The shift from fossil fuels to clean energy is no longer a question of if, but how. Who benefits, who bears the costs, and who gets a say in what comes next? These questions were at the heart of the Just Transition Forum Asia 2026: how to make the move towards a greener, low-carbon economy fair and inclusive, with the finance, decent jobs and protections people need along the way.

The Just Transition Forum Asia 2026 unpacked the major COP30 breakthrough on the Just Transition Mechanism and explored how it could advance fair finance, support a fair transition away from fossil fuels and drive practical action across Asia and beyond.

The forum brought together experts and practitioners from governments, civil society, labour movements, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, academia, think tanks, businesses and international organisations. They exchanged experiences, spotlighted initiatives already making a difference and identified practical ways to turn commitments into action.

Across 11 sessions, participants explored issues ranging from gender-just urban transformation and sustainable mobility to workers’ rights, inclusive energy transitions, community ownership and locally led climate action.

The forum created a space to share perspectives, learn from experiences across the region and discuss what a Just Transition should look like in Asia.

As geopolitical tensions grow and international cooperation comes under pressure, advancing a Just Transition is becoming more urgent and more complex. Fossil fuel dependence, unstable energy markets and unequal access to finance continue to determine who benefits from climate action and who bears the costs.

At COP30 in Belém last year, governments agreed to develop a Just Transition Mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The mechanism aims to strengthen cooperation, share knowledge, build capacity and unlock fair and accessible finance. It also places human rights, labour rights, gender equality, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, social protection and meaningful participation at the heart of climate action.

Now, the focus turns to implementation. How can the mechanism deliver fair finance, strengthen social dialogue and ensure that workers, communities and Indigenous Peoples have a meaningful role in the transition?

At this crucial moment, the forum helped build momentum towards COP31 and turn shared commitments into action.

2:00–3:30 PM | Opening panel: From Belém to Antalya via Santa Marta: Creating Consensus on Just Transition and Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

• Keynote address: Senator Sherry Rehman, Chair of the Standing Committee on Climate Change, Senate of Pakistan
• Dr. Heike Henn, Director General for International Climate Action, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany
• Angelina Mensah, Lead Coordinator for African Group of Negotiators, Just Transition Work Programme, UNFCCC; and Environment Protection Authority, Ghana
• Bert De Wel, Climate Policy Officer, International Trade Union Confederation 
• Harjeet Singh, Strategic Advisor and Asia Lead, Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative
• Anabella Rosemberg, Senior Advisor on Just Transition, Climate Action Network International
• Moderated by: Nithi Nesadurai, Director and Regional Coordinator, Climate Action Network Southeast Asia

3:30–4:50 PM | Transformational labs (parallel sessions)

• Lab 1: Prospects for a Just Transition Mechanism (Hosted by FES Berlin)

• Lab 2: Socio-Ecological Urban Transformation: Accessibility of Urban Spaces for Women’s Work (Hosted by FES Pakistan)

• Lab 3: Just Transition Pathways: Bangkok Energy Transition and Krabi Goes Green (Hosted by FES Thailand)

4:40–6:00 PM | Transformational labs (parallel sessions)

• Lab 4: Shaping the Future of Mobility: Building a Just and Sustainable Transition through Youth–Trade Union Collaboration in Bangladesh (Hosted by OSHE Foundation and YouthNet Global)

• Lab 5: Clean Energy Transitions in Asia: Stories of Progress from the Ground Up (Hosted by the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, CANSEA and NGO Forum on Cambodia)

2:00–3:20 PM | Transformational labs (parallel sessions)

• Lab 6: Securing a Just Transition: Collective Bargaining in a Weak Institutional Landscape(Hosted by the Centre for Energy, Environment and People: CEEP)

• Lab 7: Leaving No One Behind: Integrating GEDSI Principles into Just Energy Transition Pathways in Southeast Asia(Hosted by CANSEA)

3:20–4:40 PM | Transformational labs (parallel sessions)

• Lab 8: Assets of the Commons: Operationalizing Community Co-Ownership and Circularity in Asia's Energy Transition  (Hosted by FES Philippines and Responsible Energy Initiative Philippines)

• Lab 9: The IKI JET Project: A Model for Implementing Just Energy Transition Globally  (Hosted by CANSEA)

4:40–6:00 PM | Closing panel: Financing the Just Transition Mechanism and the Fossil Fuel Phase-Out

• Keynote Address: H.E. SOUNG Sophorn, Secretary of State, Council of Ministers, Royal Government of Cambodia
• Teresa Aristegui, Policy Officer, DG Energy, European Commission
• Shaligram Bhandari, Senior Divisional Engineer and Assistant Spokesperson, Under-Secretary at Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Nepal
• Dr. Amanda Cahill, Founder, The Next Economy, Australia
• Lidy Nacpil, Coordinator, Asia Peoples Movement on Debt and Development
• Farzana Faruk Jhumu, Youth Advisor on Climate Change to the United Nations Secretary-General
• Moderated by: Nguyen Hoang Ngan, Regional Coordinator, FES Climate and Energy Project in Asia