Just Transition and Sustainable Development in the Global South

Organized by Taskforce on Climate Governance

1. Background: Effectively addressing global climate change requires restructuring the global economy. While there is wide agreement on the scale of the transformation, there is less consensus and limited scholarly analyses devoted to how to best ensure that it is fair, equitable and just. There exists, therefore, a tension between the ambition needed to meet global climate targets and the need to do so in a fair manner. It is against this backdrop that this panel seeks to explore how the concept of “just transition” is understood and can be effectively implemented in the global South (Africa, Asia & LA/Caribbean).

2. Rationale: Given the growing inequality and crisis of global governance, fairness and justice are becoming more important. At the same time, some scholars have suggested there has been a steady erosion of equity principles and norms in the global climate regime to the detriment of the poor and vulnerable countries in the global South. There is thus a need to explore the role of equity and fairness in the evolving climate regime complex and how best to integrate equity and fairness in global climate governance especially through the lens of the just transition. This panel seek to enhance understanding of the dynamics of just transition in the global South and analyse broader global governance reforms required to achieve just transition in the global South including the role of regional economic institutions.