Just Transition and Climate Policy Development through NDCs: A South-South Learning Approach

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Just Transition and Climate Policy Development through NDCs: A South-South Learning Approach

Building stronger, inclusive climate policies through South-South learning and just transition partnerships in Arab States

Challenges

The Arab States region faces the double burden of being highly vulnerable to climate change impacts while being economically dependent on fossil fuels. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are critical tools for climate action, yet the development of NDCs in the region has often lacked meaningful engagement with social partners such as workers\’ and employers\’ organizations. This exclusion risks missing opportunities for job creation, safeguarding livelihoods, and ensuring a just transition towards low-carbon economies. Addressing this gap requires strengthening capacities to integrate employment and social considerations into climate policy frameworks, fostering social dialogue, and leveraging South-South Cooperation to align climate action with decent work agendas.

Toward a Solution

The initiative aimed to empower Arab States stakeholders — including Ministries of Labour, Environment, workers’ and employers’ organizations — to integrate just transition principles into NDC development through a South-South-Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) approach. It directly addressed SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 8 (Decent Work).

The methodology involved a two-phased approach: Phase 1 consisted of online self-learning modules and nine live SSTC dialogues, covering climate change, the Paris Agreement, the social dimension of climate change, and just transition frameworks. Phase 2 was a 3-day intensive in-person masterclass in Doha, Qatar, with interactive exercises, case studies from countries like Costa Rica and South Africa, peer learning, partnership mapping, and regional initiative development.

The process was participatory. Ministries of Labour and Environment, workers’ and employers’ groups collaborated across 16 countries. Exercises like stakeholder mapping, joint NDC revision planning, and developing regional frameworks reinforced joint ownership and peer learning.

South-South cooperation was central. Participants exchanged national experiences, identified common challenges, and developed collaborative regional initiatives, including a proposed GCC framework on just transition and a Non-GCC research and training network.

Outcomes included:

Training 56 officials from 16 Arab countries.
Launching two regional initiatives.
Strengthening national and regional just transition capacities.
Building SSTC networks for knowledge sharing.

Innovations included using South-South peer learning as the core pedagogy, and directly linking climate policies with employment policies, a gap traditionally overlooked in climate action.

The good practice is sustainable through the new partnerships and networks formed, as well as the follow-up commitment to regional collaboration. Some countries initiated concrete steps like joint MoUs, NDC peer reviews, and partnership development workshops.

Replicability is high. The model can be easily adapted to other regions facing climate transitions, provided there is political will, coordination between labor and environment ministries, and basic resources for knowledge exchange.

Lessons learned:

SSTC peer learning accelerates policy innovation.
Early engagement of social partners strengthens the legitimacy of climate policies.
Regional collaboration can fill national capacity gaps and ensure no one is left behind in climate action.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Mette Lund, Just Transitions Specialist ILO, RO-Arab States/DWT, Beirut

SDG
13 - Climate Action

COUNTRIES INVOLVED
Switzerland

SUPPORTED BY
ILO Regional Office for Arab States, ITCILO, ILO Doha, and ILO Partnerships

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