How Can the G7 and G20 Improve Just Energy Transition Partnerships?

Taking stock of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP)

Publication: Policy Brief
Citation: Michael, Jakob, Leon Martini (2023): How can the G7 and G20 improve Just Energy Transition Partnerships? Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

The progress on ratcheting up mitigation efforts in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Strategies (LTS) has been slow. To limit the increase in the global mean temperature by 2100 to "well below 2 °C" and even achieve stabilization below 1.5 °C, increased mitigation effort is required. One form of mini-lateral approaches that has gained considerable traction in recent years are Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs). JETPs aim to kick-start and accelerate the energy transition in emerging economies and fast-growing developing countries that are particularly relevant for global climate action. A specific emphasis is on phasing out coal and power sector decarbonisation.

This policy brief takes stock of the existing JETPs and draws some preliminary conclusions. Moreover, it discusses some of the challenges JETPs face and how they may be improved. Lastly, we outline some recommendations for the G7 and G20.

Key findings and recommendations

This briefing draws preliminary lessons from the four concluded Just Energy Transition Partnerships and discusses how they can be improved in the context of global challenges.
The G7 must strengthen the just dimension in JETPs in collaboration with the partner country, making them a clearly visible pillar in the investment and policy plans. Moreover, civil society participation must be improved in JETPs, by enshrining minimum standards in the political agreements.
The G7 should ensure that finance is new and additional. They should improve the transparency of funding, by reporting committed funding in terms of grant equivalents.
The G7 should focus their funding on expanding the institutional capacity in the partner state by inter alia providing capacity training as well as directly funding the development of institutions.
The G20 should establish a platform for exchanging best practices for and ways to support just transitions, including the experiences from the JETP and strengthen its commitment to skills training, capacity building, and community support.

"Mini-lateral" approaches that bring together a small number of countries for more effective bargaining have been proposed to complement the complex multilateral process.

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Publication:Policy Brief

This briefing by Michael Jakob and colleagues' reviews some of the major developments in global climate politics in the past year and looks ahead to 2023.

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Year 2022

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This report outlines how fossil fuel subsidies could be reformed to simultaneously address social issues in the short term without jeopardizing progress towards long-run climate targets. It first provides a concise overview of fossil fuel subsidies in the G20. It then discusses alternative ways to shield consumers against the effects of higher energy prices. Finally, it provides recommendations how the G20 could work toward socially balanced energy pricing.

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Project

The project aims to facilitate a focused, well-founded and trustful exchange between leading German environmental organisations and think tanks on the climate agenda of the G7 and the G20. The aim is to invite persons to the expert dialogue who have distinguished themselves through years of political commitment in multilateralism and who are multipliers in their field. The expert dialogue will identify the most pressing climate policy issues for the G7 and the G20 and discuss recommendations for action.

G7 and G20 Climate Policy: Exchange with Key Stakeholders

Oct 2022 - Jun 2023

Language: English
Authorship: Dr. Michael Jakob

Leon Martini
Funding: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), Germany
Published by: Ecologic Institute, Germany
Year: 2023
Dimension: 12 pp.
Project: G7 and G20 Climate Policy: Exchange with Key Stakeholders
Project ID: 30018
Table of contents: Click to show full table of contents

“Mini-lateral” climate cooperation to accelerate change
JETPs as a new form of climate cooperation
Five preliminary lessons on the JETPs
Future challenges for partnerships
How can JETPs be improved?
Recommendations for the G7
Recommendations for the G20
Keywords: Climate Foreign Policy

Energy

South Africa, Vietnam, Indonesia, Senegal