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BALANCING THE ENERGY DILEMMA: TOWARDS A JUST TRANSITION IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
― The South East Asia region faces a complex dilemma in transitioning to a low-carbon economy while supporting economic growth and considering social vulnerabilities. This article examines the need for a just transition – an equitable shift to a low-carbon economy that considers socioeconomic impacts and vulnerable populations.
By Ayushi Bhatnagar, Graduate Climate Consultant, RSK Centre for Sustainability Excellence
The South East Asia (SEA) region is at a critical crossroads in the battle against climate change. SEA faces the challenge of limiting greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously expanding energy supply to meet the needs of its rapidly developing economies (Hiebert, 2022). Structural and private inadequacies significantly impede and complicate progress but also clarify why the just transition is paramount in the region.
I spoke to United Nations Development Programme sustainability expert Sean Lees about SEA’s just transition, highlighting the challenges in ensuring sustainability appropriately considers and addresses socio-political vulnerabilities. He advises governments and companies on how to mitigate and address environmental and human rights risks and impacts in operations and supply chains in Asia. Mr Lees also supports governments in developing policy and building partnerships to facilitate dialogue with business and civil society.
We talked about how climate change remains a relentless and multifaceted phenomenon and how SEA must now consider its commitments within the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with added consideration for a just transition. But what does this mean? How should SEA tackle climate change in a way that is just and equitable for all?
In the context of SEA, climate justice is closely linked to human rights, as vulnerable communities, including indigenous peoples, women and marginalised groups, are disproportionately affected and may face additional challenges during the transition to a net-zero economy (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2023). A just transition invokes an approach to shifting from a high-carbon to a net-zero economy that is holistic, implying careful consideration of social, economic and environmental factors (United Nations Development Programme, 2022). Mr Lees adds that SEA struggles with its voice on this issue. Greater engagement with the larger business community is required, and civil society must be heard more broadly as part of a more clearly defined process that is inclusive of all stakeholders.
There are a wide variety of solutions that can be designed around a just transition, but there needs to be a comprehensive policy framework to support this. For instance, there can be increased meaningful mandates for public consultation and consent processes for all new renewable projects to ensure local communities and marginalised groups are heard and can voice concerns. This would help address issues such as forced land acquisition. There is also a need to create stronger accountability and transparency mechanisms for corporations around stakeholder management that more proactively penalise human rights violations. Furthermore, governments should strengthen social protection policies and insurance to provide for the economic and social stability of vulnerable populations amidst malpractice (Martinez, 2021).
Noticeably, there are sensitivities and vulnerabilities in balancing climate action and social wellbeing, with great trade-offs among profitability, equity and sustainability. Mr Lees notes the notion that, ultimately, the most vulnerable groups – Indigenous Peoples, women, children, the poor – will also be the most sensitive to the transition. Therefore, it is pivotal to approach the challenge of halting climate change from multiple perspectives to ensure solutions to climate change are solutions for all.
1. United Nations Environment Programme (2022). Emissions Gap Report 2022: The Closing Window – Climate crisis calls for rapid transformation of societies. Nairobi.
2. IPBES (2019). Summary for Policymakers of the global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
3. Swiss Re Institute (2021). The economics of climate change: no action is not an option.
4. World Economic Forum (2020). Nature Risk Rising: What the Crisis Engulfing Nature Matters for Business and the Economy
