Just Transition―― Creating New Jobs for a Decarbonized Society ――

Contents
Just Transition for a Sustainable Future
Global Examples
Europe (EU) / Germany / Poland / Spain
Slovakia / Ireland / Scotland
New Zealand / Australia / Costa Rica
Canada / United States

Just Transition in Japan

Just Transition

Climate change has serious impacts—not only on theof this, it is important to identify the social impacts of theclimate itself and the environment in which we live, buttransition to a zero-emission society and take action toalso on our society, economy and livelihoods. Thesebuild a better society while protecting the economic andimpacts have been intense, and will increase as wesocial well-being of the people and communities affected

continue to emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere;by the phase-out of fossil fuels. This is known as justfailing to take action now will lead to us being unable totransition.

maintain a safe and sustainable way of life.

How we achieve net zero emissions by 2050 will

The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, emphasizes

affect our jobs, our communities, and our lifestyles, but

the necessity of limiting the global temperature rise to

it is also an opportunity to create clean, high-quality jobs

1.5℃, and to reach this goal, over 120 nations of theand develop a thriving, sustainable economy. In planningworld have committed to achieve net zero greenhousethe best approach to take advantage of this opportunity

gas emissions by 2050. As the world moves quickly toand effectively accelerate the transition without delay, it isreduce its emissions, phasing out coal power, the largest

crucial that everybody has the opportunity to make theirsource of emissions, must be prioritized; to meet the 1.5℃

voice heard and engage in the process. Based on open

goal of the Paris Agreement, the scientific community

and meaningful stakeholder participation, just transition

tells us that OECD countries need to phase out coal by

gives communities the power to choose their own path,2030.

ensuring that no one is left behind in the shift to a zero-

Many sectors and industries are energy-intensive, andemission society.

our economy still relies heavily on fossil fuels. Therefore,

A just transition provides workers with high-quality,

moving away from fossil fuels could result in significant

well-paying jobs, promotes sustainable economic

structural changes in many industries, which will affectdiversification on the local, regional, and nationaljobs and regions connected to those industries. Because

levels, and strengthens the resilience of communities,2

for a Sus t ainable Future

all of which are essential on the path to smoothly

The International Labor Organization’s

and successfully realize a zero-emission society. Just

just transition principles

transition is also listed in the Paris Agreement as integral
to preventing climate change.
Globally, just transition has become a central issue inthe movement toward a decarbonized society.* Presented
here are some examples of national, regional, and local
just transition in action around the world, illustrating the

The International Labor Organization (ILO), an agencyof the United Nations, developed “Guidelines for a justtransition towards environmentally sustainable economies
and societies for all.” This comprehensive vision for justtransition outlines a framework of sectoral policies andinstitutional arrangements to address the social androles and contributions of a wide variety of stakeholders,economic opportunities and challenges associated withincluding citizens, national and regional governments,

a transition away from fossil fuels. It features the following

local municipalities, business, academia, and labor

seven Guiding Principles:groups. Following Japan’s 2050 net zero declaration, it is
now necessary to introduce concrete steps in achieving

1) Adequate stakeholder consultation

net zero emissions. In doing this, we must do all we can2) Strengthening and promoting rights at work

to take full advantage of the social and economic benefits

3) Gender equityof the transition to sustainable energy, while avoiding theimpacts that can come without adequate planning.

4) Propelling transition with adequate economic, environmental,
education, labor and social policies
5) Implementing a just transition framework in all relevant
policies in order to stimulate job creation
6) Tailoring just transition policies for the unique context* A number of organizations have developed just transition guidelines
and principles, including the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change, International Labour Organization, International Trade
Union Confederation, and World Wildlife Fund.

of each country and region7) Fostering international cooperation among countries
in implementing sustainable development strategies

3Just transition is alreadyunderway across the globe
In many countries throughout the world, a justtransition has already begun. Together, theseexamples from various countries show thatthe inevitable transition away from fossil fuelsrequires careful consideration of its impacts on
jobs, the economy, and human society, along withproactive and assertive planning, wide public
support, and collaboration between different
actors in order to address them. Moreover, thesecases highlight the variety of roles civil society,government, business, and other actors canplay in ensuring a just transition, and the many
benefits to society as a whole.

In the Ruhr region of Germany, a former coal mine was turned into a mining museum in order topreserve the cultural heritage of the coal industry in the region as it transitions to renewable energy.

🇪Europe（EU） 🇺

An unprecedented large-scale, top-down approach to just transition∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙The European Commission has given high priority
to job transition in its 2050 net zero goal and European
Green Deal policy initiatives. 2020 saw the launch of
the Just Transition Mechanism, a top-down framework of
unprecedented scale to support the social and economic
aspects of national and regional just transition efforts in
EU member countries. Focusing on the most carbonintensive regions and areas with high fossil fuel-related
employment, the Mechanism aims to mobilize around€150 billion of funding for territorial just transition plansfrom 2021-2027 through a three-pillar structure: the€17.5 billion Just Transition Fund for grants, InvestEU“Just Transition” scheme (which provides investment loan
guarantees and an advice hub), and EIB public sector
loan facility.
It also includes the Just Transition Platform, whichacts as a single access point to provide knowledge andassistance to EU members in their just transition efforts,

4

including information on funding opportunities, regulatory
updates, and technical and advisory support for all
relevant stakeholders.
After a just transition plan is submitted by an EU
Member State, support is provided for activities thatmatch the criteria for a just transition. Activities involving
fossil fuels or nuclear energy are excluded from support,
and eligible activities include 1) upskilling, reskilling,
and job-search assistance for workers; 2) investments
to diversify the local economy, prioritising SMEs; 3)
infrastructure development for renewable energy, energy
efficiency, and greenhouse gas emission reductions;4) activities to increase local mobility; 5) investment inresearch and innovation; and 6) activities in the areas ofeducation and social inclusion.

🇩Germany 🇪

The importance of multi-sector engagement and long-term strategy-building∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
The coal and steel industry in the Ruhr region ofGermany once employed nearly a million people,
constituting 70% of the region’s workforce. However, as
the coal industry declined and unemployment increased
throughout the latter half of the 20th century, a numberof measures were implemented to transition workers toother industries and revitalize the regional economy. By
2018, coal mining had been successfully phased out inthe region.
Noticing coal power’s declining trend and recognizing
the necessity to transition the region’s economy in a
way beneficial to workers and their communities, anagreement between coal companies, labor unions, andfederal and state governments was reached in 2007 tocompletely phase out coal mining in the region by 2018.
Under this agreement, €17 billion in funding from federal🇵and state governments was pledged to transition workers
and their surrounding communities. Workers were offered
early retirement schemes, job finding services, training
and requalification, and assistance on transition to othersectors. In addition, communities and local businesses
could also access this funding for economic andenvironmental revitalization projects.
This agreement was the culmination of decades oflong-term planning, starting with the greening of the coaland steel industries, later shifting to an emphasis on
diversifying the region’s industries, and finally resulting
in a focus on renewable energy. Today, the economyof the region has been transformed into a diverse mixof industries that includes technology, environmental
compliance, eco-tourism, universities, and renewableenergy manufacturing.

Poland 🇱Proactive cooperation of coal companies in the transition process∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
More than 4,000 people work in coal mines and power
plants in the Polish coal region of Eastern Wielkopolska.
However, in the face of decreasing profitability ofcoal power, high unemployment, and environmental
degradation, utility owners ZE PAK declared in October
2020 a complete phase-out of coal mining and burningin the region by 2030, and regional authorities pledged
to achieve climate neutrality by 2040.
The just transition plan, “Concept of Just Transition for
the Eastern Wielkopolska region,” was developed with
input from local governments, think-tanks, NGOs, labor
unions, and local businesses with the aim of establishinga zero-emission, circular economy for the region. The
plan prioritizes not only environmental sustainability andhealth, but social and economic as well, by providing
job transition and reskilling assistance for workers,
implementing revitalization programs for urban andrural areas, and developing initiatives to reduce poverty
and improve public health and well-being, prioritizing
vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
Recognizing the benefits of a just transition, ZE PAK,
the owner of the region’s coal mines and power plants,

has been proactive in the shift to decarbonization. In
2019, over 90% of its electricity was generated fromcoal, and new coal mines were planned. However, only
one year later, ZE PAK announced it would close all coalmines and power plants by 2030 (with all but one mine
shut down by 2023). The company also declared that
70% of its electricity would come from renewables by2025, and 100% by 2030, demonstrating that energy
companies can also play an active role in and greatly
benefit from a just transition. In June 2021, Eastern
Wielkopolska and ZE PAK both formally committed tophasing out coal by 2030 by becoming the first Polishmembers of the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA).

Banners calling for Poland to be coal-free by 2030

© Greenpeace Poland

5🇪

Spain 🇸Consensus between labor, industry, and government∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
Until May 2020, there were 14 coal plants operatingin Spain, but now the country is on track to completely
phase out coal-fired power by the mid-2020s. Spain’s Just
Transition Strategy, part of the broader Strategic Energy
and Climate Framework, adopts the ILO’s just transition
guidelines and establishes a governance framework
to implement the ILO’s principles. This includes a Just
Transition Institute and an advisory council with stakeholder
dialogue roundtables to monitor progress.
The Strategy also features the Urgent Action Plan for
Coal-mining Regions and Power Plant Closures, which
includes financial support, job planning and placement,
and vocational training for workers. Just Transition
Agreements, regional just transition plans designed to benegotiated between as many stakeholders as possible,
identify the sectors and groups impacted by the closuresand propose measures to support them.
A significant development in Spain’s just transition is
the “Agreement for a Just Energy Transition for thermal
power stations: jobs, industry and regions,” signed in
March 2021. This tripartite agreement developed byconsensus between the Government of Spain, tradeunions, and energy companies, requires a just transition
plan for the closure of each coal-fired power plant in the
country. This includes vocational training and job transition
plans for workers, as well as economic diversification andinvestment plans for communities in former coal regions,with an emphasis on renewable energy.
Maintaining solar panels in Seville, Spain© Greenpeace / Markel Redondo🇸

Slovakia 🇰Effective bottom-up just transition planning∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
Transitioning away from the region’s long tradition ofcoal mining and burning was a topic long consideredtaboo in Slovakia’s Upper Nitra region. However, throughan inclusive process based on the direct input andparticipation of local communities and stakeholders, local
governments were able to successfully draft a regional justtransition plan praised by residents, adopted by the national
Government, and supported by the European Commission.
The Transformation Action Plan of Coal Region Upper
Nitra started from a participatory process spearheadedin 2018 by the mayor of Prievidza. While this process
was based on enhancing local residents’ capacity todetermine their own future, a separate parallel process
aimed at providing “quick wins” was started by a different
regional authority a month later, and was supported by
the European Commission and Slovakian Government but

6excluded the voices of parliamentarians, local businesses,
NGOs, and other stakeholders. However, due to pressure
from civil society, the Slovakian Government made thedecision to adopt the first Action Plan as a national strategy,
and requested the European Commission to support it.
The Action Plan, approved by Slovakia’s Government
in July 2019, is based on four pillars: 1) mobility andinterconnection; 2) economy, entrepreneurship andinnovation; 3) sustainable environment; and 4) quality oflife and social infrastructure. That same month, Slovakia
announced that it would phase out coal power by
2023, and now Slovakia stands as an example of theeffectiveness of bottom-up initiatives and the participationof local governments and citizens in the just transition toclean energy.

🇮

Ireland 🇪

A top-down national approach to planning, funding and implementing JT∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
With the passage of the Just Transition (Worker andCommunity Environmental Rights) Bill 2018, Ireland’s
Government established the National Just Transition
Commission to provide policy recommendations, track
national and regional just transition progress, develop
progress reports, and work with regional “Transition
Teams” on just transition planning. Since then, justtransition has played a key role in Ireland’s climate
policies, including the national Climate Action Plan 2019,
Report of the Joint Committee on Climate Action, and therevised Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act
2015.
In 2020, Ireland’s Department of Environment, Climate,
and Communications established the national 2020 Just
Transition Fund, which in its first two application periods

approved 63 projects with €29 million in funding. The
focus of these efforts is on Ireland’s Midlands region,
where the peat industry plays a significant role in regional
employment. After semi-state energy company Bord na
Móna announced it would accelerate its decarbonization
plan and end peat harvesting by 2027, local stakeholders
formed the Midlands Regional Transition Team. Receiving
technical assistance from the National Just Transition
Commission and the European Commission, theTeam works to develop and implement a number ofprograms focused on training and upskilling workers, anddiversifying the regional economy with an emphasis on
clean energy, local entrepreneurship, and innovation.

