Ten Principles for the Rapid, Equitable, and Just Transition to Renewable Energy Systems

Introduction

We seek to effect a rapid, equitable, and just transition to 100% renewable energy systems. For us, this primarily means wind and solar energy, together with associated infrastructures, such as grids, batteries, and other storage facilities. 

This transition needs to happen at a pace and scale consistent with and supports the goal of limiting global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius and preventing climate catastrophe. To fulfill this goal, the transition must be completed globally by 2050 at the latest, with OECD countries achieving it much earlier. It also requires critical near-term actions, such as building more than 1,300 GW of new renewable energy capacity annually until 2030.

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Links to the translations for the Principles

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1. Addressing Energy Poverty and Ensuring the Right to Universal, Gender-Just, Non-Racist, and Equitable Access to Sufficient Energy

Nearly 800 million people have no access to electricity, and many more have barely enough for basic needs.
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2. Promoting Efficient, Equitable, and Sufficient Energy Production, Distribution and Consumption

Even with the shift to renewable energy systems, the current pace of energy demand growth will still present a huge drain on the earth’s resources and risk harmful impacts on ecosystems.

3. Building Democratic, More Decentralized and Distributed Energy Systems

Democratic ownership, governance, planning, and management of energy systems foster transparency, accountability, and shared responsibility and promote equitable sharing of the benefits of renewable energy.

4. Upholding and Protecting Human Rights

Renewable energy systems – including technologies, designs, operations, and management structures – must be gender-just.

5. Ensuring Safety and Security

Domestic and regional labor law, labor agreements and the International Labor Organization’s standards must be followed.

6. Ensuring Democratic and Sustainable Governance, Management, and Use of Land, Water, Marine, and Other Natural Resources 

The rapid transition to 100% renewable energy systems will involve an immense leap in demand for land, water, marine, and other natural resources.

7. Ensuring Sustainable and Equitable Extraction, Distribution, and Consumption of Transition Minerals

Renewable energy systems are far less extractivist than fossil fuel energy systems that require continuous extraction of fossil fuels.

8. Protecting Ecological Integrity and Biodiversity; Promoting Ecological Restoration and Regeneration

While renewable energy systems offer immense social, economic, environmental, and climate benefits, their deployment can still threaten ecosystems and biodiversity.

9. Mobilizing Adequate, Sustainable and Responsible Finance for Renewable Energy

Trillions of dollars are needed for the rapid, equitable, and just transition to 100% renewable energy systems.

10. Effectively Addressing Issues with Specific Renewable Energy Technologies and Modalities; Rejecting False Solutions

All renewable energy technologies have social and environmental risks and impacts.

We are inviting your organizations, networks, and institutions to endorse the TEN PRINCIPLES for a RAPID, EQUITABLE, and JUST TRANSITION to RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS.

CURRENT LIST OF ENDORSERS

GLOBAL / REGIONAL

  • Africa Just Transition Network
  • Asian Energy Network (AEN)
  • Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD)
  • BankTrack
  • Focus on the Global South
  • Friends of the Earth – Africa
  • Friends of the Earth – Asia Pacific
  • Friends of the Earth – International
  • Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA)
  • Lamu Youth Alliance
  • MenaFem Movement for Economic Development and Ecological Justice
  • Oil Change International
  • Recourse
  • The Artivist Network
  • Transforma

AFRICA

  • 350.org Côte d’Ivoire
  • AbibiNsroma Foundation
  • Action 24
  • Action Mines Guinée
  • Africa Center for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (ACEES)
  • Afrique Eco 2100
  • AICED AID-AFRIKA
  • Alliance for Empowering Rural Communities
  • Bargny Coast Waterkeeper
  • Care For Environment
  • Centre for Citizens Conserving Environment & Management (CECIC)
  • Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRCE)
  • Citizens Network for Community Development Zambia
  • Creation of Unity and Development Organization
  • Dream Hunt
  • Environmental Rights Action
  • Foundation for Environmental Management and Campaign Against Poverty (FEMAPO)
  • Friends of The Earth – Ghana
  • Greater Whange Residents Trust
  • Greenleaf Advocacy and Empowerment Center
  • groundWork (Friends of the Earth – South Africa)
  • Initiative for Social Performance in Renewable Energy (INSPIRE)
  • Just Share
  • Les Amis de la Terre – Togo
  • New Environmental Justice Solutions
  • NGO JEUNES VERTS
  • Observatoire Guineen de L’Environment et du
  • Odeibea Foundation
  • Ogoni Farmers Agroecology Movement
  • Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF)
  • RAPEN
  • Sahel Dev Cameroun
  • Southern Youth Enterprises
  • Terra Madre Tours and Travels Ltd
  • The Noordhoek Environmental Action Group
  • Union des Femmes Opprimées (UFO)

