Antigua and Barbuda submitted its first NDC in 2016 and its updated NDC in 2021. To advance with its NDC objectives, The NDC Partnership received a request for support for a Just Transition Specialist from the Government of Antigua and Barbuda (GOAB) through its Department of Environment (DOE) to support the government in the economic Just Transition. The request relates to the preparation and implementation of the country’s Just Transition programme, as well as relevant activities under its Nationally Determined Contributions Implementation Plan, Sectoral Adaptation Plans, its Green Climate Fund Country Programme, and the DOE’s current project portfolio and project pipeline. The In-country Just Transition Specialist will be expected to coordinate and implement relevant activities under these plans, programmes, and projects.

Antigua and Barbuda has undertaken baseline studies to inform the framework for the Just Transition based on the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) principles of decent work, green jobs and sustainable development. While the initial work focuses on the emission intensive sectors, the intention is to introduce a whole economy Just Transition that focus on the impacts of developing a new energy sector and the impacts of climate change.

Antigua and Barbuda is currently engaging and has collaborated with various partner organizations, national agencies, civil society organizations and training institutions to advance its efforts for the Just Transition. It has also benefited from technical assistance from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), International Labour Organisation (ILO), NDC Partnership’s Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP) Initiative, UNDP Climate Promise Initiative and SIDS Lighthouse Initiative.

The country envisions that the just transition will be accomplished via institutional and regulatory reforms, training, and retraining programmes, employment schemes, technology transfer initiatives and economic diversification. The country’s just transition approach will target those employed in affected fossil fuel-dependent industries (like energy, and transportation) but support will be given to other sectors to transition. Just transition must also be considered in light of proposed climate actions to mainstream climate change adaptation for the building sector into public and private financial, insurance and banking sectors as part of resilience building programmes. 

Interventions will ensure that affected employees are supported and protected to guarantee that they have viable livelihoods throughout the transition period, and beyond. Additionally, this approach can also promote the creation and expansion of decent work and quality jobs through the process of building resilience to climate change. It is anticipated that courses will be in place at relevant national training institutions and be made available to people in the entire Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) region. Achieving this transition will also require investments in capital and institutional development in the energy sector, public awareness, and a clear path on how the transition can be beneficial to the people of Antigua and Barbuda

Institutional Arrangement 

The Just Transition Specialist will be based at the Department of Environment in Antigua and Barbuda to support the implementation of NDC related activities and collaborate with the Ministry of Finance-Project Management Unit (PMU) in advancing just transition activities within its Green Climate Fund (GCF) financed Resilience to hurricanes in the building sector in Antigua and Barbuda (GCF Build) Project. 

S/He will work under the general guidance of the NDC primary focal point and the NDC Regional Manager. 

Deliverables will be quality reviewed by the Department of Environment’s NDC Focal Points, Coordinators of its Multi Year Strategic Readiness Support Programme, renewable energy focal points at the Department, and the Just Transition focal point in the Ministry of Finance-Project Management Unit.