Reframing the Strategic Framework for a Climate Just Transition: A Global South Perspective

Just transition has moved from the sidelines to the core of global climate governance. However, current narratives largely reflect the experiences of developed economies. Mainly focusing on labor compensation and fossil fuel exit, these frameworks fail to address the Global South’s needs for industrialization, energy access, and poverty reduction. To bridge this gap, this study introduces a Development-Decarbonization-Structural Transformation (DDST) Framework. It defines climate just transition as a dynamic process of optimizing development paths under multiple constraints. Setting development as the baseline, decarbonization efficiency as the constraint, and structural transformation as the driver, the model seeks a long-term equilibrium through synergies and trade-offs among the three dimensions. This study shows that priorities vary significantly across various economies of different development stages. Therefore, just transition must shift from a single-target goal to differentiated policy mixes. Based on this, this study proposes a restructuring of international cooperation, which includes reshaping transition narratives, reforming climate finance, removing green trade barriers, and strengthening South-South cooperation. The theoretical contribution of this study lies in moving beyond the “compensatory transition” paradigm. It redefines just transition as a structural strategy that balances development with climate goals. Ultimately, just transition becomes a substantive force in climate governance only when it accommodates the developmental aspirations of the Global South.