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What is "Just Transition"?
Academic paper/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations
Mar 2019

Just transitions/Design for transitions: Preliminary Notes on a Design Politics for a Green New deal

This article argues that the field of design for transitions should be brought into dialogues pushing for just transitions to best meet the technical, cultural, political, and economic needs of a low-carbon future.

Geographic Scope
Global
Sectors
General
Land-use
Detail
Focus Areas
Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords
Green New Deal
creative labor
redirective practice
capitalism
neoliberalism
political economy
design
design for transitions
By
Damian White
Publishing Organization
Capitalism Nature Socialism
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary

This article makes a case for incorporating design politics into just transitions. The author argues that the discourses and movements for just transitions and design for transition have low levels of overlap at present; however, they would greatly benefit from increased collaboration to better meet the needs of a low-carbon economy.

The article first explores the transformation of just transition discourses, as well as the diverse, and sometimes, conflicting visions of what a just transition looks like, and how it should be implemented. The author also traces the dialogues surrounding the contribution of design and modes of design futuring in the shift to sustainability. The author argues that applying design to just transitions approaches can expand the scope of the possible visions for a low-carbon, high-quality future by incorporating elements of prototyping, prefiguring, speculative thinking, and scenario building.

The author concludes with several examples of how design approaches could contribute to just transitions. One such example is in the case of intensified land displacement due to expanding renewable energy technologies. Participatory design and social planning for the energy transition could help prevent green grabbing and better address the social and environmental challenges of the renewable energy transition. The author argues that these approaches and other modes of design politics will make low-carbon transitions more just.

Report/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations; Policy Tools or Evaluations
Nov 2018

Managing Coal Mine Closure: Achieving a just transition for all

This paper narrates the lessons and key considerations for planning and implementing a coal mine closure program, as derived from a review of global experiences and over two decades of World Bank assistance in coal mine closures to governments, enterprises, workers, and their communities.

Geographic Scope
Global
Sectors
Mining
Detail
Focus Areas
Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans
Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills, Social protections
Environment and/or pollution > Nature
Government intervention > Public finance, Regulation
Inequality and/or poverty > Gender inequality
Investment > Private finance
Social and/or cultural impacts > Non-financial loss
Keywords
mine mechanization
coal mine community characteristics
narrow economic base
political economy
labor mobility
mobility assistance
financial assurance mechanisms
Canada’s Industrial Adjustment Services
China’s urban Dibao social assistance program
transition funds
By
Michael C.Stanley, John E. Strongman, Rachel Bernice Perks, Helen Ba Thanh Nguyen, Wendy Cunningham, Achim Daniel Schmillen, Michael Stephen Mccormick
Publishing Organization
World Bank Group (WBG)
Development finance institution
Summary

The paper, using a review of global experiences and the World Bank’s decades of assisting governments to close mines, provides recommendations to policymakers on how to plan and implement a coal mine closure and mitigate the impacts on the people, communities, and livelihoods. The article highlights the typical characteristics of coal mining communities, which influence the potential for regional recovery after a closure. Many coal-dependent regions continue to lag behind other regions socially and economically, decades after a mine has been shut down. It further highlights how there are few if any instances of fully satisfactory economic rejuvenation outcomes in mono-industry coal mining towns, thereby emphasizing the acute need for early and careful planning to deal with the impacts of a closure.

The paper identifies nine lessons learned from managing coal mine closures, which are organized under three themes—namely policy and strategy development; people and communities; and land and environmental remediation. The policy and strategy development theme emphasizes that coal mine closures require clear policy direction, large budget outlays, and significant stakeholder consultations. The section on people and communities underlines the importance of a Just Transition for All to meet the needs of workers, families, and the wider community. The land and environmental remediation strategies advance the importance of financial planning for environmental remediation and land reclamation and summarizes a range of possible financial assurance mechanisms available. Some of these mechanisms are mobility assistance, employment services and small business support services, social assistance payments, and various financial assurance mechanisms for mine closures.

Academic paper/Definitions and Concepts
Jan 2020

Just Urban Transitions: Toward a Research Agenda

This article proposes a new approach to just urban transitions and identifies additional research priorities to inform them based on gaps in the underlying justice literature.

Geographic Scope
Global
Sectors
General
Detail
Focus Areas
Environment and/or pollution > Human health
Inequality and/or poverty > Other
Justice
Resilience
Keywords
Climate governance
climate justice
environmental justice
just urban transitions
recognition
distributive justice
procedural justice
energy justice
knowledge production
community agency
urban environmental planning
political economy
By
Sara Hughes, Matthew Hoffmann
Publishing Organization
WIRES Climate Change Journal
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary

Despite growing policy discussions around urban climate action and just transitions, the requirements for a just urban transition (JUT) are not well understood. This article explores JUTs by examining the intersection between urban climate action and just transitions.

The authors examine the different areas of justice scholarship—including environmental, climate, energy, and urban justice—that can inform JUTs. These various fields have elevated distributional impacts and demonstrated the importance of decisionmaking processes. However, the authors conclude that justice scholarship is largely retrospective and focused on “redressing harms rather than identifying and elaborating on agency in the process of change moving forward.”

To address this gap, the authors argue that “shifting from an evaluative perspective to a change and process-oriented perspective is critical to forwarding a JUT research and policy agenda.” Consistent with just transitions policy discussions, they call for a forward-looking approach that integrates justice principles and emphasizes change processes, alternative futures, and political and structural barriers. They conclude by identifying key questions for subsequent research on JUTs.

Academic paper/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations
Dec 2018

Green Fiscal Reform for a Just Energy Transition in Latin America

This paper identifies four enabling factors for successful implementations of green fiscal reforms in Central and South America, examining why recent reform efforts have either succeeded or failed.

Geographic Scope
Latin America
Sectors
Energy
Detail
Focus Areas
Government intervention > Carbon pricing, Regulation
Inequality and/or poverty > Other
Keywords
green fiscal reform
political economy
enabling conditions
green finance
stakeholder consultation
compensation
subsidies
low-income households
political feasibility
By
Michael Jakob, Rafael Soria, Carlos Trinidad, Ottmar Edenhofer
Publishing Organization
Economics E-journal
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary

The authors of this paper identify and discuss important factors for successful implementations of green fiscal reforms in Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Belize, Venezuela, and Ecuador. When taken into consideration, these factors can help increase the technical and political feasibility of green fiscal reforms.

The authors draw on academic literature and expert knowledge to provide insights into the possibilities for—and limitations of—green fiscal reforms. Based on their analysis, they identify key factors for the successful introduction of green fiscal reforms, emphasizing the importance of favorable political conditions, comprehensive reform planning, and the gradual sequencing of reforms. They also emphasize the need to address distributional impacts on low-income households through social protection schemes based on stakeholder consultations with all relevant social groups. Their inclusion in the decisionmaking process should alleviate concerns about disproportionate adverse impacts on any single group.

The authors conclude by highlighting the international community’s important role in supporting green fiscal reforms through knowledge sharing and financing the macro-economic costs of reforms (such as by tying results-based payments to the introduction of a price on emissions or the de-risking of investments in clean energy and energy efficiency).

Podcast/Definitions and Concepts; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations
Sep 2020

Just Transitions: Assessing Gender Dimensions

This podcast discusses the gender dimensions of just transitions and offers recommendations for policy planning and implementation.

Geographic Scope
Global
Sectors
General
Detail
Focus Areas
Employment > Other
Inequality and/or poverty > Gender inequality, Other
Social and/or cultural impacts > Non-financial loss
Keywords
political economy
distributional impacts
gender responsive approach
land rights
social inclusion
care work
covid-19
By
Sarah Ladislaw, May Thazin Aung, Adrienne Cruz
Publishing Organization
Center for Strategic and International Studies, Climate Investment Funds (CIF)
Academic/research institution or journal, Development finance institution
Summary

This podcast focuses on the gender and social dimensions of just transitions. Adrienne Cruz with the International Labor Organization and May Thazin Aung with the Stockholm Environment Institute join Sarah Ladislaw from CSIS’s Energy Security and Climate Change Program to explore gender dimensions and strategies to support gender equitable outcomes and processes.

They discuss lessons from past experiences, as well as the need for gender responsive policies that address women’s unique challenges and needs and that promote their involvement in decision-making processes.

Commentary/Definitions and Concepts
Jun 2020

Just Transitions: Progress to Date and Challenges Ahead

This commentary focuses on gaps in knowledge and key research questions related to just transitions, identifying eight areas that merit more research and policy guidance.

Geographic Scope
Global
Sectors
General
Detail
Focus Areas
Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans
Employment > Other
Inequality and/or poverty > Gender inequality, Other
Investment > ESG and corporate engagement, Private finance
Keywords
Global South
political economy
local capacity
gender
informal labor
place-based investment
financing instruments
ESG
Publishing Organization
Center for Strategic and International Studies, Climate Investment Funds (CIF)
Academic/research institution or journal, Development finance institution
Summary

This commentary summarizes a workshop held by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on just transitions. It identifies eight topics that merit new research and practical guidance. Several of these themes center on implementation. Most case studies focus on Western countries, but case studies and guidance should account for the political, economic, social, and environmental context in the Global South. Just transitions proponents should also focus on power dynamics and political economy issues, to identify potential blockers and enablers.

The authors note that cities, regional governments, and local actors are often left out of planning processes. The commentary suggests that workers in the informal sector should have greater prominence in just transitions plans. Social protections and worker assistance should also account for the needs of women as well as indigenous people and ethnic minorities.

The commentary identifies critical questions related to financing a just transition. It notes the importance of place-based investment for affected regions, as well as the need for new financing instruments to meet the scale of the climate challenge. Although private investors have a key role to play in financing just transitions, there is more work to be done on educating investors on just transitions principles, especially in terms of social as opposed to environmental goals.

Report/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations
May 2017

Invest in Climate, Invest in Growth – Chapter 6: Towards an Inclusive Transition

This chapter examines the social and economic factors that affect governments’ climate policy decisions and advocates considering political economy dimensions when preparing long-term climate strategies.

Geographic Scope
Global
Sectors
General
Detail
Focus Areas
Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans, Industry and/or sector assistance or plans
Employment > Job creation and/or equality
Government intervention > Carbon pricing, Regulation
Inequality and/or poverty > Other
Investment > Other
Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords
political economy
structural change
household impacts
energy access
pensions
divestment
industrial transitions
fossil fuel subsidies
long-term strategies
Publishing Organization
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Inter-governmental/international organization
Summary

This chapter examines the socioeconomic factors that influence governments’ abilities to envision and implement an effective climate response. Drawing on lessons from former industrial transitions, the authors emphasize the significance of local political economy dimensions. They advocate being proactive about engaging stakeholders and formulating exit strategies and offer recommendations on how to incorporate these dimensions into the development of robust, long-term, low-emission strategies.

In addition, the authors examine the potential impact of carbon pricing on households and offer lessons from past experiences with fossil-fuel subsidy reforms. They then examine the impact of climate mitigation on workers, highlighting specific aspects of former transitions from around the world.

Report/Case Study; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations
Sep 2020

Supporting Just Transitions in South Africa: A Case Study

This case study explores key dimensions of just transitions and draws lessons from the Climate Investment Funds (CIF)’s contributions to the energy transition, the expansion of renewable energy, and the implications for workers and communities in South Africa.

Geographic Scope
South Africa
Sectors
Energy
Mining
Detail
Focus Areas
Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills
Government intervention > Regulation
Investment > Other
Justice
Keywords
multilateral development banks
political economy
distributional justice
procedural justice
recognition
conceptual framework
coronavirus
coal sector
project evaluation
concessional finance
By
Michael Ward, Neha Sharma, Hugh Searight
Publishing Organization
Climate Investment Funds (CIF)
Development finance institution
Summary

This case study explores key dimensions of just transition in South Africa, which has a long engagement with the concept and was one of the first countries to include an explicit reference to just transitions in its Nationally Determined Contribution. The case study reflects on the contributions of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), through its partner multilateral development banks, to the energy transition in South Africa.

The document uses the just transitions framework developed by the CIF and the Center for Strategic and International Studies to explore issues of social inclusion and distributional justice in South Africa’s energy transition. It provides a broader review of South Africa’s energy transition implications for national planning, and discusses social inclusion, financing, Covid-19 recovery programs, skills development and geographic disparities.

Report/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations
May 2019

Gender in the Transition to Sustainable Energy for All: From Evidence to Inclusive Policies

This report summarizes a five-year research program investigating the links between gender, energy, and poverty and offers energy policy recommendations based on its findings.

Geographic Scope
Global
Sectors
Agriculture
Detail
Focus Areas
Inequality and/or poverty > Gender inequality, Other
Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords
gender norms
differentiated energy needs
energy appliances
women empowerment
women entrepreneurs
cooking fuels
gender responsive approach
political economy
energy access
By
Joy Clancy, Soma Dutta, Andrew Barnett, Elizabeth Cecelski, Shonali Pachauri, Youba Sokona, Mumbi Machera, Caroline McGregor, Venkata Ramana Putti, Annemarije Kooijman, Sheila Oparaocha
Publishing Organization
International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy (ENERGIA)
Inter-governmental/international organization
Summary

This report synthesizes a five-year research program investigating the links between gender, energy, and poverty. The objective was to analyze the benefits of a gender-aware approach in energy access interventions. Nine research teams from 29 research institutions, including 21 in the Global South, conducted research in 12 countries. Using a mixed-methods approach, the researchers examined gender, energy, and poverty linkages in six thematic areas. They sought to explore the potential for adopting a gender-aware approach to energy access that could enhance equity between women and men and empower women through improved access to modern energy services.

Modern energy services and appliances, in the household and in micro- and small-scale enterprises, can change gender roles and dynamics of power. The research examined how these norms can change over time, what causes them to change, and how they vary across different contexts. It identified three levels at which factors influence decision-making and power relations between women and men: the micro level of households; the meso level of local government agencies and women’s organizations; and the macro level of national policymaking.

The authors provide recommendations for energy policy and practice based on a gender-aware approach, understanding that the ways in which gender norms influence needs, access, and control over energy services differ between communities.

Report/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations
Jan 2018

Towards a Just Transition in the Philippine Electricity Sector: Challenges and Opportunities

This paper explains why transformational change in the Philippines’ energy sector is needed to meet the country’s climate commitment in a fair way.

Geographic Scope
Philippines
Sectors
Energy
Detail
Focus Areas
Economic diversification/restructuring > Industry and/or sector assistance or plans
Employment > Job creation and/or equality
Environment and/or pollution > Human health, Nature
Government intervention > Regulation
Investment > Competitiveness, Private finance
Resilience
Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords
energy access
tariffs
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
renewable energy
political economy
climate change vulnerabilities
private utilities
By
Roberto Verzola, Jose Logarta Jr., Pedro Maniego Jr.
Publishing Organization
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation
Non-profit organization/civil society organization
Summary

This paper assesses the political and social feasibility of a just transition in the Philippines. It examines the energy sector’s political and socioeconomic dimensions and presents four different roadmaps to deliver a socially just energy transition while assuring the country reaches its climate goals.

As one of the world’s fastest-growing economies with the highest population growth in Southeast Asia, the Philippines faces an increase in energy demand but remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels despite its vulnerability to climate change. The authors call for an energy transition in the Philippines not only to mitigate climate change but also for economic reasons, since renewable energy has gained cost competitiveness relative to fossil fuels. However, the authors believe such a transition must also ensure universal access to electricity and reduce social inequality.

The paper recommends four “road maps to a socially just energy transition.” These include integrating energy system planning, such as grid expansion and energy access plans for rural areas; implementing renewable energy development programs that would feature rooftop solar and renewable energy support schemes; promoting energy efficiency and conservation; and maintaining some conventional electricity generation technologies to minimize the risks of stranded assets.