IEJ Submission - Just Transition Mechanism.docx

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) submitted a set of recommendations to the UNFCCC Secretariat on March 12, 2026, regarding the operationalisation of the Just Transition Mechanism under the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP). The IEJ argues that the mechanism must be equity-oriented, demand-driven, and primarily grant-based to avoid exacerbating debt burdens in developing countries.

• The Just Transition Mechanism should be guided by the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR–RC) and must be explicitly equity-oriented. It is intended to support nationally determined pathways implemented through Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
• International cooperation through the mechanism must address systemic constraints such as global economic governance, fiscal space, and debt. The IEJ specifies that finance provided should be new, additional, and primarily grant-based, avoiding conditionalities that limit the policy space of recipient countries.
• Technical assistance must be context-specific and demand-driven, moving beyond energy systems to include public finance, industrial policy, social protection, and labour markets. The IEJ warns against purely market-led or 'one-size-fits-all' approaches, stating they often ignore social effects on vulnerable communities dependent on fossil fuel industries.
• To ensure transitions are inclusive, the mechanism must integrate care-centred approaches, gender equality, and social protection systems. The IEJ asserts that failing to account for gender-differentiated labour impacts and unpaid care work will reproduce existing inequalities.
• The operationalisation process, to be recommended by subsidiary bodies, should establish clear accountability and governance. The IEJ calls for the draft decision at CMA 8 to define the mechanism's functions, scope, and review modalities, ensuring finance does not undermine fiscal space or increase debt.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (n.d.). IEJ Submission - Just Transition Mechanism.docx. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IEJ-Submission-Just-Transition-Mechanism.pdf

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. IEJ Submission - Just Transition Mechanism.docx. n.d. https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IEJ-Submission-Just-Transition-Mechanism.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=IEJ Submission - Just Transition Mechanism.docx |url=https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IEJ-Submission-Just-Transition-Mechanism.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforeconomicjusticendiej, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{IEJ Submission - Just Transition Mechanism.docx}}, publisher = {Institute for Economic Justice}, url = {https://iej.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IEJ-Submission-Just-Transition-Mechanism.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }