The Urgent Need for a Just Energy Transition in the Middle East and North Africa
Amid the overlapping crises sweeping through the Middle East and North Africa, from climate and economic turmoil to political and social instability, and following the two-year genocide in Gaza, the shift toward a fairer and more sustainable energy model is no longer a luxury that can be postponed. It has become an urgent necessity to protect the region’s peoples and ensure the security and stability of our nations. A just energy transition is an economic, social, and political project that strengthens sovereignty and places human health and dignity at the heart of priorities.
Today, we stand at a critical crossroads. The rate of warming in our region is double the global average, leading to deadly heat waves, severe droughts threatening food and water security, and devastating floods and fires that claim lives and inflict massive economic losses. Despite these heavy costs, our economies remain hostage to fossil fuels, which are used to meet more than 95% of total energy consumption, deepening the crisis instead of resolving it.
Interconnected Challenges and Opportunities
While the energy landscape across the region varies, its challenges are interconnected. Oil-exporting countries face an uncertain future amid projections by the International Energy Agency (IEA) of declining global demand for fossil fuels. Meanwhile, energy-importing countries struggle to finance the transition to renewables under the weight of crushing debt. In countries still reeling from the impacts of conflict and war, the state of instability hinders the building of sustainable energy pathways. Yet these challenges also represent an opportunity to reimagine our energy systems, as well as demand more ambitious climate finance goals, and call for additional technology transfer, enabling the region to advance toward a just and sustainable transition.
The Map of a Just Energy Transition in MENA: From Alternative to Imperative
A just energy transition is not an environmental luxury: it is an existential, economic, and sovereign necessity. It is the path toward domestic stability and energy sovereignty. This transformation means that our nations will be able to produce their own energy from renewable resources under the control of their communities, rather than remain captive to costly imports and burdensome debt. It also creates local job opportunities, reduces the gap between urban centers and marginalized regions, and can give young people and women an active role in building a fairer and more sustainable economy. Not only does a just transition contribute to lowering emissions, it also redistributes opportunities and wealth, empowering our peoples to withstand both climate and economic crises.
Despite the MENA region’s deep dependence on fossil fuels, it possesses immense potential for clean energy. The region receives between 22% and 26% of the world’s total solar radiation, according to the World Bank. Technical analyses indicate that each square kilometer could generate solar energy equivalent to roughly one to two million barrels of oil per year under ideal conditions, which is enough to meet half of the world’s electricity needs. In addition, the region has vast wind resources and a young generation eager to work and innovate. Some countries have begun initial steps to diversify their energy sources, but these efforts will remain limited unless they are part of a comprehensive regional vision for a just transition built on four pillars: halting the expansion of fossil fuel projects, scaling up distributed renewable energy while giving priority to local communities, protecting workers through retraining and economic diversification plans, and adopting transparent governance.
Core Elements of a Just Energy Transition
In light of the above, the core of a just energy transition begins with halting the expansion of fossil fuel extraction, in line with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Yet, a just transition also requires that wealthy nations, historically responsible for pollution, assume their obligations under the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” as well as the ‘fair share’ principle, both enshrined in the Paris Agreement. This means paying the climate debt owed to the most affected communities, through technical support and funding in the form of grants rather than loans, alongside clear accountability mechanisms compelling polluters to bear the cost of the damage they cause. It also means moving first, and fastest, when it comes to reducing emissions.
This transition provides ample space for job creation and inclusive development. Estimates suggest that the renewable energy sector could generate nearly 18 million new jobs worldwide by 2050, provided that it is accompanied by policies that involve workers and communities. Achieving this requires investment plans to create decent jobs, retraining programs, income guarantees during the transition phases, as well as economic diversification and environmental restoration efforts that safeguard livelihoods in regions historically dependent on fossil fuels.
Transparent governance remains the cornerstone for ensuring that the just transition is a genuine process, not merely a slogan. Justice requires that energy revenues be managed in ways that guarantee oversight and public participation, including the publication of energy contracts, and disclosure of funding sources, all of which are vital to building public trust and transforming the energy transition into a true pathway toward justice.
A Historic Opportunity for the Region
The just energy transition is not merely an environmental endeavor: it is a project that can redefine the future of our region. It is time for an honest dialogue between governments, civil society, the private sector, and local communities to confront challenges and co-create solutions. The path is undoubtedly filled with obstacles, from the legacy of oil dependency to the fragility of certain states. Yet the journey is worth undertaking: it promises a more sustainable future and lays the foundation for economies that are more sovereign, just, and stable.
Stemming from its belief in the leading role our region can play in shaping global energy dynamics, and as part of a broader set of initiatives to advance climate and energy justice, Greenpeace MENA, together with the Resource Justice Network and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation’s Regional Competence Center for Energy and Climate Justice, launched a meeting in Amman titled “Toward a Just Energy Future.” The event translated this vision into concrete steps, resulting in a regional roadmap for the just energy transition and the launch of the Polluters Pay Pact, which calls upon polluting entities to take responsibility for the climate damage they cause.
Today, we open a new chapter of leadership toward a truly clean and just future, one in which justice and humanity stand at the very heart of the equation of energy, prosperity, and change.
