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The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on November 22 formally adopted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP), even as intense disputes continued over whether the summit should explicitly commit to a “just, orderly and equitable” transition away from fossil fuels (TAFF).
The adoption came a day after the Presidency proposed creating a new Just Transition Mechanism to strengthen cooperation, technical assistance and capacity-building—but fell short of providing the predictable, additional finance demanded by developing nations. Additionally, the November 21 draft also omitted references to a TAFF roadmap.
The concept of a ‘just transition’ acts much like a societal safety net during a major economic overhaul. When a factory closes (representing the phasing out of fossil fuels), the ‘just transition’ ensures that the workers, local communities, and associated economies aren’t simply left behind, but are instead supported—through new training, investment, and planning—as the economy shifts toward renewable energy.
While the JTWP decision moved forward, it stopped short of establishing the proposed Just Transition Mechanism. Instead, the text tasks countries with developing recommendations for a draft mechanism at the 64th Subsidiary Body (SB) meeting in Bonn next year, to operationalise it at COP31. However, the timeline remains vague, and key developing-country demands were not met: the outcome contains no reference to unilateral trade measures and does not include any obligation for developed countries to provide means of implementation, despite these being central negotiating points.
Discussions were facilitated by Federico Africano (Italy) and Joseph T (Singapore), with ministerial consultations by Mexico and Poland. Several Parties placed interpretive statements on record. These included concerns over references to gender equality; reaffirmation of sovereignty and self-determination under the UN Charter; the principle of permanent sovereignty over natural resources (UNGA 1803) regarding universal energy access; and Canada’s strong warning against conflating Indigenous Peoples with local communities.
Looking ahead, the COP30 President announced plans to develop two science-led, inclusive roadmaps: one on halting and reversing deforestation, and another on transitioning away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner. These processes will convene governments (both producers and consumers), international organisations, industry, labour, academia, and civil society. The effort will draw on the first international conference on the phase-out of fossil fuels, to be held in April in Colombia.
The centrality of a just transition resurfaced sharply when Colombia formally objected to the Mitigation Ambition and Implementation Work Programme text. Colombia argued that the final outcome lacked essential language allowing Parties to discuss pathways for transitioning away from fossil fuels—language it said was consistent with science and previously agreed wording.
“There is no mitigation if we cannot discuss transitioning away from fossil fuels with means of implementation in a just, orderly and equitable manner,” Colombia said, noting that fossil fuels account for nearly 75 per cent of global CO2 emissions. Excluding such discussions, it warned, puts both the climate regime and the goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C “at risk.”
Civil society welcomed the adoption of the Just Transition mechanism as a landmark rights-based achievement but warned that COP30 fell short where it matters most for vulnerable and frontline communities. Climate Action Network International (CAN) praised the mechanism—also known as the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM)—for its unprecedented language on human rights, labour rights, and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendants, and its strong commitments to gender equality, women’s empowerment, education and youth.
However, CAN said COP30 delivered “dangerously weak” outcomes on adaptation finance and failed to produce a concrete, financed plan to close the ambition gap. Developed countries’ refusal to commit finance for adaptation, mitigation ambition and fossil-fuel transition, it said, “directly weakened the overall outcome” and undermined trust by again failing to meet climate-finance obligations grounded in historical responsibility.
CAN also criticised the absence of explicit references to a fully financed, just and equitable fossil fuel transition in the final decision, calling it a serious failure despite the progress on just transition.
Avantika Goswami, Programme Manager for Climate Change at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said outcomes on adaptation and just transition were “hard fought and won by developing countries,” demonstrating their collective strength. But she warned that disruptive tactics by developed countries revealed a “crisis of legitimacy” for the COP process and the Paris Agreement. “We have to ask who they serve, and whether they remain fit for purpose,” she said.
Madhura Joshi, Programme Lead for Global Clean Power Diplomacy at E3G, said COP30 “delivered the truth” by confronting the realities of difficult transitions. While the Mutirão package “falls short,” she said it leaves meaningful entry points, including incremental progress on adaptation indicators, finance, and mitigation through the Global Implementation Accelerator, as well as a sharper focus on trade and development in shaping decarbonisation pathways. She emphasised that equity remains essential for a just transition and called for scaled-up finance, stronger resilience, and faster shifts away from fossil fuels.