By Plataforma CIPÓ
COP30, held in Belém, marked a turning point in consolidating the global just transition agenda. After years of complex negotiations, the conference made progress in defining guiding principles and created an international mechanism focused on technical cooperation and capacity building.
Although still insufficient in some respects, the agreement represents a historic step forward by placing human rights, social participation, and the inclusion of vulnerable communities at the center of climate action. ação climática.
Why Just Transition Gained Prominence
For decades, social movements, Indigenous peoples, workers, civil society organizations, and communities from vulnerable territories have argued that the transition to low-carbon economies cannot reproduce historical inequalities. The just transition thus came to be understood not only as a labor issue but as an agenda of equity, social protection, and human rights.
The year 2025 was seen as decisive for consolidating this understanding within the Climate Convention, as the mandate of the Just Transition Work Programme ends in 2026 and may or may not be renewed.
An Agenda that Goes Beyond the Workforce
While the global debate on just transition originally focused on impacts on fossil-fuel industry workers, the conversation has evolved in recent years—largely due to the leadership of the Global South. The scope has expanded to include:
Indigenous peoples and local communities
Afro-descendant populations
Care-economy workers
Social and environmental safeguards
Biodiversity protection
Sustainable value chains
Social participation as a cross-cutting principle
This broader approach guided the negotiations that culminated in Belém.
How We Got Here
2025: Strong expectations to finally unlock principles and define mechanisms under the Climate Convention.
COP27 (Sharm el-Sheikh, 2022): Creation of the UAE Just Transition Work Programme.
2023–2024: Deadlocks over scope, principles, and the format of the mechanism.
2024: Dialogues begin incorporating more robust rights-based language.
The Momentum from Bonn (SB62)
The June 2025 session took place during the 62nd meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62), the annual technical gathering that prepares COP decisions. This session generated significant progress:
- Consolidation of a robust draft of principles
- Growing consensus on the centrality of human rights
- Emphasis on social participation and the protection of vulnerable groups
It was in this context that Plataforma CIPÓ released the policy brief “From the G20 to the UNFCCC: Pathways for Just and Inclusive Transitions,” advocating for: High-level principles
Accessible financing
Strong social and environmental safeguards
A matchmaking platform that connects projects with resources
This groundwork influenced the negotiations in Belém.
What Was at Stake at COP30
Key decisions included:
- Approval of guiding principles for just transition, emphasizing rights, equity, and participation
- Definition of the institutional instrument—debated for four years—whether a mechanism, program, or platform for technical assistance
Persistent divergences between developed and developing countries centered on:
- The mechanism’s format
- Its responsibilities
- Access to finance and technology
- Language referring to the transition away from fossil fuels
The Brazilian Presidency played an active mediating role to prevent gridlocks.
What Advanced in the Final Text
The approved document includes important achievements:
- Explicit rights-based language
- Strong references to Indigenous peoples, local communities, Afro-descendant populations, women, and workers
- Key international frameworks, including:
International Labour Organization (ILO) — aligning just transition with fundamental labor rights, decent work, social protection, and worker participation.
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) — reinforcing territorial rights, full participation, and free, prior, and informed consent.
UN human rights principles — including equality, non-discrimination, safeguards, and social participation.
Strengthening Social Participation
Recognition of rights and social participation as core pillars — a significant step for the Global South
Creation of an international cooperation mechanism focused on technical assistance and knowledge sharing.
Points Still Under Development
Despite the advances, key areas remain to be improved:
- Dedicated financing
- Progress on technology transfer
- Clearer language on the transition away from fossil fuels
These gaps do not diminish the importance of the agreement but indicate that the approved mechanism functions as a “bridge proposal” between the political consensus reached and the practical needs of implementation.
CIPÓ’s Contributions in 2025
In addition to the policy brief presented at SB62, Plataforma CIPÓ contributed with the study “From Principles to Action: Strengthening the G20 Approach to Just and Inclusive Energy Transitions,” developed by T20 South Africa. The publication recommends:
- Robust social and environmental safeguards
- Accountability mechanisms
- Adequate financing
- An international matchmaking platform
These recommendations align closely with the decisions taken at COP30.
Final Assessment
COP30 consolidated:
- A historic step forward in defining principles and creating a mechanism under the Climate Convention
- The centrality of human rights and social participation
- A pathway still under development regarding financing and technology
- The recognition of just transition as a strategic Global South agenda
Plataforma CIPÓ will continue engaging civil society, the G20, and the UNFCCC to help transform principles into concrete and inclusive actions.
