Transition Activities in Climate Change Mitigation

The global push for a standardized “green transition” leapfrogging fossil fuel, strict carbon pricing and donor-driven conditions simply doesn’t fit Africa’s development context. In my latest ( long but needed ) article, I examine why these popular frameworks risk stalling both climate and economic progress, then offer alternative approaches grounded in on-the-ground realities across Zambia, South Africa, Senegal, Kenya and the DRC. Key takeaways: Dual-track energy build-out: We cannot leapfrog power infrastructure like we did with mobile phones. Africa needs simultaneous investment in foundational grids and renewables, so development and decarbonization advance hand in hand. Fair carbon budgets: Rather than a blunt price, allocations should reflect historical emissions, population and adaptation costs. South Africa’s phased-in tax with targeted exemptions offers one model of equity in action. Sovereign climate finance: Too often, only 45% of funding aligns with national plans. We must insist that every grant and loan serve country-determined priorities, avoiding the trap of “green conditionality.” Homegrown innovation ecosystems: Technology co-development, local manufacturing, R&D, supportive regulation and IP reform ensures projects endure beyond donor timelines and build lasting capacity. Broad economic transformation: A just transition is more than green jobs. It requires industrial diversification, targeted skills training, social protection, quality-of-work standards and formalizing informal green activities. Ultimately, Africa’s voice in global climate debates should champion development-first actions, climate justice rooted in historical responsibility, sovereign pathways of change and finance metrics that truly match the continent’s needs and contributions. Only then can climate action become a catalyst for and not a barrier to sustainable development.

COP 28 demonstrated that a Just Transition is critical to achieving our climate goals.  Finance must take a leading role in delivering a just transition and ensuring that net-zero commitments also consider equity. This new guide from United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and the International Labour Organization provides banks, investors, and insurers with a tangible roadmap and numerous case study examples for operationalizing the just transition. Here are its 9 big recommendations in the roadmap for financial institutions: 1. Commit to a just transition 2. Understand just transition and its implications for the organization 3. Put people at the heart of institutional strategy and decision-making 4. Set out an implementation strategy  5. Develop products to address just transition related financing and protection needs 6. Focus on financial inclusion and bridging the protection gap 7. Strive to uncover and manage client-specific social impacts, risks, and opportunities 8. Foster behavioral change through client engagement  9. Advance a just transition and enhance capital allocation to place-based needs using partnerships  Have a read below and share what your firm is doing to advance the just transition in the comments! https://lnkd.in/e4mcGtmh #climate #cop28 #justransition #transition #climaterisk #energy #equity #climateaction #climatefinance #sustainablefinance  #climatejustice #linkedincreators #greenertogether 

GHG Mitigation Hierarchy 🌎 The GHG Mitigation Hierarchy provides a structured framework for addressing greenhouse gas emissions. It prioritizes actions based on their impact, from eliminating emissions at the source to compensating for unavoidable emissions. This approach offers clarity for organizations and industries striving to meet sustainability goals. The first level, Eliminate, focuses on innovating processes and products that inherently avoid greenhouse gas emissions. This proactive approach is the most effective way to tackle climate change by preventing emissions before they occur. Reduce emphasizes improving operational efficiency to lower the amount of emissions produced by existing systems. By optimizing processes, businesses can achieve significant reductions in their carbon footprint. Substitute encourages the replacement of high-carbon options with lower-carbon alternatives. This transition is crucial in reducing overall emissions, particularly in industries that rely on carbon-intensive materials and processes. Compensate involves investing in environmental projects to offset the impact of remaining emissions. While not a substitute for direct action, compensation plays a vital role in balancing out emissions that cannot be eliminated or reduced. The hierarchy offers a clear, actionable pathway for addressing greenhouse gas emissions. By following this structure, industries can make measurable progress toward sustainability targets and contribute to global climate efforts. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange #climateaction #sdgs #strategy

