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

The document examines the shortcomings of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), noting their tendency toward techno-economic framing and donor-driven agendas. It proposes South-South cooperation (SSC) as a vital alternative that leverages shared socio-economic challenges and peer learning to foster more inclusive, justice-centred transitions. Using South Africa and Colombia as case studies, the brief identifies specific opportunities for collaboration in mine closure, green industrialization, and institutional coordination to move beyond one-size-fits-all models.

• Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) are innovative diplomatic agreements between donor groups and host countries, but they are hindered by significant financing gaps, a high proportion of loans that increase debt, and a lack of funding for socially equitable reforms.
• JETPs often suffer from a 'techno-economic paradigm' that prioritizes emissions reductions and donor agendas over local developmental needs such as energy access, job creation, and food security.
• South-South cooperation (SSC) offers a complementary approach to just transitions by enabling countries with similar socio-economic and governance challenges to share technical expertise and build context-specific solutions.
• The implementation of the JETP in South Africa has been hampered by political resistance from government actors defending coal and gas, as well as social unrest following the closure of plants like Komati due to poor employment planning.
• There is significant untapped potential for South-South cooperation between South Africa and Colombia, specifically in managing mine closures, developing green industrialization, and leveraging peace-building project experiences for inclusive planning.
• South-South cooperation can facilitate 'green industrialization' by leveraging complementary natural resources, such as using South African iron ore with Colombian renewable energy for green steel, or processing Colombian copper in South African smelters.

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/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/planning-and-implementing-just-transitions-opportunities-for-south-south-cooperation.pdf

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/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/planning-and-implementing-just-transitions-opportunities-for-south-south-cooperation.pdf.

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=October 2025 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/planning-and-implementing-just-transitions-opportunities-for-south-south-cooperation.pdf |access-date=23 October 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/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/planning-and-implementing-just-transitions-opportunities-for-south-south-cooperation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }