Supporting the shift to green energy

WWF has joined forces with the United Nations Development Programme to launch the Alliance for a Just Energy Transformation (AJET), a new platform aiming to drive a radical transition of our energy systems on a global scale.

At the moment, 80% of the world’s energy comes from fossil fuels, releasing billions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere and driving the climate crisis. In order to limit climate change and protect nature, a move towards renewable, sustainable energy production is vital.

AJET is a voluntary initiative that aims to bring together communities, policymakers and the private sector to encourage the implementation of ‘just transition’ policies around the globe.

This new alliance will help transition countries away from fossil fuel-based energy systems to renewable alternatives such as wind and solar, while ensuring that a sustainable future is a fair and ‘just’ one.

To drive the success of these transitions, AJET will look at the needs of people currently working in fossil fuel supply chains and services to support them as countries and communities move towards more sustainable energy production.

Together, these local transitions will form the global transformation in energy systems needed to limit the temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels – the threshold beyond which scientists predict irreversible, catastrophic effects of climate change.

In 2022, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that time is running out – but there’s still hope if action is taken now.

Avoiding the worst impacts of climate change is possible, but only with radical systemic change, innovative new technologies and huge investment in all sectors of the economy. And as one of the biggest sources of emissions causing global warming, the energy sector is at the forefront of this challenge.

At a time when it’s never been more important to switch to renewable energy, AJET will act as a vital platform for members to work together and share critical knowledge to help achieve this revolution in global energy.

 “To confront the climate crisis, it is critical to rapidly accelerate the energy transition and ensure this shift is inclusive, credible, affordable and secure,” says WWF Global Lead for Climate and Energy, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal.

“There are great opportunities for growth and jobs from clean energy, and those currently involved in fossil fuel industries must be given the ability to transfer their skills to the new energy economy. We hope that AJET will help to deliver a just energy transformation that benefits our climate, people and nature.”