파리협정 NDC의 이해와 국내이행의 문제

Understanding the NDC of the Paris Agreement and its Domestic Implementations : focused on the concept of Just Transition and the EU Just Transition Mechanism

This article explores the concept of just transition, which is a vision-led, unifying and place-based set of principles, processes, and practices for transformative shifts from the fossil fuel economic societies to the sustainable low-carbon economic societies. In order to restrict global worming to 1.5~2℃ compared to the pre-industrial level under the Paris Agreement regime, such transformative shifts are required. The Paris Agreement calls for the submission of the long-term low green house gas emission development strategies (LEDS) by all Parties, expecting to reach the climate neutrality in the second half of this century. Just transition is the important element for successful transitions toward sustainable low-carbon economic societies through the path of LEDS in the long-term together with implantation of the Paris Agreement’s NDCs in the short-term. Without being based on just transition, transformative shifts toward low-carbon economic societies are likely to face obstacles by people’s resistances, especially those who get most affected by the climate policies. The concept of just transition, which were first forged by the labor unions movements in the U.S. in the 1980s, has evolved through the environmental justice and climate justice movements. The transition must be just and equitable. Now just transition tends to refer two meanings, as the holistic approach: the first, focusing on the state’s protection of workforce and the community which lose their jobs and livelihood due to deliberate shifting climate policies from the fossil fuel and carbon-intensive industries and the second, more generally stressing justice for the all vulnerable groups of people, calling for the reconstruction of sustainable low-carbon economic societies addressing the root of inequality based on the understanding that justice and equity are integral parts of the low-carbon world. Sustainable consumption and production, and inclusive transition will help such just transitions. EU’s Just Transition Mechanism could be an example of the first holistic approach for just transitions toward sustainable low-carbon economic societies, which EU would deliver the climate neutrality by 2050 through implementing the LEDS drawn from the European Green Deal. EU’s Just Transition Fund, which is one of three pillars of Just Transition Mechanism and gets funding from the EU budget, on currently legislating for Regulation, would be expected to embody fair and equitable holistic approach for just transition.