimanjaya |first5=Aidy |last6=Lestari |first6=Tari |last7=Soejachmoen |first7=Kuki |last8=Anaman |first8=Kwabena A. |last9=Quaye |first9=Ruth M. |display-authors=etal |title=Incorporating just transition strategies into developing countries NDCs and Covid-19 responses |publisher=Climate Strategies |date=2021 |url=https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Incorporating-just-transition-strategies-into-developing-countries-NDCs-and-Covid-19-responses.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bachowicz2021incorporating, author = {Błachowicz, Andrzej and Hunjan, Nia and Lochner, Lillian and Azifa, Azka and Halimanjaya, Aidy and Lestari, Tari and Soejachmoen, Kuki and Anaman, Kwabena A. and Quaye, Ruth M. and Anartey, Paul and Uribe-Botero, Eduardo}, title = {{Incorporating just transition strategies into developing countries NDCs and Covid-19 responses}}, institution = {Climate Strategies}, year = {2021}, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Incorporating-just-transition-strategies-into-developing-countries-NDCs-and-Covid-19-responses.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }