Just Transition Event – Building Local Living Economies

‘Just Transition’ is a framework for a fair and sustainable shift to a sustainable economy through the implementation of real solutions to climate change that chart a path towards more democratic, ecologically rooted economies.  The workshop that I attended at COP24 on 9 December 2018, aimed to deepen understanding around what a Just Transition means when grounded in the leadership of indigenous peoples, food producers, fence-line communities, and frontline worker movements.  

A few brief take away messages from the speakers:

Environmental justice movement, USA

  • “We need to be very conscious about how a Just Transition is conceptualised and rolled out as there is so much nuance and knock on effects.  For example, importing green products reduces their impact in carbon reduction due to transport related emissions.”

La Via Campesina

  • “A Just Transition must also look to the social dynamics of communities. It is not just about changing technology and maintaining economic opportunities for workers, but it is also about promoting and preserving positive social dynamics within the affected communities.  This applies to agriculture, and how corporate based solutions affect small scale farmers.”

Friends of the Earth International

  • “Who pays for a Just Transition? It must not be a bail out for fossil fuel companies.  Fossil fuel companies struggling to be competitive could claim they need financial support under the name Just Transition.”

Indigenous Environmental Network

  • “A Just Transition must acknowledge indigenous peoples, our relation to the earth, natural law and confront the trend of domination of one group over another.  This links to the idea that we all walk together on the earth and we are all related.”

Richard Halsey, COP24, 9 Dec