Energy Policy: Fast Forward to Renewables

How can we increase and speed up the roll out of clean energy? We've seen a big boost in renewables lately. This is great news, but there's still a long way to go. What's holding us back? Issues like permits, grid development, and storage are just a few of the challenges we need to tackle.

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28.05.2025

Analysis: Making Just Transition A Reality - Is The German Coal Commission A Template?

In a world confronted with the unprecedented challenge of decarbonising entire economies, Germany’s Coal Commission experience offers an ambitious attempt to reconcile climate action with worker rights and community well-being. The Commission’s work led to a legally binding coal phase-out by 2038, underpinned by €40 billion in public investment, a no-layoffs commitment, and a framework emphasizing high-quality, collectively bargained jobs.
The analysis explores how this transition was structured through Germany’s unique co-determination system, blending government, union, industry, and civil society input. It also assesses in how far the Coal Commission can serve as a global model for delivering a high-standard Just Transition.
While the German experience sets a relatively high bar for transition planning, replicability depends on a country’s institutional strength, robust labour rights, social safety nets, and commitment to inclusive governance. Without those foundations, the global promise of a Just Transition risks becoming more symbolic than substantive.

Please read the analysis here.

Author: Jonathan Tasini, Executive director of Just Transition For All

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justclimate(at)fes.de

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