Planning and implementing just transitions: opportunities for South-South cooperation

This policy brief explores how South-South cooperation (SSC) can complement North-South mechanisms to facilitate a just transition from fossil fuel dependence while addressing development needs in developing countries.

• North-South cooperation, specifically just energy transition partnerships, aims to support low-carbon transitions with social justice but is limited by issues regarding equity in implementation, local ownership, and financing.
• South-South cooperation provides a complementary approach to just transitions by enabling the sharing of technical expertise, peer learning, and the creation of solutions specific to the context of countries with similar governance and socio-economic challenges.
• Unlike the techno-economic framing and donor-led agendas often found in North-South partnerships, South-South cooperation can support justice-centred approaches that integrate socio-political inclusion, job creation, and energy access.
• South Africa and Colombia serve as examples of the difficulties in implementing just transitions, yet they possess untapped potential for mutual cooperation in green industrialization, community benefit-sharing, institutional coordination, and mine closure.
• To fully leverage South-South cooperation for just transitions, there is a need for sustained knowledge exchange, inclusive engagement across multiple actors, and increased institutional support.

APA

Arond, E., Strambo, C., Corral, F., & Burton, J. (2025). Planning and implementing just transitions: opportunities for South-South cooperation. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/publications/south-south-cooperation-for-just-transitions/

Chicago

Arond, Elisa, Claudia Strambo, Felipe Corral, and Jesse Burton. Planning and implementing just transitions: opportunities for South-South cooperation. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2025. https://www.sei.org/publications/south-south-cooperation-for-just-transitions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Arond |first1=Elisa |last2=Strambo |first2=Claudia |last3=Corral |first3=Felipe |last4=Burton |first4=Jesse |title=Planning and implementing just transitions: opportunities for South-South cooperation |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=28 October 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/south-south-cooperation-for-just-transitions/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{arond2025planning, author = {Arond, Elisa and Strambo, Claudia and Corral, Felipe and Burton, Jesse}, title = {{Planning and implementing just transitions: opportunities for South-South cooperation}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/south-south-cooperation-for-just-transitions/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }