[Working paper] Localizing Just Transition: Perspectives from Southeast Asia

Abstract
Just transition has gained increasing prominence in global climate discourse, yet its practical meaning varies significantly across regions. In Southeast Asia, where economies, governance systems, and social conditions are highly diverse, translating just transition principles into policy requires contextual sensitivity. This article examines how just transition is being understood and pursued across the region using the JUST framework, which integrates multiple dimensions of justice, alongside spatial and temporal considerations. Drawing on regional policy developments, legal frameworks, and selected country examples, the article highlights persistent gaps in procedural inclusion, uneven distribution of transition costs and benefits, and limited recognition of indigenous and vulnerable communities. It also underscores the importance of regional cooperation, rule-of-law institutions, and aligned financial systems in supporting fair and credible transitions. Rather than proposing a single pathway, the article frames just transition as an evolving process shaped by national priorities but grounded in shared principles of equity, participation, and responsibility. The findings suggest that embedding justice more firmly in energy governance is essential for an inclusive low-carbon future in Southeast Asia.

Key words: Just transition, Southeast Asia, JUST Framework, procedural, distributive, finance, recognition and cosmopolitan justice

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More about the authors at:
Linda Yanti Sulistiawati
Ghislaine Nadaud
Yang Huiwen
Raphael Heffron