Nicole Kempis 

During the first Climate Week of 2025, which took place from May 19 to 23 in Panama, the Climate Strategies team participated in an exciting series of events. We: 

  •  Joined the Implementation Forum Labs  
  • Co-hosted a workshop with LACLIMA on Bridging the Gap: Shifting from Dialogue to Action on Just Transition 
  • Participated in the official Just Transition Work Programme dialogues  
Participants at our UN Climate Week workshop, Bridging the Gap: Shifting from Dialogue to Action on Just Transition.

Reflections on Just Transitions in the UNFCCC 

After an intense and productive week of discussions, one thing is increasingly clear: for the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) to be successful, we need a concrete outcome that empowers the multilateral space to actively support national and local implementation. This isn’t just about supporting Just Transitions in theory. It’s about identifying and addressing real needs from implementors on the ground—needs where international support can make a tangible difference. 

Climate Strategies has conducted over 10 years of Just Transition research in countries around the world, and we’ve identified several core implementation challenges. These include: 

  • Better international coordination of Just Transition actors 
  • Capacity strengthening support for governments and institutions 
  • Mechanisms for shared learning and exchange 
  • Financial matchmaking to connect needs with resources 

There are numerous outcomes on the table for the JTWP in 2025. Many of them send valuable signals and provide useful guidance—such as agreeing on core Just Transition principles, linking Just Transitions to existing climate policies (e.g., NDCs, LT-LEDs, NAPs) and making it clear that Just Transitions are eligible for climate finance. 

However, of all the proposals currently being considered, only one outcome meaningfully addresses real-world implementation: the creation of a dedicated JT mechanism within the UNFCCC. While various names have been used by different actors, the core idea is the same, establishing a long-term institutional space to support Just Transitions in practice.  

Navigating Political Realities and Concerns about Financial Efficiency 

Some stakeholders have concerns that creating a dedicated space for Just Transitions in the UNFCCC could be expensive at a moment when the UN is aiming to increase efficiency and decrease costs.  

That said, investing in Just Transitions in the UNFCCC could increase efficiency in JT delivery. By creating a space to coordinate the many actors working on Just Transitions (multilateral development banks, UN agencies, non-profits, etc.), a Just Transition mechanism could reduce duplication and support synergies. By bringing existing services and resources together in one place, it could also reduce the barriers to entry for national and subnational governments getting started on their Just Transition planning. Lastly, by linking Just Transition projects with potential funders, it could support the more efficient delivery of climate finance.  

We’ve followed the JTWP closely since its inception. Broadly speaking, Annex I countries favour outcomes for the JTWP that increase alignment on core principles and integrate Just Transitions into existing policies. They are less likely to support proposals for new infrastructure in the UNFCCC, given concerns about cost and efficiency. Non-Annex I countries, on the other hand, are more likely to support a concrete mechanism that addresses specific concerns around capacity for implementation. Parties will need to collaborate to find a proposal that is ambitious in terms of driving the Just Transition forward. 

Looking Ahead: Strategy and Development 

Climate Week in Panama reaffirmed that the JTWP is at a crossroads. We now have a unique opportunity to shape it into a platform that drives real impact. To do so, we’ll need to be both ambitious and pragmatic, constantly balancing vision with what the politics will allow. But if we can get it right, the payoff is clear: a Just Transition process that truly works for those implementing action on the ground. 

Nicole is a Development and Programme Manager at Climate Strategies. Prior to working at Climate Strategies, she worked in sustainable agriculture in Rwanda. Nicole has an MSc in Sustainable Development from the University of St Andrews, with a focus on reconciling tensions between social and ecological justice in transfrontier conservation projects in Southern Africa.