Title 2nd Just Transition Framework CSO Submission.pdf ✅

1 Background 2025 is the most critical year for global and Philippine climate action, culminating in the conduct of the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The world faces the difficult challenge of urgently addressing multiple climate issues with relatively limited available finance and other resources. Just transition is positioned to be the common thread that ties all other workstreams of climate action together – be it mitigation, adaptation, addressing loss and damage (L&D), or means of implementation. It is intended as a long-term process that aims to align climate goals with sustainable development targets, ensuring no one individual, community, or ecosystem is left behind. This places just transition as an inherently-significant part of the Philippines’ pathway to development, based on its identified national objectives and goals. Since October 2024, the Philippine government, supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has been embarking on a year-long development process of the country’s Just Transition Framework (JTF), culminating in its intended launch at COP30. This is a welcomed process that can only be done through a peoples-centered, rights-based, “whole-of-society” approach. We, as civil society groups and networks in the Philippines, remain committed to participating in the JTF development process. On 6 November 2024, a few weeks after the initial JTF consultation, we published our collective position paper on our calls for the JTF development, as endorsed by more than 40 labor groups, transport groups, civil society organizations, and people’s organizations nationwide; this was also sent to several national government agencies. Since that initial submission, we observed that other sectors such as agriculture and waste have been given more emphasis within the JTF development, along with the initially-identified priority sectors of energy, transport, industry, and labor. The synergies among these sectors and others for implementing just transition has also been highlighted by the Philippine government during UNFCCC SB62 in Bonn, Germany. This paper contains the joint positions of Philippine non-government stakeholders, specifically the groups undersigned to this document, on our specific calls for the principles, priorities, and measures under the JTF.

3 Guiding principles We reiterate our previous call for the JTF to be developed, based on the following principles: ➢ Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals. Proposed commitments on just transition must also enable the attainment of sustainable development objectives, most notably on poverty eradication and inclusive growth, energy security, and social and climate justice, all of which are stated in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). These commitments must also contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). ➢ Climate ambition. The Philippines must aim for higher ambition in every succeeding iteration of its NDC, coupled with comprehensive policies and measures to attain its self-determined targets, including on just transition. It must also reflect this ambition in the implementation and updating of its National Adaptation Plan (NAP). These commitments must be aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement, especially the imperative to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures, upholding the principles of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, equity, and justice. ➢ Good governance. Just transition is a cross-cutting issue that necessitates the effective horizontal and vertical coordination of national and local government units (LGUs), with urgent and efficient implementation of relevant laws and policies. Managing this transition must be grounded in ethical principles, avoid creating new injustices, worsening existing inequalities, or perpetuating them. ➢ Green, decent, safe, and secure work. The creation of green decent jobs with living wages, social protection for potential loss of livelihoods, skills development, and social dialogue must be at the heart of just transition. ➢ Ecological integrity. Ensuring ecological integrity is not an option, but a necessity for the pursuit of sustainable development, which includes just transition. Recognizing and respecting the rights of nature and its vital and natural processes1 is imperative to enhancing the social fabric, reducing inequality, and increasing potential growth. It must be prioritized in every aspect of just transition, from planning to monitoring. ➢ Intergenerational equity. A genuine just transition recognizes and reduces long-term existing social and economic inequalities and ensures that the historically-marginalized and vulnerable groups and sectors (i.e., women, children and youth, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities) are not left behind, with their needs and concerns integrated into decisions and actions made and disenablers to their full participation removed. ➢ Gender equality. Women, girls, and other historically and traditionally marginalized sexualities, are more likely to bear a greater burden due to the climate crisis than men, exacerbated by systemic barriers to their participation. Everyone must be enabled to participate in and benefit from a just transition, regardless of gender identity or expression. ➢ Inclusion. All sectors of society must be meaningfully involved throughout decision-making processes, enabled through the provision of necessary support and accessibility. In a “whole-of- society” approach, every stakeholder is able to freely exercise their right to public participation in an accessible, safe, and secure manner, free from discrimination and prejudice2 .The Philippine government's approach to the just transition should include genuine dialogues and consultations with stakeholders across the country to harmonize policies, strengthen institutional coherence, 1 This is acknowledged under Republic Act 11995 (“Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System Act”). 2 All documents related to this must be open and publicly accessible online, without need of a prior request.