Indonesia is poised to be on the forefront of the coming green transition worldwide, with ambitious goals set to achieve a clean energy transition. Therefore, a just green transition offers an opportunity for Indonesia to support new livelihoods, expand job opportunities, distribute economic activity more equally and away from fossil fuel production centers, and to ‘democratize’ the green economy for all workers, consumers, and communities.
The Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, in collaboration with Indonesia’s Ministry of National Development Planning (BAPPENAS) organized a two-day workshop focused on policy tools and approaches to contribute to a more efficient reduction of inequalities within the context of a green transition. The workshop sought to provide policymakers with a handbook and related tools, approaches and frameworks to better identify potential impacts of policies, taking into account the diversity of the population early on in the policymaking process.
Key questions addressed during the workshop included:
- How to make a green transition just;
- How specific tools can be used to mainstream inequality considerations into the green transition process;
- How to plan a just energy transition that considers measures to mitigate negative employment impacts; and
- Ultimately, how can the energy transition be made smarter—that is good for the entire economy—whilst also fairer—good for workers and communities?
The workshop explored various tools, including:
- Distributional tools (to address vertical inequality and economic distribution with a focus on jobs and fiscal responses like taxation and social protection)
- Gender, youth, and inclusion analysis (to understand horizontal inequality/group-based impacts of policies)
- Social dialogue mechanisms (to manage backlash and promote effective whole-of-society exchanges the green transition).
The workshop participants consisted of public government officials of the government of Indonesia across ministries and regions; members of private and worker associations; staff of international/multilateral programs working on the green transition and/or reducing inequality and exclusion.
