Climate Strategies submission to SBSTA and SBI on the work programme on just transition pathways referred to in the relevant paragraphs of decision 1.CMA.4

The document argues for a broad interpretation of Just Transitions that encompasses procedural and distributional justice across multiple sectors, moving beyond a narrow focus on the energy workforce. It provides six practical recommendations for operationalisation, including the need for reliable data, stakeholder forums, and place-based solutions. The submission highlights specific challenges in the Global South, such as high employment informality and unequal energy access, and suggests that the JTWP can enhance ambition by integrating Just Transitions into NDCs and fostering high-level political buy-in. It includes case studies from various countries to illustrate different transition pathways and the importance of coordinating top-down and bottom-up approaches.

• To effectively operationalise Just Transitions, the document recommends six core actions: ensuring access to reliable data on costs and opportunities, maintaining inclusive stakeholder forums, implementing place-based and locally owned solutions, balancing consistent long-term policies with adaptive strategies, orienting fiscal environments toward diversified economies, and coordinating needs-based finance that prioritises recipient priorities.
• Just Transitions in the Global South face distinct challenges, including high rates of employment informality and illegality, which limit workers' access to social protection systems. Additionally, many livelihoods depend on sectors like agriculture and transport, and there is a critical need to address unequal energy access while reducing carbon intensity.
• The JTWP can increase transparency and accountability by encouraging countries to incorporate Just Transitions into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); currently, only 62 out of 166 countries that submitted NDCs have directly referenced Just Transitions.
• High-level political buy-in is essential for inter-ministerial collaboration. For example, Colombia has developed a unified cross-sectoral plan for labour, energy, climate, and industry due to strong political support, whereas political polarisation and conflicting ministerial priorities have slowed progress in Argentina.
• The JTWP should coordinate with other UNFCCC workstreams, such as the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) to ensure sufficient funding, the Global Stocktake (GST) to establish success metrics, and the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) to explore innovative financing instruments.
• Case studies demonstrate that integrating top-down and bottom-up approaches can improve implementation. The EU's Just Transition Mechanism uses Territorial Just Transition Plans to address local needs, and Kenya links political negotiations with local needs through a strong environmental civil society network and county-level leadership.

APA

Climate Strategies (n.d.). Climate Strategies submission to SBSTA and SBI on the work programme on just transition pathways referred to in the relevant paragraphs of decision 1.CMA.4. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/UNFCCC-JTWP_Climate-Strategies-Submission.pdf

Chicago

Climate Strategies. Climate Strategies submission to SBSTA and SBI on the work programme on just transition pathways referred to in the relevant paragraphs of decision 1.CMA.4. n.d. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/UNFCCC-JTWP_Climate-Strategies-Submission.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Climate Strategies |title=Climate Strategies submission to SBSTA and SBI on the work programme on just transition pathways referred to in the relevant paragraphs of decision 1.CMA.4 |url=https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/UNFCCC-JTWP_Climate-Strategies-Submission.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{climatestrategiesndclimate, author = {{Climate Strategies}}, title = {{Climate Strategies submission to SBSTA and SBI on the work programme on just transition pathways referred to in the relevant paragraphs of decision 1.CMA.4}}, publisher = {Climate Strategies}, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/UNFCCC-JTWP_Climate-Strategies-Submission.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }