Making the leap: the need for Just Energy Transition Partnerships to support leapfrogging fossil gas to a clean renewable energy future

This brief argues that Just Energy Transition Partnerships in South Africa, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and Senegal should support leapfrogging from fossil to renewable energy. Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) are a new funding model created to help South Africa, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and Senegal transition away from fossil energy and toward clean energy in a way that also addresses social issues associated with such an energy transition. They also expected to leverage parallel investments in the energy systems of the JETP countries. While there is pressure from some of the JETP countries to make a bridging transition to gas, this is technically unnecessary, economically disadvantageous, and dangerous for the climate. Each of the JETP countries has significant solar and wind resources they should be supported to develop. JETPs need to support a direct transition to clean energy that provides signals to the wider investment community that participating governments are committed to a global clean energy transition.