🏴0

Scotland 󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Robust and effective re-skilling programs for workers∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
Despite a thriving fossil fuel economy with manyjobs in oil and gas, Scotland saw greater opportunity intransitioning away from fossil fuels and declared a targetof 75% greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2030,
and net zero emissions by 2045.
In 2014, the Scottish government implemented the Oil
and Gas Transition Training Fund, an agency and scheme
for the re-skilling and retraining of workers in the oil andgas industry to find high-quality jobs in other industries
in the country’s transition away from fossil fuels. 4,270
workers were retrained over the three-year program, with89% finding employment soon after completion. Dueto the success of the program, Scotland expanded theretraining of its workforce for jobs in clean industries andestablished the National Transition Training Fund in 2017,
and the five-year Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan in
2020.
Additionally, In 2019 Scotland established its Just
Transition Commission, a government body to advise
Scottish Ministers on how to apply just transition
principles across agencies and policies in order tomaintain high employment and address poverty andinequality in the national transition to net zero. Based on

the ILO’s just transition guidelines, the Just Transition
Commission actively consulted with multiple stakeholders
and government agencies for two years, including public
calls for comments and feedback. The Commission
develops reports with concrete policy recommendations
on how to transition the nation to net zero emissions whileproviding support for impacted workers and communities.

Wind turbine manufacturing plant in Campbeltown © Kate Davison / Greenpeace7🇳New Zealand 🇿

Stakeholder participation in vision-level planning∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
With the federal government’s Just Transitions Unit
(JTU), New Zealand is another country taking major
actions to move away from a fossil fuel-based economy.
Among the JTU’s roles are identifying the regions,sectors and communities most impacted by transitionrelated decisions, engaging with stakeholders, developinga just transition knowledge base for use in climate
policy processes, and advancing policy coherence andalignment with various government agencies to “ensure
a just transition lens is used in the development of policy
and operational work.”
The JTU has also focused on the Taranaki regionof New Zealand, which will require effective transition
planning as the country takes action to meet its nationalemission reduction targets; Taranaki’s economy is basedaround many carbon-intensive industries, with the energy

sector representing 28% of the region’s economic output.
Together with the Taranaki Regional Development Agency,
the JTU has developed the Taranaki 2050 Roadmap, along-term just transition plan based on the participationof all relevant stakeholders in the planning process.
Beginning with vision-level planning for the region,
28 workshops were held with the participation of over
1,000 Taranaki residents and seven stakeholder groups(local government, central government, Iwi and Māori,education, business, labor, and community organizations)to identify the best industries for the region to boost theeconomy and lower greenhouse gas emissions withoutleaving anyone behind. Results of these workshops werethen publicized, and revisions to the Roadmap weremade based on feedback solicited from over 1,000 local
residents.

The New Zealand Government's Just Transition Unit and the Taranaki Regional Development Agency have collaborated to develop the Taranaki 2050 Roadmap for acoal-free Taranaki region. Source: Venture Taranaki (2019), "Taranaki 2050 Roadmap: Our Just Transition to a Low-Emissions Economy".

