Venue: Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Date: 16 November 2023

Background

A sustainable transition to a net-zero future is key to unlocking the Paris Agreement’s global climate goals. The Paris Agreement recognizes that the long-term goal of limiting the global average temperature increase to well below 2, and preferably below 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to preindustrial levels, will be achieved through time and, therefore, builds on ratcheting up aggregate and individual ambition through countries’ Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS).

While the net-zero transition is essential, and can provide significant economic and social benefits, it can also pose significant challenges for countries and communities that are still dependent on fossil fuels and other emissions-intensive sectors. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for more than half of global energy consumption, with 85% of that regional consumption sourced from fossil fuels [IRENA, 2023]. The region’s share of GHG emissions continues to increase as populations grow, and recognizing this, countries are accelerating climate action and energy transitions. It is however, crucial to note that transition pathways have distributional consequences – economic losses are likely to occur in certain sectors, regions, and communities, particularly where dependence on fossil fuels or carbon-intensive practices are high and where opportunities for economic diversification are limited.

Policymakers are recognizing the interconnectedness of climate action and socioeconomic development goals like economic growth, job creation, and social equity. Increasingly, countries are taking action to integrate a just and equitable transition of their economies into their NDCs and LongTerm Strategies (LTS). Just transition principles are now explicitly cited in 38 percent of NDCs and 56 percent of LTS. Of these, only 17 percent of NDCs and 55 percent of LTS have dedicated sections to the issue [UNDP, 2022].

Balancing climate actions and socioeconomic prosperity is a complex and pressing challenge which needs evidence-based policy making at global, national and subnational levels. The issue is of higher relevance for countries in the phase of economic development or vulnerable to impacts of responses taken to address climate change while acting in parallel to bring down their emissions. This is especially critical in the Asia-Pacific region, which faces major challenges from climate change impacts that are hindering its ability to achieve sustainable socioeconomic development.

A comprehensive whole-of-economy, whole-of-society approach – one that addresses all sectors and secures buy-in from all quarters – will bring the greatest development gains. In order to unlock the full potential of decarbonization, opportunities and co-benefits must be pursued alongside investment in human and social capital. By incorporating just transition approaches into NDCs and LTS, countries can seek to advance inclusive climate action with consideration of all sectors and stakeholders, while ensuring justice, inclusivity and transparency.

Participants and Objectives

The event aims to bring together policy makers at the national and subnational levels, local community representatives, regional development partners, multilateral organizations. The objective of the event is threefold:

1. To raise awareness and enhance understanding of participants from the region on just energy transitions and the incorporation of just transition and economic diversification in NDCs and LTS. The participants will be able to understand the possible trade-offs between climate objectives and sustainable development, and other policies that need to be put in place to achieve both.
2. Foster information-sharing with a view to developing energy transition policies that will support the implementation of NDCs and LT-LEDS. Allow peer-to-peer learning to facilitate planning and implementation of effective policies on just transition of the workforce and creation of decent work and quality jobs, and on economic diversification and transformation.
3. Provide a platform that fosters constructive dialogues to identify best practices, priorities, needs and opportunities for fostering just, managed, financed and inclusive energy transitions, that takes into account sustainable development needs of low-income countries, along with accelerated decarbonization.

Agenda

1. Opening Remarks (Peter Govindasamy, Co-Chair of the KCI)

2. Context Setting and Regional Overview (Sangmin Nam, Director, Environment and Development Division, UNESCAP)

3. National and Subnational Experiences of Just Transitions (Moderated by Juhi Bansal, NDC, LT-LEDS Expert, RCC Asia Pacific)

Narratives of climate change impacts on the ground and examples of localized action:

• Sele Tagivuni (Fiji) – IP
• Hemavathi S Shekhar (India) – YOUNGO

Case studies of subnational action, driving national vision through local solutions:

• Arvind Kumar Chaudhary, Principal Secretary - Finance, Government of Bihar, India

Best practices of integrating just transition strategies within short- and long-term climate plans like NDCs and LTS:

• Anthony L. Garae, Director, Department of Energy, Vanuatu
• Celine Pascual, Development Management Officer II, Climate Change Commission, Philippines

4. Interactive Discussion: Integrating Just Transitions in NDCs and LT-LEDS (Moderated by Juhi Bansal, NDC, LT-LEDS Expert, RCC Asia Pacific)

5. Panel Discussion: Delivering the Paris Agreement through integration of just transition in NDCs and LT-LEDS (Moderated by Peter Govindasamy, Co-Chair of the KCI)

Panelists:

• Akiko Yamamoto, Regional Team Leader, Asia and the Pacific, Nature, Climate, and Energy Team, UNDP
• Kapil Narula, Senior Analyst Breakthrough Agenda, UN High Level Climate Champions Team
• Kate Hughes, Principal Climate Change Specialist, ADB
• Hapsari Damayanti, Climate and Sustainability Analyst, WRI Indonesia
• Vanda Faasoa-Chan Ting, NDC Technical Adviser, SPREP
• Suwanto, Senior Officer, Power, Fossil Fuel, Alternative Energy and Storage (PFS) Department, ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE)

6. Closing

Webcast (will be available soon)

Presentations (will be available soon)