On important discussion item at COP30 is the growing focus on just transition: how we move from a high-carbon, fossil-fuel-based economy to a low-carbon, nature-positive, equitable society in a way that leaves no one behind.

What is a “just transition”?

In brief, a just transition is about fairness and inclusivity in the shift to sustainable economies. It recognises that decarbonisation doesn’t only mean closing coal-plants or stopping oil and gas, it means dealing with jobs, livelihoods, communities, supply chains and social protections. 

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), COP30 will consider integrating just transition and decent work considerations into climate plans,  “ensuring that mitigation and adaptation ambition supports livelihoods, protects all workers and businesses, and leverages socio-economic opportunities for creating sustainable enterprises and generating decent jobs for all.” 

From the UN human-rights perspective, a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all “must ensure that no people, workers, places, sectors, countries or regions are left behind in the transition from a high-carbon to a low-carbon economy.” 

So a just transition means pairing ambitious climate action with fairness, ensuring workers, vulnerable communities, indigenous peoples and developing economies are supported and empowered through the change, not left stranded.

Why COP30 is a pivotal moment for just transition

COP30 presents a moment of opportunity and urgency. The presidency for COP30 has signalled that inclusive development, green jobs and workforce-reskilling will be among its priorities. The long-standing “just transition” agenda under the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is now at a juncture and COP30 is expected to deliver concrete decisions on it, moving beyond principles to implementation. In the broader context of climate action, the shift away from fossil fuels to renewables, integrating nature-based solutions, sustainable adaptation and climate finance, can support fair transitions essential to legitimacy and effectiveness. But they need to be delivered with a just transition as the focus. 

In short: COP30 is not just about “how much” we cut emissions, but how we do it. The methods matter.

What a just transition means in practice

A just transition takes many different forms. It includes social dialogue and stakeholder engagement with workers, unions, employers, communities and indigenous peoples must be part of the process. It ensures decent work and labour rights so that new green-economy jobs are safe, secure, fairly paid, and accessible to those coming out of high-carbon sectors. It focuses on skills, reskilling and education enabling workers from old industries to move into new ones. Social protection and safety nets are also key to ensure that when some sectors decline, affected workers and communities have options and support. It includes inclusive growth and economic diversification so that regions dependent on fossil fuels are supported through economic change, not left behind.

As countries discuss pathways to net-zero at COP30, the question isn’t only when but how, with implications for jobs and communities. As we commit to large-scale transitions, we must finance the human side of them: training, social protection, diversification. The focus on forests, biodiversity, ecosystem resilience and vulnerable groups aligns with the justice dimension of transition, yet many nations need to integrate just-transition language and logic into their climate plans. 

Final thought

Climate action that ignores the social dimension isn’t only unjust, it’s unsustainable. Countries may set ambitious targets, but unless the transition is fair, inclusive and resilient, the risk is that communities, workers and regions lose out, undermining political support and implementation. COP30 in Belém offers a chance to move beyond rhetoric to actionable justice. Less fossil fuels, more jobs, stronger nature, and communities that are better off in the low-carbon future, not lost.

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