Learning from global net zero transition experiences

The Australian Government is working closely with international partners to take action on climate change and the net zero transformation.  

This cooperation advances the Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda, which aims to maximise economic opportunities for Australia in the global move to net zero.  

The Net Zero Economy Authority (the Authority) is contributing to these efforts by building links with similar international entities. To support their own pathways to net zero, a range of countries have established entities like the Authority. Engaging internationally with these entities can make a positive difference to the Authority’s work to support Australia’s net zero transition. 

For example, the former German Coal Commission (2018-19) negotiated a multi-stakeholder consensus for the phase-out of coal by 2038. The German Government is providing targeted supports for its coal workforce through training and redeployment of affected workers, as well as pension guarantees.   

Spain’s Just Transition Institute, established in 2020, developed a ‘national jobs bank’, matching workers with job and training opportunities and providing incentives for the private sector to employ workers from the ‘bank’.  

The Institute also developed comprehensive ‘Just Transition Agreements’ in fifteen affected regions, enabling tailored responses to socio-economic impacts, securing commitment and coordination between national, regional and local governments and incentivising private investment.   

Scotland’s Just Transition Commission, established in 2021, has pursued meaningful engagement with those most affected by the transition, prioritising consensus-building and fairness in the transition and providing a voice for communities. In supporting regions’ transition from oil and gas, the Commission’s regional planning approach centred on ‘people and place’ is helping coordinate responses to the impacts of the transition. 

Similar institutions operate in other parts of the world too. The Authority will seek to work with a range of different entities to inform our work.  

South Africa’s Presidential Climate Commission is a multi-stakeholder body established in 2020 to oversee a just transition and advance strategies balancing economic growth, social inclusion and support for affected communities. Its 2022 Framework for a Just Transition set principles, priority sectors and practical policy directions for managing the shift away from coal while protecting workers and communities. 

Chile’s Office for a Just Socio-Ecological Transition was created in October 2022 to coordinate policies, social dialogue and action in ‘territories in transition’. The office works to develop inclusive policies and plans for a just transition for affected communities, aligned with a national strategy. 

NZEA will continue to engage internationally on net zero transition experiences to shape a better future for Australia’s industrial regions, workers and communities in the net zero economy.