ILO and IsDB share progress on joint work on socioeconomic and policy impacts of Just Transition in MENA region
20 October 2023
Last week, at the 2nd United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Climate Week, hosted in Riyadh by the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) shared a progress update on their joint work on Just Transition in the MENA region.
The event, titled “Socioeconomic and Policy Impacts of a Just Transition in MENA” was held on Monday 9th October and centered around the presentation of progress of a quantitative study examining the socioeconomic impacts, particularly jobs implications, of different scenarios of energy transition in the MENA region.
The event was opened by Mr Syed Husain Quadri, IsDB’s Director of Resilience and Climate Action, followed by opening remarks from Ms Nathalie Bavitch, Partnerships and UN Coherence Officer at ILO. “Climate change presents the MENA region with challenges and opportunities that are not equally shared among countries or even within the same country, which sets the ground for why we need a Just Transition. By definition, a Just Transition means greening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind” stated Ms Bavitch in her opening remarks.
Mr Stijn Van Hummelen from Cambridge Econometrics outlined the quantitative modeling approach and the potential applications of the modeling results for country consideration. The event culminated with Ms Kusum Lata, from UNFCCC, moderating a discussion with panelists including Mr Jose Manuel Medina Checa from the ILO, Mr Abdul Aziz Alamri from the Ministry of Energy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Dr Bradley Hiller from IsDB. Mr Hiller stated: “IsDB supports a wide variety of Member Countries, ranging from fragile and conflict-affected states to those focused on enhancing energy access and/or communicating low-emissions ambitions. As such, we aim to support a just and fair transition aligned with country-led ambitions (for example, as expressed through their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and inclusive of vulnerable populations”.
Some key issues emerging from the panel discussion included the plurality of Just Transition(s), which will be different for different countries and communities, and the importance of livelihood and social protection measures to ensure inclusive and fair transitions. Recommendations for policy implications built on the ILO Guidelines for a Just Transition as the central reference for policy making and basis for action.
Looking forward, the ILO and IsDB plan to launch the knowledge product on the socioeconomic and policy impacts of a Just Transition in MENA at COP28 in Dubai in December this year. This assessment, along with a multi-stakeholder dialogue, aims to enable evidence-based NDC policy-making and promote investment for a just transition.
The ILO will continue spearheading efforts to integrate the decent work and just transition dimensions into key international climate policy processes including at COP28. Similarly, the IsDB aims to launch their Just Transition framework at COP28, which ILO is supporting.
The event, titled “Socioeconomic and Policy Impacts of a Just Transition in MENA” was held on Monday 9th October and centered around the presentation of progress of a quantitative study examining the socioeconomic impacts, particularly jobs implications, of different scenarios of energy transition in the MENA region.
The event was opened by Mr Syed Husain Quadri, IsDB’s Director of Resilience and Climate Action, followed by opening remarks from Ms Nathalie Bavitch, Partnerships and UN Coherence Officer at ILO. “Climate change presents the MENA region with challenges and opportunities that are not equally shared among countries or even within the same country, which sets the ground for why we need a Just Transition. By definition, a Just Transition means greening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind” stated Ms Bavitch in her opening remarks.
Mr Stijn Van Hummelen from Cambridge Econometrics outlined the quantitative modeling approach and the potential applications of the modeling results for country consideration. The event culminated with Ms Kusum Lata, from UNFCCC, moderating a discussion with panelists including Mr Jose Manuel Medina Checa from the ILO, Mr Abdul Aziz Alamri from the Ministry of Energy, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Dr Bradley Hiller from IsDB. Mr Hiller stated: “IsDB supports a wide variety of Member Countries, ranging from fragile and conflict-affected states to those focused on enhancing energy access and/or communicating low-emissions ambitions. As such, we aim to support a just and fair transition aligned with country-led ambitions (for example, as expressed through their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and inclusive of vulnerable populations”.
Some key issues emerging from the panel discussion included the plurality of Just Transition(s), which will be different for different countries and communities, and the importance of livelihood and social protection measures to ensure inclusive and fair transitions. Recommendations for policy implications built on the ILO Guidelines for a Just Transition as the central reference for policy making and basis for action.
Looking forward, the ILO and IsDB plan to launch the knowledge product on the socioeconomic and policy impacts of a Just Transition in MENA at COP28 in Dubai in December this year. This assessment, along with a multi-stakeholder dialogue, aims to enable evidence-based NDC policy-making and promote investment for a just transition.
The ILO will continue spearheading efforts to integrate the decent work and just transition dimensions into key international climate policy processes including at COP28. Similarly, the IsDB aims to launch their Just Transition framework at COP28, which ILO is supporting.