8🇦Australia 🇺

Understanding the social background and history of transition regions∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
Workers and local communities in Australia’s Latrobe
Valley were shocked when electricity utility ENGIE
announced in November 2016 that its Hazelwood Power
Station—Australia’s most polluting and inefficient power
plant—would close within five months, citing coal’s
impact on the climate and local environment as well as
its declining economic viability. Gaining support fromlocal Latrobe Valley communities to transition away fromcoal was considered a difficult task; the region had
previously seen negative economic impacts from national
climate legislation drafted and implemented without their
input, leaving many residents skeptical of new climate
policies and supportive of the coal industry they had longdepended on.
However, through collaboration between community
groups, trade unions, local businesses, environmentalgroups and regional and local governments, just transition

measures and programs were successfully implemented
with the support of coal workers and their communities.
Led by local citizen groups, advocacy campaigns andconsultations with regional governments resulted in a
number of programs to support workers after the closureof the power station. These include education and training
programs for workers in transition; a Worker Transition
Centre, website and phone service for individual support;
transition support for local businesses; and funding forcommunity projects to improve the economy and qualityof life in the region.
Together, these initiatives have resulted in workers
finding high-quality employment, creation of new jobs,
and the reinvigoration of former coal communities, all withthe support of local residents that were once hesitant totransition away from coal.

🇨

Costa Rica 🇷

Adapting international best practices to a national context∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
After declaring a national target of net zero greenhousegas emissions by 2050, Costa Rica introduced its
National Decarbonization Plan, a comprehensive plan that
addresses each sector of the economy. For each sector,
the Plan includes a long-term “Transformation Vision”
supported by a set of short-, mid-, and long-term goals,
activities, and policy packages spanning 2018-2050.
Just transition is identified as one of eight cross-cutting
strategies crucial to planning for decarbonization, andan emphasis is placed on the necessity to “identify theinternational best practices of just transition processes,
evaluating their applicability in the Costa Rican context.”
Led by the Ministry of Labor, this strategy applies
methodologies developed to determine the impact ofdecarbonization on Costa Rica’s labor market for eachsector, as well as for the overall economy. The sectors,
regions, and populations exposed to the greatest impacts
are identified and researched, and institutional reform
based on a “culture of service to citizens” is emphasized
as a major strategy to promote change. Notably, the plan

points out the importance of looking to global examples
of just transition and applying existing guidelines, pastexperiences, and lessons learned in developing uniquestrategies for the workers, businesses, and citizens of
Costa Rica.
A worker performing maintenance on a solar panel in Costa Rica
© Joe Raedle / Getty Images

9🇨

Canada 🇦

Accessible just transition resources for workers and communities∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙In 2014, 55% of Alberta’s electricity came from its
18 coal-fired power plants. One year later, the province
set a target to phase out coal-fired power by 2030. In
2016, a provincial Advisory Panel on Coal Communities
was established to carry out a series of stakeholder
consultations in coal communities and make policy
recommendations to the provincial government. These
consultations resulted in the establishment of two notable
programs: 1) the Coal Workforce Transition Program(CWTP), a support program for workers impacted by thephase-out of coal power; and 2) the Coal Community
Transition Fund, an easily-accessible support scheme
funded by the province's carbon tax revenue to aid local
governments in developing community-level strategies fordiversifying their economy in the transition away from coal.
Alberta’s coal-fired power phase-out is now likely to be
met by 2023, far ahead of schedule.
The CWTP provides a number of financial support🇺

services to affected workers, including bridging to reemployment, bridging to retirement, relocation assistance,
and tuition vouchers for education, as well as career
counseling and retraining / re-skilling assistance. These
services can be accessed by phone, online, or in person,and partnerships with First Nation communities andorganizations provide easy access to all impacted workers
in the region.
In 2018, Canada set a national 2030 coal-fired
power phase-out target, and launched the Task Forceon Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers
and Communities made up of 11 members representing
unions, business, civil society NGOs, academia, andlocal governments. Through a consultation processwith coal communities, two recommendation reports
were written to provide the central government with
policy recommendations to support coal workers in thenationwide phase-out of coal power.

