Countries around the globe are proving that cutting greenhouse gas emissions doesn’t have to come at the expense of vulnerable communities, workers, Indigenous peoples or ecosystems. A new United Nations Environment Programme report released Tuesday highlights a range of international laws and policies that are putting the once-aspirational idea of a “just transition” into practice.

In climate and energy policy, a just transition aims to shift economies away from fossil fuels while ensuring that the costs and benefits are shared fairly. That means creating alternative livelihoods for workers and communities dependent on fossil fuels, involving affected people in decision-making and creating new economic opportunities.

Although the term “just transition” often is swept into ideological debates about climate and energy policy, the underlying concept is simple. It’s like planning to replace an unsafe community bridge. Everyone agrees a new bridge is needed, but if people can’t afford the toll, or if the construction cuts off neighborhoods, the project may solve one logistical problem while creating several others. A just transition means designing the changes so the benefits outweigh the burdens, especially for the people most affected, by involving them in the process.

The report marks a shift from 10 years ago, when “just transition” was a broad principle embedded in the Paris Agreement. Drawing on legal and policy developments from around the world, the UNEP report emphasizes that integrating principles such as participation and transparency is key to accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy and making it more sustainable.

Fairness is not an optional add-on; it’s crucial for the long-term success of transition policies, said Patricia Kameri-Mbote, director of UNEP’s law division, who reviewed the report for the international agency.

“The design and implementation of transition processes will determine whether there is a transition at all,” Kameri-Mbote said. “Just transition is a test of governance, legitimacy, and the rule of law.”

After studying just transition approaches in different countries, the authors wrote: “There is no one-size-fits-all model for just transition. It must be context-specific and grounded in national realities.”

Read the full article about factoring fairness into the clean energy transition by Bob Berwyn at Inside Climate News.