ASIA

  • Action for People’s Ecology and Emancipation (AEER)
  • ActionAid – Vietnam
  • Agrarian’s Collective
  • Akhuwat Kissan
  • All India Women Hawkers Federation
  • Alternative Law Collective (ALC)
  • Ameen Foundation
  • Angat-GenC – Generation Climate
  • Aniban ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (AMA)
  • Anjuman Muzareen Punjab
  • Atimonan Power for People
  • Bacolight Labor Union
  • Baithik
  • Bangladesh Adivasi Samiti
  • Bangladesh Floating Labor Union
  • Bangladesh Hawkers Shramic Federation
  • Bangladesh Jatyo Shramic Federation
  • Bangladesh Kishani Sabha
  • Bangladesh Krishok Federation
  • Bangladesh Rural Intellectual Front
  • Bangladesh Shramic Federation
  • Bangladesh Social Justice Movement
  • Bangladesh Students Association
  • Bangladesh Woman Labor Union
  • Bhatta Mazdoor Union
  • Break- free Pilipinas, Break – free from Fossil Gas
  • Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP-Workers Solidarity)
  • Camarines Norte Movement for Climate Justice
  • Center for Policy Research and Development (CPRD)
  • Centre for Environmental Justice (Friends of the Earth – Sri Lanka)
  • Centre for Financial Accountability
  • Cholistan Development Council
  • Climate Frontier
  • Climate Watch Thailand (CWT)
  • Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network (CLEAN)
  • Combine Shramic Federation
  • Concerned Citizens of Sta. Cruz, Zambales
  • Crofter Foundation
  • Dhoritri Rokhhay Amra (DHORA)
  • Digo Bikas Institute (DBI)
  • Feminist Collective
  • Friends of the Earth – Japan
  • Gilgit-Baltistan Social Welfare Organization
  • Gitib, Inc., Philippines
  • Green Camel Bell
  • Haqooq e Khalq Movement
  • Himalaya Niti Abhiyan
  • Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF)
  • Indus Consortium
  • Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR)
  • Ittehad
  • Jatyo Labor Federation
  • Kanlungan Inc.
  • Khidmat Kissan
  • Khushali Kissan
  • Kissan Kerkeela
  • Koalisyon Isalbar ti Pintas ti La Union
  • Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralita ng Lungsod (KPML)
  • Labour Education Foundation
  • Laudato Si’ Movement
  • Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (Friends of the Earth Philippines)
  • Limpyong Hanging para sa Kaugmanon sa Tanan
  • Mauban Energy Station Employees Independent Alliance Union (MESEIA)
  • MIDAS, Inc.
  • Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation (MSN)
  • Motherland Garment Workers Federation
  • Nadi Ghati Morcha – India
  • National Hawkers Federation – India
  • Oriang Women’s Movement – Philippines
  • Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF)
  • Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee (PKRC)
  • Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM)
  • Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ)
  • Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) – Cebu
  • Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) – Davao
  • Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) – Eastern Visayas
  • Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) – Western Mindanao
  • Piglas – Batangas
  • Policy Research Institute for Equitable Development (PRIED)
  • Progressive Academic Collective
  • Progressive Students Collective
  • Public Advocacy Initiatives for Rights & Values in India (PAIRVI)
  • Quezon for Environment (QUEEN)
  • Ravi Kissan Halla
  • Ready Made Garments Workers’ Federation
  • Revolutionary Youth Association
  • S.A.V.E Luna
  • SANLAKAS
  • Sawera Foundation
  • South Asia Partnership
  • Swadhin Bangla Garment Workers Federation
  • Tagapagtanggol; ng Kalikasan sa Pagbilao (TKP)
  • Talash Foundation
  • Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFD)
  • Third World Network (TWN)
  • Trend Asia
  • Waterkeepers Bangladesh (WKB)
  • Young Reformers
  • Youth for Climate Justice – Mindanao
  • Youth for Climate Justice – Tacloban
  • ZALIKA ( Zambales Lingap Kalikasan)
  • Zambales Movement for Climate Justice

PACIFIC

  • Community Power Agency
  • Jubilee Australia Research Centre

EUROPE

  • Business and Human Rights Resource Centre – UK
  • Center for Environment (Friends of the Earth Bosnia and Herzegovina)
  • Debt Justice UK
  • Equal Right
  • Friends of the Earth – England, Wales & Northern Ireland
  • Global Greengrants Fund – UK
  • WhatNext?

LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN

  • ARAYARA.org
  • Otros Mundos Chiapas/Amigos de la Tierra México
  • Plataforma Boliviana Frente al Cambio Climatico

Register here to join the List of Endorsers

By aligning with the Ten Principles for a Rapid, Equitable, and Just Transition to Renewable Energy Systems, we can ensure that the rights of people and communities are at the center of the accelerated development of renewable energy systems.