Welcome to the inaugural issue of the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks (INETTT) newsletter: Energy Transition Thinking.

We are excited to launch this quarterly update to keep you informed and engaged with the latest developments, insights and research from across our global network. As we navigate the complexities of energy transitions around the world, each edition will showcase work by our member think tanks, highlight emerging synergies and explore how interdependency allows for innovative policy that ensures win-win solutions.

We encourage you to share this newsletter within your own network and invite others to sign up here.

The expansion of INETTT as a network is a testament to our collective commitment to advancing a just and sustainable energy transition. The INETTT Secretariat also continues to expand, reflecting our shared vision and the increasing relevance of our work in today’s global context.

This issue explores today’s energy transition landscape, with a particular focus on just transition — a theme that resonated during our recent Annual Meeting as well as at the international conference co-organised with our Polish member Forum Energii in Warsaw on 12 September. Those recent discussions underscored the importance of equity,  

inclusion, and tailor-made, adaptive policy approaches in strategies to advance the energy transition around the world.

We are also pleased to announce the establishment of the first INETTT Executive Board, comprising representatives from across the network. The Executive Board will provide crucial guidance in INETTT’s work and help us stay responsive to the diverse needs of our members.

In this issue…

… you’ll find a guest think piece on what it means for an energy transition to be “just”; updates on INETTT data training, our Annual Meeting and the Just Transition conference; and an introduction to our Executive Board members.

We also bring you highlights from recent research and upcoming events and publications from INETTT members, which we hope will inspire and inform your work on just energy transitions.

What else is new?

INETTT is now on LinkedIn! Follow us to keep up with our latest network news… and to add your voice to the conversation.

Finally, we’d like to share a snapshot from our recent INETTT Annual Meeting, where the energy, ideas and collaborative spirit of our network were on full display.

The notion of “just transitions” has steadily gained momentum over the past few years in critical areas like energy, water and food, which are central to our collective sustainable future.

Many countries – like South Africa – have repeatedly made commitments to a just transition. But what exactly makes a transition truly just? We need to interrogate this definition to build a collective vision of our aim. Without a shared understanding, there is little to effectively guide policymaking and resource allocation.

What counts as “just” is highly contextual. It is something to be worked out locally, shaped by the perspectives of diverse communities and stakeholders.

To help frame the discussion, it can be useful to differentiate between transition journey and transition destination.  

Namely, what kind of economy and society do we want to create? That’s our destination.

And how can we get there, while minimising any negative impact on vulnerable communities? This is our just transition journey.

To date, most of the world’s attention has been on the transition journey in the energy sector – ensuring that workers and communities dependent on fossil fuels are benefitting from new   

employment and development opportunities. While this is fundamental, many countries also need a strong focus on their just transition destination.

South Africa is a good example:  the energy transition must address the future of workers in the coal value chain, along with towns whose entire existence depends on coal. Yet a broader vision is also needed – one that puts equitable access to clean, safe and affordable energy at the forefront. Clear, detailed, and far-sighted transition planning can improve people’s quality of life, generate new livelihoods and opportunities, and ultimately help build thriving communities.

Focusing on destinations is more than a matter of social justice. By ensuring that people worldwide have something meaningful to gain, we can build the political momentum for rapid action on the energy transition.

Our work at PARI – South Africa’s Public Affairs Research Institute – emphasises the need to achieve local buy-in while developing a detailed vision of the transition destination. That means a destination reflecting locally determined priorities. In this way, we outline recommendations for co-produced policies and programmes that will meet the needs of each state and address the concerns of each local community.

As countries accelerate their energy transitions, the associated shifts present huge opportunities to build more inclusive, resilient and sustainable economies and societies.

On 12 September, INETTT and Forum Energii brought the energy and policy communities together to consider Many pathways, one goal: How to achieve the just transition globally and locally.

Participants — including policymakers and think tanks, as well as industry and community representatives — explored how to collaborate to unlock the benefits of this transition. Discussions highlighted the specific challenges faced across different regions, with a focus on balancing national and local approaches to transition efforts. Speakers agreed broadly on the importance of social equity, protecting livelihoods and promoting economic development throughout the transition.

Government representatives from Poland, Indonesia, South Africa and Brazil, taking part in a global panel, noted the state’s responsibility to protect people affected by the transition, channel funding effectively, and develop inclusive policies through stakeholder engagement. 

They underscored that equity must be a fundamental consideration in national transition strategies, requiring social dimensions to be integrated from policy design through implementation. Making transitions both just and sustainable will depend on creating high-quality, resilient jobs and building diversified supply chains. Think tank discussions covered various drivers of energy transitions around the world. Key factors include public policy, public finance and political will, along with fair trade practices and domestic value added, the current extent and quality of energy access, and industrial policies aimed at ensuring competitiveness. Energy security and international cooperation opportunities are also vital considerations. Interactive sessions later in the day delved into jobs and reskilling, diplomacy, climate finance, and the role of civil society in transforming the energy system for the good of all.

The conference highlighted the importance of collaboration, innovation and inclusive policies to turn the challenges of the energy transition into powerful drivers for sustainable, equitable development. Many thanks to our host Forum Energii, all our speakers and everyone who attended.

On 9-11 September, we were delighted to host INETTT member representatives from think tanks across nearly 20 countries at our Annual Meeting, which took place this year in Warsaw, Poland.

The three-day event fostered rich knowledge-sharing and in-depth discussions on advancing energy transitions worldwide. Participants explored diverse challenges and opportunities, with key sessions focusing on the various drivers of energy transitions, the importance of a “just” transition, and the organisation of power systems in both liberalised and regulated markets.

