CGIAR@30: Just Transition Negotiation Updates

Climate action isn’t only about reducing emissions; it’s also about ensuring the shift to a green economy is fair and inclusive. This is the crux of the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) under the UNFCCC, which is gaining momentum as we head into COP30. Established at COP27 and fully operationalized at COP28, the JTWP provides, for the first time, a dedicated forum to advance equitable, people-centered climate action. The idea of a “just transition” centers on shifting to a low-carbon economy in a way that supports affected workers, communities, and industries. In practice, this means as we phase out fossil fuels or transform sectors like energy, agriculture, and transport, we simultaneously create decent jobs, protect livelihoods, and address social justice. Over the past year, a series of global and regional dialogues under the JTWP have delved into designing inclusive transition strategies – discussing how to retrain workers from polluting industries, how to ensure communities reliant on coal mines or industrial farming aren’t left behind, and how to integrate considerations of gender, youth, and indigenous rights into climate plans. However, COP29 in Baku ended without a formal decision on the JTWP’s future structure. This makes COP30 in Belém a critical juncture: countries must decide how to strengthen the work programme and move it from high-level talks to tangible outcomes. With Brazil putting social justice at the forefront, there’s optimism that COP30 could turn the JTWP into a real catalyst for action on the ground.

In 2024, CGIAR and FAO jointly submitted views to the UAE Just Transition Work Programme, advocating a comprehensive, people-centric approach. However, COP29 ended without agreement on the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP), primarily due to disagreements between developed and developing countries over the scope, with developed nations favoring mitigation and developing nations emphasizing adaptation, finance, equity, and labour rights.

Just Transition is key for the agriculture sector, in CGIAR’s 2025 “Submission to the UNFCCC United Arab Emirates Just Transition Work Programme – views relevant to the topic of the third dialogue” CGIAR stresses the importance of a just transition for agriculture, recognizing agrifood systems as both vulnerable to climate change and significant emission sources. The submission calls for capacity building, multistakeholder partnerships, and targeted social support.

What to Watch at COP30:

COP30 is poised to deliver a defining decision on the Just Transition Work Programme’s future. A top expectation is that Parties will agree on a clear mandate and structure for the JTWP moving forward. This could include establishing concrete elements like a toolbox of best practices, a technical assistance facility, or a global platform for just transition – all ideas floated in negotiations. CGIAR will be keen to see that any such toolbox or platform includes modules on agriculture and land use just transitions, not just energy and industry. For instance, a guidance framework might have chapters on transitioning smallholder farming systems or ensuring just rural adaptation. Another thing to watch is whether COP30 links the JTWP to financial and support mechanisms. Many parties have argued the program shouldn’t just be a talk shop – it needs to help countries access finance, technology, and capacity building for just transition efforts. We might see decisions encouraging the Green Climate Fund and others to integrate just transition criteria (e.g. funding projects that have social inclusion plans). For agriculture, this could translate into more funding for programs that retrain farmers, or invest in rural infrastructure to support new sustainable livelihoods (like renewable energy mini-grids for farming communities). CGIAR will also pay attention to the scope: whether just transition is framed broadly (covering mitigation and adaptation in all sectors) and whether principles like human rights, gender equality, and indigenous peoples’ knowledge are explicitly referenced as foundations of the program. A strong outcome would reaffirm that all climate actions – including those in food systems – should be assessed for their social impacts and designed to maximize social benefits. We also expect some countries to announce national Just Transition plans or commitments at COP30, given the spotlight. For example, a group of nations might pledge to develop sector-specific roadmaps (some could be agriculture-specific, like a plan for a climate-neutral and equitable rice sector by 2030). Such announcements often get made in COP high-level segments or initiatives, and CGIAR could be involved as a technical partner in crafting those roadmaps. Finally, COP30 will likely schedule continued dialogues or set up a working structure (annual high-level roundtables, etc.) for the JTWP through the next years up to COP31 and beyond. CGIAR stands ready to continue contributing research and on-the-ground insights to these dialogues, ensuring they remain grounded.