Officials at the G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) delved into “mobilising finance for a just energy transition” for their third working session of the summit on Thursday.

The session unpacked how a just energy transition must prioritise fairness, inclusion, and long-term sustainability, and that mobilising finance for transition calls for parliamentary leadership to ensure that resources reach those affected and support solutions that empower communities.

Chairperson of the Members’ Support and International Relations in the National Council of Provinces, Bhekizizwe Abram Radebe, began the session by saying the need for just energy transition is no longer a matter of debate, but a moral, economic, and ecological imperative.

 “A just energy transition is not simply about replacing fossil fuels with renewables. It is about ensuring the process uplifts communities, creates opportunities, and protects the most vulnerable. Justice must be our guiding star. Parliaments, representing the will and hopes of our people, must play a central and catalytic role in the transformation. 

“As G20 nations, our legislative forces set the pace and example for the world. Now the advantage for us is to mobilise finance on an unprecedented scale, to do so with fairness at the core. Why does finance matter so deeply in the transition? Because, ambition alone does not power the wind turbines or light the homes of the rural families, investment, both public and private, turns policy into reality,” Radebe said.

📍 Day 2 of the 11th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (#P20) is underway.
Today’s focus: Ensuring Debt Sustainability for Low-Income Countries — a crucial step toward equitable global development. 🌍#P20SouthAfrica 🇿🇦 | #ParliamentaryDiplomacy | #DebtSustainability | pic.twitter.com/RV77uzMj7F

— P20SouthAfrica (@P20_SouthAfrica) October 2, 2025

“However, the gap between the current investment levels and what is needed for a sustainable pathway is vast.

“According to the International Energy Agency, clean energy investments in emerging and developing economies must triple by 2030 to meet the needs of the world and to meet our climate targets. Achieving this is not just a financial challenge; it is also a legislative challenge. This is where the parliaments must lead. 

“We are uniquely positioned to build and enable environments reforming regulatory frameworks, ensuring policy stability and de-risking investment. Through budgets, we can prioritise clean energy infrastructure and targeted social support, so that we can realise the social development goals of the United Nations.”

Climate finance researcher in the South Africa’s International Affairs Institute’s Governance of Africa’s Resources programme, Kirsten Pearson, said under the country’s G20 presidency, the just energy transition agenda rests on three pillars. 

“The first of those is energy, security and affordable access. The second, just affordable and inclusive transitions, and the third, regional interconnectivity with strong support for Africa. 

“This includes advancing decentralised systems, including micro-grids, closing the clean cooking gap, and fostering green industrial hubs, emphasising jobs and low-carbon industries. 

“Coal-dependent regions and marginalised groups are prioritised for structured support to ensure a fair shift to low-carbon technologies,” Pearson said.

“Under the 2025 presidency, the focus is on strengthening the global financial architecture,  scaling adaptation and just transition finance, and unlocking carbon market financing potentials. This work reduces barriers, promotes co-financing, and mobilises private and public investments aligned with the Paris Agreement goals.”

She added that solidarity levies have garnered growing public support globally, with advocates arguing that such levies can unlock significant funding for adaptation, loss and damage, and just transition efforts.

The concept being rooted in major fossil fuel producers and beneficiaries of pollution paying the fair share of the cost of climate damages.

“These levies complement international climate finance by addressing accountability and fairness in climate burden sharing. Parliaments can support climate finance by enacting laws that align national policies with international commitments and by overseeing government budgets to ensure funds are allocated and spent transparently on climate action.”

Speaker of the House of Representatives from Australia, Milton Dick, said that just energy requires real and lasting partnerships, especially with those most affected by its impacts. 

“We’re proud in Australia to have a Parliament that runs on 100% renewable energy. We aim to be one of the most sustainable Parliaments in the world.

“Many developing countries are already facing the harsh realities of climate change – rising seas, extreme weather, shifting livelihoods. That is why climate financing is essential. It will assist communities to adapt, build, become resilient, and move towards a more secure and sustainable future.”

theolin.tembo@inl.co.za

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