Seventh Just Transition Platform Conference provides a forum to share successes and challenges

Regions rising to the challenge

Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, opened the event by encouraging stakeholders to openly share successes and challenges as Just Transition Fund (JTF) implementation progresses.

She recalled that 67 Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs) have been adopted, supporting 93 territories, with important ambitions for the climate transition. For instance, all Member States with approved TJTPs have now committed to phasing out  coal, and none have backtracked on these commitments, even during the energy crisis.

“This is a significant achievement we owe to not only the JTF but to your ambition,” Ms Ferreira remarked. “What a year this has been.”

However, she acknowledged that regions face challenging timelines, as JTF investments are frontloaded due to part of the resources coming from NextGenerationEU.

“The TJTPs make clear the scale of the challenge but set out ambitious commitments,” Commissioner Ferreira said. “This is why this Conference and the JTP are so important – we are fully engaged to work with you to build up a pipeline of projects.”

“You are rising to the challenge”, she said, calling for continued participation, creativity, enthusiasm and ambition from all partners, including youth, NGOs and trade unions.

Shining a spotlight on industry

Also in attendance was Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, who delivered a keynote speech in the session on opportunities for strategic industries in JTF regions.

Describing the JTP a “fantastic tool” to support the regions, Commissioner Breton referred to the need for a “reindustrialisation” of Europe, but in “the European way”, ensuring a just transition.

“I don’t need to explain to you how challenging the transition is – socially for workers, industry and entire communities,” he said. “I know how hard you are all working for new opportunities, to reinvent local economies, to invest heavily.”

As representatives of business, unions and academia shared experiences, Commissioner Breton emphasised the responsibilities of large companies and the importance of social dialogue, stakeholder involvement and monitoring in the transition process.

Learning from international experience

Following thematic sessions on the energy crisis in the context of just transition, JTF implementation and monitoring, and the JTP Working Groups, Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson spoke at the session on the international dimension of just transition.

“The energy world has changed in ways we could never have imagined when we set up the JTP,” Commissioner Simson said. “But our goal remains the same and the stakes are even higher, so let’s continue working on a just transition that is good for our planet, people and future.”

The energy crisis has made the energy transition even more urgent, and international collaboration is critical, Commissioner Simson said, before an international panel presented transition experiences and challenges from South Africa, Indonesia, Colombia and the United States.

Communication and stakeholder involvement key

Overall, the event provided a forum for stakeholders from national, local and regional authorities, economic and social partners and the European Commission to learn from each other and share experiences of the challenging implementation of the JTF.

Several key themes emerged, including the importance of proper JTF communication. In terms of governance, this means not only sharing information, but also listening to and addressing the challenges and concerns of stakeholders on the ground.

Another theme was the need for effective partnerships on the ground and involvement of all stakeholder groups in implementation, some of whom may not have been sufficiently involved in planning.

JTP reinforcing support to regions

The main conference was followed by a side event about JTP GROUNDWORK, which recently selected its first six technical assistance recipients, and the JTPeers exchange programme and database, which will soon launch a call for experts. These programmes will provide targeted, concrete support as regions proceed with implementation.

Following the recent publication of their common Implementation Plan (available on the JTP website), the JTP Working Groups on Steel, Cement, Chemicals and Horizontal Stakeholder Strategy then met in Brussels on 27 April.

As usual, on the third day of the JTP Conference, a Multi-Level Dialogue also took place, organised by the Committee of the Regions. This meeting gathered policy makers for a roundtable discussion.

If you missed the conference, you can watch back the sessions on Swapcard. More materials, including a detailed report, will be shared on the JTP website in due course.

For more news about the JTP and details on the next conference, due to take place in the autumn, please ensure you are subscribed to the JTP newsletter.