Pathways for Just Transitions

February 3, 2021

Climate change poses an unprecedented threat to the planet, requiring rapid economic and social transformations that will affect workers and communities and have broader impacts on society. Governments, labor groups, investors, civil society, and environmental organizations are increasingly using the principles of just transitions to address the social implications of climate policy and ensure that workers and communities are supported and empowered through these changes. There is ample theoretical guidance on how to pursue just transitions at a societal level, but it is essential to make the tools and strategies for just transitions more accessible and relevant to policymakers. This paper summarizes several policy objectives and tools, as well as cross-cutting enablers that can support socially inclusive processes and equitable distribution of the risks and benefits associated with transitions. It then explores these elements by examining two essential aspects of just transition policies:gender-responsive policies and place-based investment.

This report is made possible by support from Climate Investment Funds.