Chile’s recently approved Electricity Rate Stabilization Law includes a territorial recognition mechanism that will benefit six communes in transition zones. These areas, historically hosting coal-fired plants now ceasing operations, will see a 20%–30% reduction in electricity bills starting from mid-2024. Energy Minister Diego Pardow and Environment Minister Maisa Rojas emphasised the law’s role in improving living conditions and encouraging the use of electric heating systems, aiding the socio-ecological transition​.

South Africa will propose a new timeline for closing coal-fired power plants in order to secure approximately USD 2.5 billion in climate finance. This proposal aims to adjust the decommissioning schedule to align with emissions targets, thereby unlocking concessional loans and funding from various international and domestic sources as part of the Just Energy Transition Partnership. The revised plan involves closing Eskom’s Camden, Grootvlei, and Hendrina plants between 2027 and 2030, instead of the previously planned 2023–2027.

A study by Chalmers University of Technology and Central European University found that 23 countries, responsible for 16% of global coal power, have committed USD 209 billion for “just transition” compensation. This equates to between USD 29 and USD 46 per tonne of avoided carbon dioxide emissions, lower than the current carbon prices in the EU. While effective for these nations, scaling this model to China and India would cost between 2,400 billion and 3,200 billion U.S. dollars, presenting significant financial challenges.

Communities across the Great Lakes in the United States are struggling with redeveloping polluted, costly-to-clean former coal plant sites, hindered by extensive remediation needs, legal disputes, and lack of transparency. These sites remain too polluted to sell and too expensive to clean, leaving communities in economic limbo and highlighting the broader challenge of managing the environmental and economic impacts of coal plant closures​.

Chile’s Panel of Experts, comprising representatives from 32 private sector organisations, academia, international bodies, and civil society, convened for the first time to develop the National Just Socioecological Transition Strategy. The panel will work in thematic groups from May to July, complementing public sector efforts and citizen participation. This strategy, aimed at addressing climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, emphasises human rights, gender equality, and sustainable development.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is indirectly funding a 2,000 MW coal power plant expansion in Indonesia through a USD 600 million loan to Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), according to NGOs. Despite ADB’s climate pledges, the loan agreement lacks a no-coal clause, allowing funds for coal projects in PLN’s 10-year plan. This contradicts ADB’s 2021 policy to cease coal financing and undermines its clean energy investments.

For the second quarter of 2024, South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan is focusing on skills development. Key initiatives include the creation of skills desks and skills advisory forums, as well as conducting needs assessments, according to Presidential Advisor Daniel Mminele. The focus is on building local capacity to ensure broad participation and benefits, addressing unemployment, and fostering economic diversification through green industrialisation.

The Colombian Institute for Planning and Promotion of Energy Solutions (IPSE) and the country’s Ministry of Mines and Energy have launched a new hybrid power plant in San José del Guaviare. With an investment of USD 2.8 million, this project will provide renewable energy to nearly 100 families. It features 266 solar panels, as well as batteries and a back-up diesel generator. The initiative is the latest addition to Colombia’s Energy Communities Strategy, which aims to reduce energy poverty, promote decarbonisation, and decentralise energy generation and consumption.

The Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) are unlikely to reduce coal use significantly and lack substance when it comes to the “just transition” dimension, according to socialist magazine Jacobin. Despite trade unions being involved in discussions on just transition implementation in both South Africa and Indonesia, their objections to energy privatisation plans have been brushed aside. Meanwhile, financing for the first tranche of JETPs is still nowhere to be seen.

During its provincial Two Sessions, the major coal-producing province of Shanxi announced targets for a just transition, aiming to manage social impacts as it shifts to a green economy. This is crucial, as China aims to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. A study revealed that 1.4 million coal jobs were lost from 2016 to 2021, with 1.3 million more job losses predicted in the next decade. Shanxi’s approach highlights the need for comprehensive policies to support affected workers and communities.