Guidance on Climate Transition Plans under ESRS For organisations navigating climate reporting and sustainability compliance, the new guidance on implementing climate transition plans under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) provides valuable support! The guidance provides an approach for organisations to meet the ESRS requirements by detailing disclosure obligations that align with key EU regulations, such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the EU Taxonomy. This alignment helps ensure climate transition activities and sustainability disclosures meet broader European compliance standards, reinforcing their commitment to responsible and sustainable practices in line with EU legislation. 1️⃣ Purpose: Offers non-binding guidance to help organizations create effective transition plans for climate change mitigation. 2️⃣ Compliance: Maps out how ESRS aligns with EU laws like the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and EU Taxonomy, ensuring regulatory alignment 3️⃣ Structure: Covers all aspects of climate disclosure—from European frameworks and disclosure requirements to international standards 4️⃣ Paris Agreement Alignment: Organizations must disclose targets that align with the 1.5°C goal, showing commitment to global climate efforts 5️⃣ Decarbonization: Outlines required emissions reduction actions, including operational changes and product modifications. Organisations are required to outline specific actions, known as "decarbonization levers," which may include operational adjustments, product changes, and other emissions reduction initiatives 6️⃣ Investments: Specifies the need for transparent reporting on investments, including EU Taxonomy-aligned CapEx for sustainable projects 7️⃣ Disclosures: Companies involved in EU Taxonomy activities must show their alignment with taxonomy criteria for sustainable finance 8️⃣ Governance: Transition plans should be embedded within overall corporate strategy, backed by governance bodies to ensure alignment with broader goals 9️⃣ Progress: Regular updates on implementation are required, measuring action effectiveness toward emissions targets 🔟 IROs from climate change mitigation: The guidance stresses the need for organisations to assess and disclose social and environmental impacts, risks, and opportunities linked to their climate transition plans The guidance emphasises that climate transition plans should be fully embedded within a company's overarching strategy and be actively supported by governance bodies. This integration ensures that climate goals are not treated as standalone objectives but are interwoven with long-term corporate planning. By doing so, organisations can align their climate ambitions with their overall business objectives, securing strategic and governance-level commitment to climate action.

🔻 5 ACTIONABLE Climate Mitigation Strategies we should discuss but we DON'T! We all know the urgent need to combat climate change, but some of these most effective strategies are often the least talked about? 🌿 Natural Climate Solutions: Beyond forests, consider seagrass meadows. The Posidonia meadows in the Mediterranean sequester carbon at a rate 35 times faster than tropical rainforests per unit area. They protect coastlines, nurture marine life, and fight climate change simultaneously. 🔄 Circular Economy Practices: Embrace product-as-a-service models, like the one pioneered by MUD Jeans, and closed-loop systems that reduce waste and emissions. Iceland's "Bottle Return Scheme" leverages behavioural science by offering rewards for recycling. This simple incentive encourages sustainable choices. Even Loop is a great company following the circular model 🏘️ Community-Led Solutions: The Transition Towns movement, founded in Totnes, UK, empowers communities to take local action on climate change, from food production to renewable energy projects. For instance, in Totnes, they've implemented community-owned renewable energy installations, local currency systems, and initiatives to promote sustainable transport. 🏗️ Climate-Resilient Design: "The Green Building Council's LEED" certification promotes climate-resilient building design. Projects like the Bullitt Center in Seattle showcase cutting-edge green building practices. 📚 Climate Education for All Ages: Climate Kids, an initiative by NASA, provides resources and education to children, ensuring early awareness and engagement in climate action. Another one to follow is ClimateScience. What are your thoughts on these? What would you add here?   #climateaction #innovation #sustainability #climatechangemitigation #greentech #climatesolutions #climatechange

DOD Issues GHG Mitigation Plan One of my last efforts at DOD was putting the finishing touches on the Department's GHG mitigation plan. This document, along with Climate Adaptation Plan constitute high level guidance for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The mitigation plan outlines a clear, technologically feasible pathway to reduced GHG emissions across the Department's installations and non-operational activities. This pathway builds resilience and relies on efficiency, traditional renewable energy generation and power storage along with nuclear and advanced geo-thermal power, all connected via microgrids, to get secure, net-zero installations and communities. The mitigation plan also acknowledges that there is not yet a clear technological pathway to get to net-zero emissions across the Department's operational assets such as ships, tanks and planes. Defense is certainly a "hard to abate" sector. Nonetheless the good news is that there are technologies available today that will allow the Department to significantly reduced its GHG emissions, while also increasing operational capability and survivability in contested environments. There is a need for more investment in research and development on advanced energy solutions as well as methods to sequester GHG on DOD's lands and buildings.

“Just transitions are about building power in the here and now, not some distant point in the future.” That’s one of the most powerful insights for me from Darcy Gunning, the lead union organiser behind Collie’s transition negotiations, one of the world’s most successful examples of a just transition happening today. The town is currently about halfway through the closing down of 100+ years of coal-fired energy production. At the same time they’re also successfully securing new green industries to deliver jobs for the next 100 years and millions in investment for the town - all with workers and communities at the heart of these decisions. I sat down with Darcy to upack the high and lows so far, as well as insights for managers of transitions - whether working in a company, government department, union, or local community group - to replicate the most essential lessons offered by Collie’s story. You’ll also hear the audio version of IHRB’s feature on Collie (interestingly voiced by AI). It's the first feature in IHRB’s JUST-Stories.org project, our global search for stories of the most successful just transitions we can find - unpacking the people, perspectives, and relationships behind what makes them work. 🎙️ What resonates most for you from Darcy's learnings? https://pod.fo/e/2ded7b #justtransitions #climateaction