15 November 2025 ¦ 9.30 am to 10.30 am
Background
As inequalities worsen with the intensification of the climate crisis, there is a pressing international need for a just transition that reconciles the imperative of sustainable environmental transition with increased opportunities for social development and the reduction of inequalities for individuals, workers, territories and communities. This requirement is essential to the success of the transition to carbon neutrality and adaptation policies, as well as to the consideration of biodiversity issues.
A just transition implies, in the face of the development of post-fossil fuel economies, the implementation of public policies and investments that integrate social protection mechanisms, support for professional retraining and support for the emergence of new jobs with decent working conditions, using an inclusive and transformative approach.
Recent debates within the climate process (UNFCC) and civil society mobilisations highlight the key foundations: anchoring human rights and labour rights, eligibility for climate finance, integration of Just Transition roadmaps into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and long-term strategies, prioritising measures to reduce inequality and poverty, social protection, and the establishment of shared governance and institutional frameworks.
However, national realities vary greatly: budgetary and institutional capacities, productive structures, levels of informality, and commercial and financial room for manoeuvre vary from one country to another. The concept of just transition must therefore be adapted by governments and social partners to national contexts and specific local conditions.
The response to these challenges can only come from a multi-stakeholder dialogue, drawing on existing institutional channels and coordination between governments, public development banks (PDBs), multilateral institutions and civil society actors. Public development banks (PDBs) and governments play a decisive role in supporting just and sustainable trajectories by directing financial flows towards investments with high social and environmental impact and towards new assets: support for job creation, social protection, equitable access to resources and green energy. Joint initiatives such as the United Nations Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions, coordinated by the ILO, combining technical assistance from the United Nations and financial support from PDBs, illustrate the value of integrated cooperation between public actors and technical partners.
The aim of this side event is to show that concrete and promising solutions exist to maximise the environmental and social co-benefits of investments and budgetary choices in favour of a low-carbon transition. Coupled with multi-stakeholder dialogue and innovative impact measures, various financial instruments, specific support, and collaboration between research, institutional and civil society actors can contribute to the ecological transition while paving the way for more equitable and sustainable economic and social development.
Objectives
- Highlight investments geared towards a just transition that contribute to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and maximising social and climate co-benefits.
- Discuss the conditions that may have led to the implementation of just transition policies or the ongoing discussions to initiate such policies in terms of social protection, employment, inclusive economic diversification, citizen participation and social dialogue.
- Present various financial instruments and the value of multi-stakeholder dialogue with the aim of aligning public institutions, private investors and civil society, and mention a few examples of countries such as those participating in the Global Accelerator.
- Articulate the environmental and social ambitions of the just transition with innovative impact measures and methodologies for these measures, generating benefits for the climate, ecosystems and communities, and the conditions for their effective participation.
Agenda
- National perspective – representation of the challenges of a country's trajectory, presentation of the specific nature of national challenges and expectations
(i) South Africa
(ii) Uzbekistan - Voice of civil society – Secours Catholique – Caritas France
Illustrate the implications for grassroots organisations and their contributions to the challenges of a just national trajectory - Positioning of international actors:
(i) International Labour Organisation (ILO): Global challenges of just transition in the climate process and support to countries
(ii) Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and/or other PDBs: Role, positioning and levers of PDBs in responding to these national just transition challenges
Panellists
To be confirmed