United States 🇸

Supporting not only workers, but their communities as well∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙
After the staggered closure of the coal-fired Huntley
Generating Station in the state of New York, the reductionof tax payments to the host town of Tonawanda fromplant owners NRG Energy caused significant economic
impacts, leading to public school closures, an increase in
unemployment, and the loss of a major source of revenue
to the region. To address this, the Huntley Alliance, acoalition of educators, labor unions, and NGOs, wasformed, successfully advocating the New York statelegislature to establish a state-financed just transition
fund to backfill tax losses, provide financial assistancefor workers in transition, and fund public schools, public
services, and businesses in impacted communities.
Additionally, through the Federal Government’s
Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic
Revitalization (POWER) Initiative, the Alliance was alsoable to secure a grant to develop a plan to improve andstabilize the town’s economy, emphasizing investment
in clean energy industries. The POWER Initiative waslaunched in 2015 as a multi-agency program to provide

10

just transition support to coal communities, providing
grants from the budgets of various agencies to fundprojects collaboratively designed by regional and local
stakeholders. As of October 2020, $238 million USD
has been invested into 293 projects aimed at bringing
economic opportunities to coal communities in the US.

2017 workshop in Tonawanda where many residents participated and shared
their views on the future of the region © University at Buffalo Regional Institute🇯Just Transition in Japan 🇵
In 2016, Japan joined the other nations of the world
in ratifying the Paris Agreement. To meet the 1.5℃ goalof the Agreement, Japan needs to achieve net zero
greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In April 2021, Japanenhanced its greenhouse gas emission reduction target
to -46% from FY2013, aiming to further raise it to -50% by
2030.
This new reduction target is still not enough to becompatible with the 1.5°C goal, and so further reductions
from Japan are necessary. This means that fundamental
changes to its economic structure are required for
decarbonization. Employees and businesses in fossil fuelrelated and energy-intensive industries may be particularly
impacted; one study analysing data from FY2016 showsthat there are approximately 150,000 people employedin those sectors, which in total produce more than four
trillion JPY in value added (see Table).
The transition is already underway. In the electric
power sector, J-Power announced it will abandon its
joint venture with Ube Industries to build a new coal-fired

Table.
Estimate of labor forces in fossil fuel and energy-intensive
industrial sectors and their value added (as of FY2016)
Sectors

Employees

Value Added(Billion Yen)

Electricity
Generation

10,000551.7

Oil
Refinery

11,000

543.2

Steel
Production

36,000493.6

Chemical

65,0002169.8

Cement

5,000

158.1

Paper Pulp

24,000584.6(Nuclear)(50,000)

Total

151,000

4,510.

Source: Research Group on Energy Transition for the Future (2021)* Figures in the original data are rounded to the nearest 1,000 for thenumber of employees and to the nearest 100 million yen for value added.

power plant in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture. In the steel
production sector, Nippon Steel Corporation announced
that it will close five domestic blast furnaces, reducing
its fleet from 15 to 10 by 2025. In the automobile sector,
Honda Motor Co. announced that it will close its engine
manufacturing plant in Moka, Tochigi Prefecture by 2025.
These recent decisions taken by companies in theseindustries highlight the need to urgently develop andimplement policy measures to ensure a just transition.
The “scrap and build” of the coal-mining sector
serves as one example of just transition in Japan. Overa period of 40 years, from the 1960s to 2000s, 928
coal-mines were closed, and more than 200,000 jobs
were lost throughout the process. To support workers
impacted by the transition, the government spent four
trillion JPY to fund various policy measures. While
initial policies focused on transitioning workers throughjob training and job creation in other industries, later
policies provided direct benefits to them. This experiencecan be used in many ways as a reference for the justtransition ahead; the national government (Employment
Promotion Corporation) and relevant departments of local
governments worked together with coal companies andlabor unions to address unemployment, efforts began assoon as it became clear that the mine was scheduled toclose, and follow-up support and consultation services
were provided to former coal workers to help them adjust
to their new jobs.
One lesson that can be drawn from the experienceof the “scrap and build” of the coal mines is that thejust transition of fossil fuel-related and energy-intensive
industries will require long-term, large-scale financial andorganizational commitment from the national government.
It is important to note that the closure schedule of thecoal mines was announced ahead of time, and themining companies and their employees planned their next
steps in advance. For the transition of today’s industries,
it is necessary to take into account past experiences
and lessons learned, and to begin discussion and takeaction as soon as possible to ensure a just transition to aprosperous and sustainable society.

11Published by: Kiko Networkhttps://www.kikonet.org/
September 2021
Lead Author: Evan Gach
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