The concept of “just transition” has come increasingly center stage in national and international discussions on finance, energy, agriculture, and other key industrial transitions to net zero. In the last few years, the just transition agenda has grown from being a hard-won concession by the trade union movement to a mainstream buzzword by governments and the private sector. 

Its inclusion in the Paris Agreement and 2015 ILO Guidelines provides high-level reference points for national policymakers grappling with catalyzing the local transitions required to meet collective climate goals. International support for several new national “Just Energy Transition Partnerships” (JETPs) are potentially promising examples of developing country investment momentum. Since COP26, there has been a huge uptick in financial institutions, businesses, and industry associations’ commitments to the concept. 

But this growth in recognition is also colored by wide-ranging definitions and interpretations of what “just” transition means and how to achieve it.