2026 Reports

Responsible Land Governance for a Just Energy Transition: Lessons and Strategies from Indonesia and Zambia

Agrawal, Hansika; Akwii, Esther; Mosi, Rose; Seigneret, Amaelle; Sriyanti, Kiki; Makati, Kisran; Hardiana, Didi; Mas'ud Risdawati Ahmad, Imam; Husnawati; Mwampikita, Solomon; Kunda, Jesinta; Mbewe, Dyless; Simbeye, Elias; Msoni, Nikiwe; Musonda, Lucy

Just transition considerations manifest differently across scales. For example, at the international level, distributional debates may focus on who pays, who benefits, and how costs are shared between states. At the national level, particularly in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies, just transition discussions frequently emphasize how to leverage transition-linked investments, such as in transition minerals, to advance macro-level development objectives. At the local level, the focus shifts to how transition-linked projects affect land use, livelihoods, and tenure security, including whether affected communities are meaningfully consulted.

Reconciling these perspectives is critical when applying lessons across contexts and designing land governance interventions.

The global energy transition is highly land-intensive, generating new and competing demands locally, from land-based economies through the expansion of transition mineral extraction, renewable energy, biofuels and biomass, and associated infrastructure. The transition therefore cannot be understood solely as an industrial, technological or financial shift; it is also a reorganization of how land is allocated, controlled, and used.

This report explores how national energy transition plans can better embed responsible land governance practices, by synthesizing applied lessons from civil society action and policy engagement in Indonesia and Zambia.