AJET is a voluntary initiative that intends to mobilize stakeholders including communities, civil society, policymakers, and the private sector to drive the successful implementation of just energy transition policies worldwide.

This involves understanding the needs of those currently engaged in fossil fuel supply chains and services as they transition to renewable energy alternatives. These local transitions will together form a global transformation, with common principles to ensure success, including climate justice, international cooperation, equitable social and economic policies, community and environmental resilience, and access to finance.

Despite the solid foundation offered by the International Labour Organization’s existing just transition guidelines, there remains a need to clarify the just energy transition in detail, and to facilitate greater take-up and coordination of activities between relevant organizations. This Alliance will enable members to exchange related knowledge and experience, and form valuable partnerships to help achieve this transformation and support global efforts to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C.

"It's important that the Alliance brings together actors from social partners, civil society and business to work out how people can be put at the centre of the transition - meaning that the transition protects our biodiversity, aligns with efforts to keep global heating below 1.5 degrees and upholds our social goals,” said Katie Treadwell, Senior Energy Policy Officer at WWF European Policy Office.

"As EU Member States revise their national energy and climate plans and develop local-level just transition plans, they should draw on these discussions and principles to ensure these identify and build on the synergies between our social and environmental goals, rather than slamming these goals into conflict. Only in this way will they help to address the multiple crises we face," Katie Treadwell continued.

“To confront the climate crisis, it is critical to rapidly accelerate the energy transition and ensure this shift is inclusive, credible, affordable and secure,” added WWF Global Lead for Climate and Energy, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal. “There are great opportunities for growth and jobs from clean energy, and those currently involved in fossil fuel industries must be given the ability to transfer their skills to the new energy economy. We hope that AJET will help to deliver a just energy transformation that benefits our climate, people and nature.”

KPMG, REN21, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC), and Gridworks investment company are among the first organizations to join AJET. This is now open to all partners that consider the Principles of the Alliance as a valid point of departure for ensuring a rapid, just, and transformative shift in energy for people across the world.

“The Alliance for Just Energy Transformation will help accelerate global net zero goals while prioritizing a wider social agenda that recognizes the imperatives of climate justice, equity and just transition,” said Mike Hayes, Global Climate Change and Decarbonization Leader and Global Head of Renewable Energy for KPMG International. “As a founding member of the alliance, KPMG professionals will help provide a platform for developing and emerging countries to engage in critical conversations that lead to just energy implementation, create detailed reporting to define, identify and track key metrics of a just energy transformation and develop toolkits and guidelines to ensure sustainable economic activities, energy planning at regional and national levels and educational plans for workforce enablement.”

“AJET is not only about ensuring a just transition but also acknowledging that a renewables-based energy system is a just energy system replacing the traditional fossil-fuel based system, which is far from being equitable,” added Rana Adib, Executive Director, REN21

Contact
Florian Cassier
Climate Communications Officer
fcassier@wwf.eu
+32479 33 92 11