The Work Programme on Just Transition Pathways (JTWP) was established at COP27 to assess, design and scale up strategies to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement fairly and equitably. Its objective is to assist nations in planning their pathways towards a future characterised by low emissions and climate resilience. Last year, at COP28, further decisions on operationalising the work programme were made.

Following these decisions and considering this process as a pivotal step forward in clarifying the relationship between human rights law and environmental law, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR), as part of the Human Rights and Climate Change Working Group, joined efforts with partners to develop a joint submission to inform the JTWP.

The submission aims to provide topics aligned with human rights to be addressed during the two annual dialogues that will be held under the Just Transition Work Program (JTWP) during 2024 and beyond.

In this context, the submission presents a list of thematic priorities that fall within the scope of the programme's work, aiming to suggest an agenda and guide the work of the JTWP in accordance with established international human rights norms and principles.

Among the thematic priorities put forward, the submission suggests the analysis of a wide range of issues, which include the adoption of an intersectional and intergenerational approach in line with equality and non-discrimination; gender equality; the mobilisation of the maximum available resources; the phase-out from fossil fuels; labour rights; issues related to land, ocean, agriculture, and food systems; private actors and their accountability; public services; and access to information, participation, and justice. Furthermore, the presentation also suggests to the JTWP analysing specific implications of just transitions in relation to the rights of women and girls, indigenous peoples, children and human rights defenders.

The submission also offers a series of recommendations regarding working methods with the aim of ensuring that the JTWP actively contributes to the formulation, evaluation, and increase of measures aimed at achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

GI-ESCR will continue following up on the discussions on the JTWP under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiation spaces to provide content and direction to implement the work program.

You may read the complete submission here: