24 November 2024

PAGE at COP29: a just transition for bold climate measures

Hosted at the ILO Just Transition Pavilion, on 20-21 November 2024, at COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, the United Nations Partnership for Action on a Green Economy (PAGE) and its partners put forward the debate on a just transition for all to enhance ambition and to build the required social consensus for implementing bold climate measures.

Titled “From Vision to Practice for a Just Transition for All: a cross-regional South-South Policy Dialogue on energy, sustainable finance, and enterprises for inclusive policy-making processes and enhancing NDC ambition”, the event consisted of two policy dialogues, which aimed to create synergies and connections among governments, employers, workers, and key climate actors in the margins of COP29.

One of the outcomes of the policy dialogues is the establishment of a technical working group that includes Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries. This group aims to collaborate on NDC contributions and position papers for COP30, while also expanding a knowledge network with Asian nations, Brazil, and other countries in Europe region to foster South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

Climate change is one of the largest and most complex existential challenges of our time, outpacing predictions and placing immense strain on global communities, labour markets, businesses and workplaces. COP29 represents one of the last major chances to get the world back on track and hold nations accountable for delivering on their environmental targets, with a focus on ensuring developing nations receive adequate support.

Discussing policy recommendations for strong Nationally Determined Contributions

This two-day event focused on encouraging policy discussions among Central Asian, South Caucasian, and Asia Pacific nations (both PAGE and non-PAGE countries) regarding the promotion of green jobs, sustainable businesses, and circular approaches for a fair transition. It aimed to incorporate the perspectives of workers and employers in the formulation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), investigated equitable energy transition scenarios, and proposed sustainable financing policies.

Participants shared the best practices and addressed existing capacity gaps. Furthermore, it fosters peer learning on the integration of just transition and sustainable enterprise considerations into NDCs, along with enhancing South-South collaboration. The discussion covered policy recommendations for strengthening Nationally Determined Contributions through the consideration of sustainable financing, just transition, biodiversity, sustainable development and green economy.

By using a South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) approach, the event fostered mutual learning and collaboration among countries facing similar challenges and opportunities. It included stakeholders from Europe and Central Asia region, Asia and the Pacific region, Arab States, and Latin-American region, UN-PAGE agencies (UNDP-UNEP-UNIDO-UNITAR-ILO), UNESCAP, ASEAN, the UN Issue-based coalition Environment and Climate Change of Europe and Central Asia, representative of employers and workers as well as representative from the private sector.

Highlights

Key takeaways from the event emphasize that effective just transition policies must be founded on labor rights, social dialogue, and the promotion of decent work. Additionally, gender-responsive just transitions are essential for fostering ambitious climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, as well as ensuring social justice for all. The development of sustainable businesses, skills enhancement, and robust industrial and employment policies are critical for generating more and better job opportunities. Furthermore, financing a just transition represents a prudent investment—for both people and the planet.

To accelerate and scale up sustainable climate action and economic transformation, UNDP and our peer PAGE Agencies emphasize the role of horizontal learning and South-South and triangular cooperation spearheaded by todays’ dialogue.

Marcos Neto, Assistant Secretary-General and Director of UNDP’s Bureau of Policy and Programme Support

NDCs are powerful to drive action, but their implementation must be inclusive and equitable.

Joerg Linke, Head of GIZ’s Competence Center for Climate Change

From Vision to Practice for a Just Transition – Part 1

On 20 November, the policy dialogue focused on peer learning and knowledge sharing of initiatives to promote green jobs, sustainable enterprise development and circular approaches for a just transition and decent work in the labour market and enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions. It looked at Inter-regional sharing of solutions to support green jobs, sustainable enterprises, repositioning labour markets for contributing to inclusive NDCs, and discussed sustainable enterprises enhancing the NDCs’ implementation process and the integration of climate actions that target an inclusive and gender-responsive just transition.

Watch the policy dialogue

From Vision to Practice for a Just Transition – Part 2

On 21 November, the policy dialogue focused on the regional dimensions and policy recommendations for NDCs contributions considering elements of collaboration on sustainable financing, just transition finance, biodiversity, sustainable development and green economy. The discussions included financial mechanisms and operationalizing the ILO’s Just Transition Guidelines, emphasizing regional collaboration on sustainable financing and green economy initiatives.

Watch the policy dialogue

We need to integrate circular economy into NDCs […] we are pleased to see a growing number of countries and region embracing the circular economy agenda [...]

Bernard Crabbé, team Leader for Environment & Circular Economy, European Commission, Directorate General for International Partnerships

In PAGE we considered south-south cooperation and sharing experience and knowledge at the core of our work […]

Rie Vejs Kyeldgaard - Director Partnerships and Field Support Department - ILO - square

Rie Vejs-Kjeldgaard, ILO Enterprises Department Director

Director of the Department of Green Economy at the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Taing Meng Eang talked about the Cambodia’s climate and carbon neutrality plans for sustainable energy transition. His presentation highlighted while Cambodia’s proactive approach to achieving its green economy goals while addressing climate change vulnerabilities. Cambodia aims to transition from a low-income to an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and become a developed nation by 2050.

The country set five objectives focusing on human capital development, economic diversification, environmental conservation, private sector engagement, and digital advancement.

According to Mr. Taing Meng Eang, Cambodia’s challenges include attracting private sector investment and ensuring financial mechanisms are in place for renewable energy projects. He highlighted the need to engage and provide incentives for private sector and promoting energy efficiency in industries.

“There is a need to engage the private sector more in the energy sector. In addition, provide diversify incentives in renewable energy would bring more clean energy projects successfully in the future. For instance, closing coal power plants requires attractive opportunities for private investors to participate in solar and wind energy projects, which are vital areas for collaboration.”, he said

PAGE is a One-UN pioneer bringing together the expertise of five UN agencies – ILO, UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO and UNITAR – to help governments advance economic policy coherence and climate action for a green, circular, and just transition. On behalf of PAGE, the ILO led this event at COP29.

PAGE also engages across the UN system and through the UN Resident Coordinator network, to leverage collective expertise in economic thinking, offering deeper policy advice to partners and contributing to a strengthened global understanding of green economy principles.

The UN Issue-based coalitions (IBCs) are key platforms to advance policy thematic work in UNCT and UNRCOs on strengthening environmental and climate change governance, improving environmental management and climate change mitigation and adaptation, contributing to the achievement of the SDGs and the relevant commitments and undertakings under multilateral environmental agreements, including the NDCs.

The COPs are the biggest and most important annual climate-related conferences on the planet. This year marks the 29th annual summit. The previous COP was held in the United Arab Emirates.

Sources: ILO, PAGE