UN Serbia Thematic Update on Just Transition

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the just transition is defined as a transition from a fossil-fuel dependent to a green economy that is designed in a way that not only reduces our environmental footprint, but also addresses existing socioeconomic disparities and avoids creating new ones. (ILO, Guidelines for a just transition, 2015).

The urgency of the transition away from fossil fuel is becoming ever more apparent. Devastating heat waves, droughts, forest fires and floods remind us of how little time is left before critical thresholds are crossed, that would set the climate on a path of dangerous instability. And, in the very communities in Serbia where coal is mined and burned for energy, the impact on air quality, health and quality of life are also already stark.