Defining a Just Transition for Sub-Saharan Energy Workers

It is important that the cost and benefits of an energy transition are equally shared. A just transition in Sub-Saharan Africa will not only be a transition from fossil-fuels but also the diversification of the existing renewable energy mix. Climate change is changing the availability of renewable resources such as water and an over-reliance on one energy source could be disastrous for a country. While the energy mix between countries will subsequently differ, energy as a basic need and publicly owned good must not. The extraction, production, transmission and distribution of energy must be publicly governed with public policies in the public interest. Thus, the resource paper provides guidance on how to formulate labour perspectives to engage policymakers at regional, sub-regional and national level on issues pertaining to a just transition and achieving the necessary energy mix.