Just Transition Planning Masterclass Summary Report

The Just Transition Planning Masterclass provided a platform for stakeholders from Kenya, Ghana, Namibia, and Uganda to explore how to manage the socio-economic disruptions of sustainable development transitions. The program combined webinars and an in-person workshop in Nairobi to discuss the definition of a 'just transition', the role of standalone frameworks versus integrated policies, and the impact of colonial resource extraction on current fiscal and governance capacities. Key findings highlight significant barriers to implementation, including a lack of disaggregated data for impact analysis, difficulties in accounting for the informal economy, and limited funding for the social components of transition, such as stakeholder dialogue and re-skilling. The report concludes with a set of best practices for developing holistic impact understandings, enabling participatory decision-making, and ensuring policy cohesion through co-created justice indicators.

• A 'just transition' is defined as a societal shift toward sustainable development that protects people from climate impacts, is meaningfully influenced by a diverse range of stakeholders—particularly those affected—mitigates negative impacts on vulnerable groups, and delivers shared opportunities.
• Countries can choose between standalone Just Transition frameworks or integrating objectives into existing national development plans. Standalone frameworks, such as those being developed in Uganda and by the South African Presidential Climate Commission, can guide transitions across multiple sectors and governance levels, while integration into national plans signals central agencies to take direct responsibility for social and economic impacts in budget allocations.
• Colonial resource extraction patterns hinder just transitions in the Global South by undermining fiscal capacity to invest in sustainable development and support affected populations, while also weakening local governance through corruption and elite capture.
• Significant barriers to planning just transitions include a lack of accurate, disaggregated data for impact analysis—particularly regarding the informal economy—and limited technical capacity for economic modelling and employment impact assessments.
• Stakeholder engagement is often hampered by limited funding, as international climate finance frequently prioritizes technical and infrastructural changes over social dialogue and re-skilling. Additionally, a lack of trust in authorities can discourage participation if previous engagements were top-down rather than bottom-up.
• To ensure the benefits of transition are equitably shared, the report recommends implementing revenue-sharing programs, community benefit agreements, and local ownership models where profits are reinvested into community-led healthcare, energy access, and education.
• Managing 'stranded assets' requires proactive planning for the obsolescence of infrastructure and analyzing the trade-offs of continued investment, including the risk of leaving communities with limited economic prospects post-closure.

APA

Climate Strategies (n.d.). Just Transition Planning Masterclass Summary Report. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Just-Transition-Planning-Masterclass-Summary-Report.pdf

Chicago

Climate Strategies. Just Transition Planning Masterclass Summary Report. n.d. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Just-Transition-Planning-Masterclass-Summary-Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Strategies |title=Just Transition Planning Masterclass Summary Report |url=https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Just-Transition-Planning-Masterclass-Summary-Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatestrategiesndjust, author = {{Climate Strategies}}, title = {{Just Transition Planning Masterclass Summary Report}}, institution = {Climate Strategies}, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Just-Transition-Planning-Masterclass-Summary-Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }