Just transition – the key to inclusive climate action

Climate change is a reality that affects the entire planet. It is a global challenge that countries are facing through initiatives that seek to mitigate the impact of the problem. Within such a context, EUROCLIMA+, a cooperation programme financed by the European Union, took part in a meeting organised by FIIAPP to discuss the present situation with a focus on policies, strategies and action programmes in the area of a just transition in Spain and Latin America and the key role played by this approach in terms of climate action and a post-pandemic green recovery.

The meeting sought to analyse the opportunities and challenges presented by the concept of a just transition in the transformations promoted through the framework of the Paris Agreement. The event was part of a cycle of activities within the “Regional Collaboration in the Transparency and Completion of Nationally-Determined Contributions and Capacity-Building for Long-Term Climate Strategies” programme.

The concept of a just transition is beginning to be seen as the third pillar of climate action, together with the reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapting to the impact of global warming. With its emphasis on linking environmental, economic and social aspects, it can help catalyse the transformation that is urgently needed, especially in the face of the necessary economic and social recovery from the pandemic.

Although it is not a novel approach – there has been much discussion on how to tackle climate change – a just transition has only recently been widely adopted on the international climate agenda, meaning that there are still some discrepancies as to what it means in practice: “Just”– for whom? And a “transition” – to where?

The event has highlighted the potential of the just transition approach to promote climate action in the current context of the pandemic, given the risk that the pressing need for economic reactivation will overshadow other equally urgent objectives. By linking the environmental, social and economic agendas, this vision allows us to identify shared goals and enhance synergies. Its emphasis on equity and employment can ensure greater social acceptance and institutional support, as well as essential financial resources to promote the profound structural changes required by the climate challenge.

The participation of a number of Latin American countries has also served to highlight the different approaches to the concept of a just transition and the state of progress in terms of policies, strategies and action programs in Spain and Latin America, highlighting their key role in terms of climate action and a post-pandemic green recovery.