Summary

On 29 November, the IEU held a Learning Talk on Just Transition. The talk opened with a summary of the findings and learnings from a recent evidence review co-funded by the GCF-IEU and ILO on the evidence regarding interventions contributing to a just transition towards low emission and climate resilient development pathways in developing countries in four systems: energy, agriculture/food, infrastructure, and ecosystems. This was followed by a discussion of how this connects to GCF programming, international negotiations, and just transition guidelines and principles.

Discussion highlights 

• ‘A just transition contributes to climate goals at the same time as ensuring a fairness in process, limited inequality of outcomes, and also inclusive social dialogue and stakeholder engagement.’ 

Learning outcomes

• Activities for just transition interventions come in several types: technical, financial and development; landscape analysis and consultation; and enabling environments and incentives and standards.
• Reported 'actual' climate outcomes are distributed fairly evenly across mitigation and adaptation objectives (mostly reducing GHG emissions and enhancing resilience).
• Common enablers for just transition interventions across most sectors include: robust funding mechanisms; strong alignment with needs and priorities; political will and ownership; and stakeholder engagement.
• Common barriers for just transition interventions across most sectors include: bureaucratic and legal hurdles in government processes; institutional delays to project delivery; the exclusion of important stakeholders; and the unequal distribution of resources and benefits at the outset.
• Intervention inputs and activities can sometimes shift barriers to enablers (e.g. funding), but often these structural conditions cannot be addressed by interventions alone. Decision makers can seek linkages with other interventions that might address these factors.

Panelists

• Martin Prowse, Evaluation Specialist, GCF-IEU
• Camilla Roman, Policy Specialist, ILO
• Anurag Mishra, Senior Renewable Energy Specialist, GCF-DMA

Moderator

• Aidyn Kaiyrbekova, Evaluations Assistant Consultant, GCF-IEU

Recording