Canada has released its Sustainable Jobs Action Plan, fulfilling a Trudeau-era commitment but largely compiling existing federal measures rather than introducing new transition policies. Critics argue that the plan is insufficiently targeted at workers most at risk—especially in oil and gas—citing the absence of dedicated support measures, timelines, and funding. Government representatives, however, argue that a broader ecosystem of existing programmes already provides comprehensive worker support.

A proposed bill in Colorado (Senate Bill 52) would require employers in coal-affected communities across five sectors—construction, rail, utilities, energy generation, and advanced manufacturing—to give hiring preference to qualified displaced coal workers. Employers would have to offer jobs where skills aligned and report annually to the Colorado Just Transition Office on recruitment and hires. Amendments throughout the legislative process narrowed the bill’s scope, but the proposal ultimately received strong backing in committee votes.

Slovenia’s parliament has approved EUR 1.13 billion to support the gradual closure of the Velenje coal mine and the Šoštanj power plant, with coal use set to end by 2033. The public funding is intended to cover remaining costs after the operator has used its own revenues and asset sales. The plan foresees limited redundancies (around 250 workers in 2034), with workforce reductions largely occurring through natural attrition, alongside measures such as early retirement, higher severance pay, and retraining.

Eastspring Investments, the asset management arm of Prudential, and Reviva, a coal transition finance platform, have launched a coal phase-out investment strategy in Asia. The model involves acquiring or refinancing coal plants, lowering their cost of capital, and using structured financing to enable earlier closure, while engaging utility companies on agreed retirement schedules. It focuses on market-based mechanisms, including transition-linked financing structures, to align investor returns with accelerated plant retirement.

South Korea’s Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has outlined its 2026 energy transition work plan, with a stronger focus on a just transition for coal power. Throughout the year, it aims to develop restructuring plans for state-owned power companies (H1) and propose a special coal phase-out bill (within the year) that includes support for workers and regions. The plan also commits to defining closure pathways for remaining coal plants and ensuring job redeployment without layoffs.

Energy company Eskom is piloting a climate-smart horticulture centre at the Grootvlei power station, with support from the Netherlands, as part of its just energy transition programme in South Africa. The site is operating as a training and demonstration facility, and aims to scale into a 20-hectare agrihub within 5 years, training up to 75 “agripreneurs.” The centre is intended to incubate businesses that can expand into commercial farming, processing, and services, with external investors financing their scale-up.

Scotland has announced a new GBP 17 million funding round under its Just Transition Fund to support the North Sea transition. The package includes GBP 4 million ringfenced for community and social enterprise projects (including participatory budgeting), GBP 10 million for large-scale commercial projects (with a minimum project size of GBP 500,000), and GBP 3 million to help small and medium-sized enterprises involved in oil and gas diversify. Since 2022, the fund has invested over GBP 85 million across 28 projects, with ringfencing seen as a key improvement over earlier rounds.

Germany’s Special Envoy for the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) Rainer Baake has defended Germany’s JETP financing to South Africa following criticism from Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who rejected earlier pledges due to their unfavourable terms. Baake highlighted loans of EUR 300–500 million with 13- to 20-year maturities and grace periods, arguing that they are significantly cheaper than the market average. Interest rates range from around 2.8% to 4.4%, compared to market rates of around 6.25% to 8.9%.

Catholic bishops from the Global South have issued a manifesto calling for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty that frames the phase-out of fossil fuels as a just transition imperative. The document calls for financial support, technology transfer, and inclusive decision making, particularly for vulnerable and Indigenous communities, and warns against greenwashing and extractive practices. It urges governments to embed equity and social justice into transition pathways ahead of upcoming climate negotiations.

Indonesia has secured an additional USD 400 million in JETP funding, increasing total commitments from USD 21.4 billion to USD 21.8 billion, Economic Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto has announced. The new financing—via Germany’s KfW development bank—supports projects such as the Saguling floating solar plant. Of Indonesia’s total JETP funds, USD 11 billion comes from the International Partners Group (IPG) and USD 10 billion from the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), with USD 3.1 billion already deployed and over 20 projects in the pipeline.

President of Colombia Gustavo Petro has announced that tourism generated over USD 11 billion in 2025, surpassing coal to become the country’s second-largest source of foreign exchange. The sector recorded 6.5 million non-resident visitors and over 57 million air passengers, with these visits supporting regional economies. The government is framing this shift as part of a just energy transition, aiming to reduce dependence on extractive industries by expanding alternative sectors like tourism.

Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission has revised just transition provisions under Xcel Energy’s coal transition plan, increasing funding to over USD 230 million (+13%) after challenges from affected communities. The measures cover four Xcel-operated coal plants set to close by 2031. Support has been extended to 10 years, alongside enhanced incentives (up to USD 4 per MW tax credits in Pueblo, tied to jobs and tax contributions) to attract replacement investment.

A proposed lithium mining project in Czechia’s coal region (Cínovec) is highlighting tensions in the European Union’s green transition, with communities facing new environmental and social risks despite the efforts to phase out coal. The project raises concerns about limited local benefits, weak consultation, and uneven distribution of impacts, suggesting that shifting from coal to critical minerals doesn’t automatically deliver a just transition for affected regions.

Western Australia is considering extending operations at the Griffin Coal mine to 2031, with proposed legislation allowing the government to release the operator from rehabilitation and decommissioning liabilities. Critics warn this could shift clean-up costs—estimated at around AUD 300 million—to taxpayers, while prolonging coal use. The bill would amend the State Agreement Act by allowing ministers to waive obligations and determine post-mining land use, including reclassification of state forest land.

Chile’s environmental regulator has intensified oversight of coal-fired power plants under the national decarbonisation plan, conducting targeted inspections to ensure compliance with closure schedules, emissions limits, and environmental permits. The inspections cover plants committed to Chile’s coal phase-out agreement, focusing on operational status, maintenance conditions, and decommissioning obligations. They are being carried out in coordination with the National Strategy for Just Socio-Ecological Transition 2025–2035, which addresses the social and territorial impacts of plant closures.

Indonesia’s energy transition is being challenged by a rapid expansion of captive coal power plants, with total capacity now exceeding 31 GW—higher than previously estimated. Built mainly for the nickel industry, these plants are exempt from the coal phase-out pledge if they cut emissions by 35% within 10 years. However, no public monitoring framework exists to verify these reductions, raising concerns about transparency and the credibility of transition commitments.

The UK government has made signing the Fair Work Charter a condition for accessing public funding and participating in offshore wind licence auctions. The charter, co-developed with industry and trade unions, requires trade union access, collective bargaining, and improved pay and safety standards, aligned with upcoming Employment Rights Act reforms. The measure is part of the Clean Energy Jobs plan (targeting 100,000 jobs), which aims to embed minimum labour standards across the growing renewables sector.

Spain’s Institute for Just Transition has launched a public consultation (running until 31 March 2026) to revise key subsidy schemes supporting job-creating business projects and small investments in just transition zones. The reform aims to address low uptake of funds, rigid eligibility and investment requirements, and difficulties in completing projects under current economic conditions, which have limited the conversion of funding into implemented investments and sustained employment.