More Countries Are Factoring Fairness Into the Clean Energy Transition

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By Bob Berwyn, Inside Climate News. 

Excerpt: Countries around the globe are proving that cutting greenhouse gas emissions doesn’t have to come at the expense of vulnerable communities, workers, Indigenous peoples or ecosystems. A new United Nations Environment Programme report released Tuesday highlights a range of international laws and policies that are putting the once-aspirational idea of a “just transition” into practice. In climate and energy policy, a just transition aims to shift economies away from fossil fuels while ensuring that the costs and benefits are shared fairly. That means creating alternative livelihoods for workers and communities dependent on fossil fuels, involving affected people in decision-making and creating new economic opportunities. ...In Poland, where coal has long been central to the economy, the government negotiated a long-term agreement with mining unions before closing mines. ...a gradual phaseout with retraining, economic assistance for towns and support for families to give communities years, not months, to adjust to the changes. Colombia is granting Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities a stake in renewable energy projects and the revenue they generate. Indonesia is helping former coal towns rebuild economies around tourism and local businesses. And Canada has backed financing that allows Indigenous communities to own stakes in clean-energy and infrastructure projects, rather than simply hosting them.... 

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