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This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice examines the challenges and progress of phasing out fossil fuels within G20 nations. It highlights the economic and social dependencies that hinder the transition, the failure of G20 countries to meet subsidy reduction promises, and the specific goals of South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency to champion a people-centered, just energy transition.

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.

This fact sheet outlines a blueprint for a fossil-free recovery, arguing that G20 governments should stop funding fossil fuel production and instead use revenues from subsidy reforms and taxes—potentially USD 553 billion annually—to fund clean energy, energy efficiency, and universal energy access. It emphasizes the need for private investment in clean electricity and a just transition involving workers, employers, and governments.

This report analyzes the fiscal implications of the clean energy transition for the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), focusing on the reliance of government budgets on fossil fuel revenues and the impact of existing subsidies.

This case study examines South Africa's heavy reliance on coal and the resulting fiscal implications for its energy transition. It details the role of state-owned enterprises, the structure of fossil fuel revenues and subsidies, and the government's climate commitments via its Nationally Determined Contribution.

This report, submitted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to the UNFCCC First Global Stocktake, analyzes the failure of governments to align public financial flows with the Paris Agreement. It argues that public support for fossil fuels remains high and often increases, creating a financial barrier to clean energy deployment. The document provides evidence of subsidy trends, the impact of COVID-19 recovery packages, and offers a framework for fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR) to accelerate the energy transition while ensuring social equity.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the energy transition in Chhattisgarh, India, from FY 2020 to FY 2024. It quantifies government subsidies, public sector undertaking (PSU) investments, and energy-related revenues, highlighting the state's deep fiscal and economic reliance on coal and oil and gas (O&G). The report emphasizes the vulnerability of Chhattisgarh to the energy transition and recommends diversifying revenue sources, better targeting electricity subsidies, and accelerating the shift toward renewable energy to mitigate economic risks.

This case study examines the governance and progress of the European Union's efforts to phase out fossil fuel subsidies by 2020, specifically focusing on the mandatory removal of hard coal mining subsidies by 2018 and the broader goals for oil, gas, and coal.

This brochure describes the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), a Johannesburg-based African research institute founded in May 2010. PARI focuses on research into constraints to effective governance, institutional design, and state-society relations to promote equitable policies and reduce poverty and inequality in South Africa and the global South.

This research paper examines the risk of stranded assets in Africa's extractives sectors as the global economy transitions toward low-carbon energy and a circular economy. It analyzes the economic threats to fossil-fuel-dependent nations, the potential for 'premature deindustrialisation', and the opportunities presented by the rising demand for critical minerals. The author argues for a 'just transition' that prioritizes social and developmental goals through economic diversification and improved governance to avoid the 'resource curse'.

The South African Youth Gender Action Plan (SA YGAP) is a youth-led framework designed to guide decision-makers, civil society, and the private sector in creating a gender-inclusive society in South Africa. Developed by young people aged 13-30, the plan identifies gaps in existing national and global policies and proposes a seven-pillar approach to dismantle patriarchal and heteronormative structures across education, health, safety, and sustainable transformation.

This research paper examines the potential for establishing a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) hybrid Centre of Specialisation (CoS) to support South Africa's Green Hydrogen Economy (GHE). It analyzes systemic failures in the current vocational skills development system—including declining enrolments, poor throughput rates, and a disconnect between curricula and industry needs—and evaluates the existing CoS model and pilot programs (Bambili and NBI) to provide recommendations for a demand-led, flexible skills strategy for the green transition.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) proposes a strategic framework to transition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) skills toward a green hydrogen economy in South Africa by 2050. Using foresight tools like the Three Horizons framework and scenario planning, the document identifies systemic failures in the current TVET system and outlines a vision for a 'just and inclusive' ecosystem that prioritizes economic wellbeing and ecological resilience over a narrow focus on job placement.

The Reimagine our Future Declaration is a statement by over 150 South African children and youth (aged 14-24) outlining their vision for a future characterized by climate resilience, social equality, and active youth participation in governance. The document identifies systemic failures in economic support, environmental management, and social services, while providing specific recommendations for government and private sector action to ensure a just transition and inclusive development.

The 'METHODOLOGY-SDG IQ' (GS4GG PAA M400-06) is a global guide for quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions achieved by replacing operational fossil-fuel-based electricity generators with new renewable energy systems (RES). It emphasizes an 'Integrated Replacement' approach, requiring the permanent decommissioning of fossil-fuel assets and the implementation of a Just Transition Plan to ensure maintained or improved energy access.

This briefing outlines the mission, progress, and 2022 strategic priorities of the Energy Transition Council (ETC), an initiative designed to facilitate dialogue between developing countries and international actors to accelerate the transition to clean, affordable, and reliable power.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a narrow policy window to steer economic recovery toward a sustainable, net-zero emissions path. It warns against 'carbon lock-in'—where recovery measures entrench fossil fuel dependency—and proposes specific policy levers, such as conditional bailouts and just transition measures, to catalyse industrial transformation.

Pakistan's third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) outlines a strategy to reduce projected greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2035 and enhance climate resilience. The plan balances an unconditional 17% emission reduction through domestic resources with a conditional 33% reduction dependent on USD 565.7 billion in international climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building. The document emphasizes a 'whole-of-nation' approach, integrating climate action into national development frameworks like 'URAAN Pakistan' (2024-2029) to address acute vulnerabilities, including glacial melt and devastating floods.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Natural Resource Governance Institute examines the economic, institutional, environmental, and sociocultural barriers to a just energy transition from thermal coal in Colombia, specifically focusing on the Cesar and La Guajira departments.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) summarizes a 2019 report on the pathways for Estonia to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It outlines the necessary investments in energy efficiency, decarbonization of the energy supply, and carbon sequestration, while emphasizing the need for a just transition for regions dependent on the oil-shale industry.