Just energy transitions: Experience from JETP initiatives

To meet global climate goals, energy transitions must proceed rapidly. But for them to be both sustainable and broadly supported, they must also be just. A just transition addresses critical social and economic challenges such as income inequality, unequal access to energy and the legacies of historical injustices, while ensuring no sector or community is left behind. 

In this context, INETTT hosted a 90-minute webinar to launch a new policy brief examining just energy transitions in developing countries, with a focus on early experiences with the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) – a relatively recent and high-profile climate finance mechanism. The brief explores how justice in energy transitions can be understood through three key dimensions: distributional justice, procedural justice and recognition or restorative justice. 

Drawing on case studies from countries involved in JETPs, the publication emphasise the importance of ensuring that transition finance is country-owned, transparent, publicly accountable, and grounded in rights-based approaches. These insights provided a foundation for the webinar’s discussions. 

Expert panellists from civil society, regulatory bodies and trade unions across Colombia, South Africa and Europe reflected on what justice means in practical terms and how it can be embedded in policy, finance and implementation. The session concluded with an open Q&A segment, allowing participants to engage directly with the speakers. 

This exchange contributed to a broader understanding of how just transitions can be financed and governed in ways that reflect the diverse realities and needs of developing countries.