The energy transition represents a crucial and far-reaching socio-economic shift for any country. Poland’s recent milestone 
— a record low coal share of 50% the previous week - was cited as an 

encouraging sign of progress. We also tackled issues like public acceptance, the need to overcome vested interests, and the importance of clear communication to build trust in renewable energy systems. A hands-on roleplay simulation allowed attendees to dive into industrial decarbonisation strategies, and a visit to Europe’s largest lignite power plant offered a firsthand view of the transition in action.

The Annual Meeting underscored how cross-border and cross-sector collaboration can accelerate a cleaner, more inclusive and more sustainable future. INETTT aims to serve as a trusted platform for dialogue and policy-shaping with close links to real-world, on-the-ground developments. Special thanks to our host, Forum Energii, for helping make our time in Warsaw a success.

In July, energy professionals from 12 countries took part in INETTT’s inaugural Energy System Analytics Training course, hosted by the SHURA Energy Transition Center in collaboration with Agora Energiewende. The three-day programme enhanced their analytical skills, emphasising the importance of data-driven narratives in shaping global energy policy.

The training illuminated the process of building data-evidenced policy recommendations, from initial data collection and visualisation to

comprehensive energy-system modelling, with practical exercises dealing with real-world trends and unexpected disruptions, such as the impact of COVID-19 on the energy sector. Along with helping participants enhance their skills, the session prepared them for further global collaboration on energy challenges.

We look forward to future opportunities to bring experts from our global network together. With shared insights, experiences and expertise, we can help generate the solutions to power a brighter energy future for everyone.

INETTT recently elected its first-ever Executive Board, comprising five members. Four members represent major world regions with an INETTT membership presence:  

• Africa – Jack-Vincent Radmore, Energy Programme Manager and Climate Finance Lead at GreenCape (South Africa)
• Asia – Yong-Hyun Song, Director and Chief Technology Officer at NEXTgroup (Republic of Korea)
• Europe – Joanna Pandera, President of Forum Energii (Poland)
• Latin America – Rosana Santos, Executive Director of E+ Energy Transition Institute (Brazil)

A fifth board member, Markus Steigenberger, represents the INETTT Secretariat’s host organisation, Agora Energiewende in Germany. Each member serves for a term of two years, with board elections staggered to ensure continuity.

The elction of the INETTT Executive Board is an important milestone in the network’s institutional evolution. It convened in Warsaw for the first time in September, with Jack-Vincent Radmore elected to serve as the first Chair. 

E+ is working to help redefine global economic policy by developing the Belém Consensus, a new political and economic agenda that seeks to replace the Washington Consensus.

The Washington Consensus, popular among policymakers in the 1990s, promoted free market operations and less state involvement as key to development for the Global South. However, this approach often overlooked the importance of addressing inequality.

The proposed Belém Consensus aims to align a global commitment to the climate agenda with urgent steps to reduce inequality and foster socioeconomic development across the Global South. E+ is developing the new policy framework in close collaboration with civil society, the private sector and government. Aimed at guiding productive sectors toward a just 

This report offers a deep dive into empirical evidence on the preparation for coal phase-out in two coal-producing areas of Indonesia – Paser in East Kalimantan province and Muara Enim in South Sumatra province – based on research conducted by IESR since 2021.

The study aims to understand the dynamics of the transition away from coal use and develop strategies to address socioeconomic impacts. It also proposes an economic transformation plan for the affected areas, aiming to support government offices, local communities and other stakeholders to ensure a just transition to new energy sources and livelihoods.

The study’s recommendations include:

• Planning economic diversification by developing sectors in the two regions such as manufacturing, education, financial services, and food services; ensuring equitable benefit distribution and stakeholder involvement.
• Financing transition support programmes from designated shares of coal revenues and corporate social responsibility funds, as well as attracting private investment.

• Improving education and technical training, including through financial literacy and green job programmes.
• Enhancing access to information and participation in decision-making.

The European Union has established a pilot Just Transition Fund (JTF) to support regions in the energy transition, expected to operate until 2027 as a measure to strengthen cohesion across the 27-member bloc.

Coal regions are at the heart of Poland’s energy transition. The country is receiving significant support from the JTF — approximately EUR 4 billion between 2021 and 2027 — to help coal-dependent regions diversify their economies, develop renewable energy projects, and reduce reliance on coal.

Notable successes so far include a solar photovoltaic (PV) farm, built on land reclaimed from a former lignite mine, that is now capable of powering over 100,000 households.

But concerns remain about the sustainability of these initiatives beyond 2027. Poland needs stronger national leadership and strategic planning on energy issues, Forum Energii argues in this blog post. No authority is currently responsible for overseeing the just 

New IESR publications
(mid-October)

IESR is preparing to launch its much-anticipated Indonesia Solar Energy Outlook, offering key insights into the country’s progress on solar energy and what lies ahead. Additionally, IESR will release its flagship report, the Indonesia Energy Transition Outlook, which provides a comprehensive overview of the entire energy sector landscape, highlighting crucial developments and opportunities for Indonesia's energy transition. Stay tuned to the IESR website.

INETTT data training
(2nd edition) in Istanbul
(29 October-1 November 2024)

INETTT will host its second data training session in Istanbul, Türkiye. The training, open to INETTT members only, will introduce participants to the Python for Power System Analysis (PyPSA) framework for energy-system modelling. It will also equip them with the skills and knowledge to implement a hydrogen production model.