Green and just transitions are deeply shaped by historical legacies of conflict, extractive development, and institutional fragility, which continue to influence present vulnerabilities such as rural poverty, reliance on external financing, and exposure to recurrent crises. Transition processes are not merely technical but are embedded within broader questions of power, history, and knowledge. A justice-focused perspective emphasizes examining who sets the rules, whose knowledge counts, and whose interests are prioritized, highlighting the need to include diverse voices, particularly from marginalized communities, in designing equitable pathways from high-carbon to low-carbon economies.
UNDP’s approach to green and just transitions links climate action, economic transformation, and social inclusion. It supports governments in shaping policies for climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and energy transitions while strengthening social protection systems, promoting green jobs and skills development, and integrating nature-based solutions. Evaluations have shown that transition initiatives are more effective when they actively engage with underlying values such as dignity, solidarity, and accountability, and when structured dialogue spaces allow diverse stakeholders to negotiate competing priorities. Political economy analysis has helped uncover power dynamics and stakeholder incentives, ensuring more inclusive and sustainable outcomes, though its use remains uneven.
Gender and care work are critical dimensions of just transitions. Evidence indicates that unpaid care work and structural gender inequalities constrain women’s participation in green economies. UNDP interventions that formalize care work, strengthen social protection, and promote gender-responsive employment have yielded stronger results, demonstrating the importance of addressing both visible and invisible layers of justice. Inclusive skills ecosystems, particularly those aligned with market demands and incorporating mentorship and entrepreneurship, have proven effective in supporting vulnerable populations through the transition, though informal workers and low-income groups remain at risk without context-specific support.
Financial structures also shape the fairness of green transitions. Debt, austerity, and reliance on external financing can shift the cost of transition onto vulnerable populations and ecosystems. UNDP has supported innovative financing mechanisms, debt relief, climate finance, and progressive fiscal policies to expand fiscal space for sustainable development and protect social safety nets. While progress has been made, challenges persist in scaling systemic impact due to budgetary constraints, legislative delays, and coordination gaps.
Overall, evidence underscores that green and just transitions succeed when they integrate power analysis, gender and care considerations, stakeholder engagement, inclusive skills development, and equitable financing. Approaches that combine environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and economic transformation, while addressing historical inequalities, are more likely to deliver resilient, fair, and sustainable outcomes for present and future generations.
