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A closer look at just transition policies
Spain

Just Transition Strategy (Marco Estratégico de Energía y Clima)

Region
Europe and Central Asia
Country
Spain
Originator/Owner
Government Ministries And Agencies National Level
Coordinating/Lead actor
Just Transition Institute, Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge
Policy type
Strategies Plans Frameworks Roadmaps Blueprints
Policy areas
Active labour market policies, Enterprise policies, Industrial and sectoral policies, Macroeconomic and growth policies, Skills development, Social dialogue and tripartism, Social protection
Environmental focus
Biodiversity loss, Climate change, Pollution
Target groups
Employers, Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), Women, Workers, Youth
Sectoral focus
Agriculture, Infrastructure, construction and related sectors, Energy, Extractives, Forestry and Land use, Manufacturing, Maritime and transport, Private services sector, Public services, utilities and health, Tourism
Crosscutting themes
Digital economy, Employment/job creation, Finance (public/private), Gender equality, Green economy
Date of Adoption
22 Feb 2019
Timeframe
22 Feb 2019 - 2050
22 Feb 2019
Just Transition Strategy and Strategic Energy and Climate Framework launched
28 Apr 2020
Just Transition Institute created
May 2020 - 2021
Just Transition Agreements negotiated
22 May 2021
Law on Climate Change and Energy Transition passed
2030
Emissions, renewable energy, and energy efficiency milestone
2050
Climate neutrality target
Estatregia Transicion Justa
Spanish, PDF

Spain is notable for being one of the first countries to have embedded just transition directly into climate and ecological policy, through binding legal frameworks and dedicated governance institutions.

The Just Transition Strategy, first published in 2019, is one of three pillars of Spain’s Strategic Framework for Energy and Climate – intended to to facilitate the change towards a sustainable and competitive economic model that will help to curb climate change – alongside the Law 7/2021 on Climate Change and the Energy Transition and the National Energy and Climate Plan 2023–2030 (PNIEC).

Spain’s approach was at first largely reactive: triggered by an expectation of job losses due to closure of uncompetitive coal mines and coal-fired power plants (in line with EU-level policy) and driven by social dialogue processes through which unions were able to press the national government for policy support. In addition, the government collaborated with the ILO to implement the Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all in its national context, as well as the goals, commitments and provisions of the Paris Agreement.

The Strategy which resulted is multi-sector in its scope, but establishes an Urgent Action Plan with a shorter time horizon to address impacts from coal sector closures. Law 7/2021 requires the government to renew the Strategy every five years; and the new version is expected in 2026.

Key insights
Social dialogue, territorial agreements, and dedicated institutional structures help to address acute transition impacts and build support

Spain’s Strategy is notable for the robust arrangements it puts in place to govern the just transition, at multiple levels – including the role of tripartite dialogues. A dedicated institution, the Institute of Just Transition (ITJ, for its acronym in Spanish) coordinates the implementation of supportive policies.

The Strategy is operationalized through ‘Just Transition Agreements’ (JTAs). These JTAs are intended for defined territories that are most vulnerable to structural change, and provide an umbrella structure to plan and deploy transition support from the national government, subnational governments, companies, unions, and other local actors.

Two significant tripartite agreements were also reached at national level between 2018 and 2020: one covering coal mining and another covering coal-fired power plants. These provide the framework for some activities undertaken by the ITJ.

Since a just transition requires economic diversification and improving public services and infrastructure in affected areas, JTAs encompass a range of actions, including but not limited to the coal mining and power sectors in scope. The ITJ enables a range of measures and provides funding towards them, such as:

  • training and education programmes
  • early retirement and severance pay for people affected by closures
  • job banks for workers and job placement services
  • calls for local business projects
  • clean energy project tenders with socioeconomic criteria
  • municipal, social, environmental and digital infrastructure projects
  • environmental restoration plans for degraded mining areas
  • R&D on energy storage and green hydrogen

The Strategy also names linked instruments that will support specific industrial sectors (such as a Sectoral Transition Plan for Transport and a Sustainable Tourism Strategy 2030) and consumers (such as an Energy Poverty Strategy).

Expected Outcomes
Advancing employment creation, inclusion and coordinated support through the ecological transition
Implementation
Co-governance between local, public, and private actors underpins regional economic diversification and the delivery of coal sector plans, while the just transition is integrated across government policies

The ITJ sits at the level of Directorate General within the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO). The ITJ was built out of the former Institute for Restructuring Coal Mining and Alternative Development of Mining Regions (IRMC), which existed since 1997. It began operating in 2020, by which point several coal mines and the companies that own them had already shut down or gone into liquidation. This posed an initial challenge for the ITJ: needing to manage impacts from structural change that was already underway.

There are 15 active JTAs across several regions. JTAs are reached through discussions and agreement between the national government and local governments in affected areas, with participation from other groups. Developing a JTA entails:

  • delimitation of geographic scope and diagnosis of the area; a public participation process
  • identification of potential investments, project, and funding sources
  • agreement and commitments to action by signatory parties
  • a timetable for action, with measurable targets and monitoring mechanisms.

Notably, because the geography of Spain’s vulnerable areas overlaps with that of rural depopulation, the Strategy states that JTAs in relevant territories should include measures like deployment of high speed telecommunications networks, digital platforms, and support for entrepreneurship.

The sectoral tripartite agreements on coal mining and coal power both also feature regular monitoring commissions and progress reports.

Implementation also includes cross-cutting integration of the Strategy’s objectives into other policies: for instance, JTA areas are prioritised in the Renewable Energy, Renewable Hydrogen and Storage PERTE package and the Empleaverde program subsidies, while the Strategy’s goals are embedded in Annual Employment Policy Plans and public school curricula.

Agreements and consultations 2018 - 2026
2018
Strategic partnership agreement to implement the Just Transition Guidelines as a guiding framework and practical tool for action. | Actors: Government of Spain, ILO.
24 Oct 2018
Framework Agreement for a Just Transition in the Coal Mining Sector and the Sustainable Development of Mining Regions for the Period 2019–2027 | Actors: Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, the Ministry of Labor, Migration, and Social Security, the Industry Federation of the Workers’ Commissions (CCOO Industry), the Industry, Construction, and Agriculture Federation of the General Union of Workers (UGT-FICA), the Industry Federation of the Workers’ Union (USO), and the National Federation of Coal Mine Entrepreneurs (Carbunión).
Apr 2020 - Mar 2021
Agreement on a Just Energy Transition for Power Plants Being Phased Out | Actors: Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Ministry of Labor and Social Economy, companies with thermal power plants in the process of being shut down (Endesa, Iberdrola, Naturgy, and EDP - latter in March 2021), and trade unions (CCOO Industria and UGT FICA).
May 2021 - 2023
Just Transition Agreement negotiations and participation processes | Actors: Companies, business sector organisations, local authorities, trade unions, universities, educational institutions, environmental and other NGOs and associations, development agencies, local action groups, young people and women | Varied sessions and submissions during ex ante diagnosis and follow-up gatherings.
Other stakeholders
Two-way channels for participation and gender equality underpin the Strategy and its implementation.

JTAs are open to participation by educational institutions, NGOs and other local groups as well as companies and trade unions. Stakeholders are kept up to date on progress through follow-up gatherings, regular newsletters, and constant dialogue with dedicated "territorial agents" of the ITJ in each region.

Law 7/2021 requires that the Strategy and instruments for its implementation are developed with a gender perspective. For instance, evaluation criteria for municipal projects and business support schemes are designed to prioritise projects that promote women's employment, digital participation, or access to technology.

Public consultations have also shaped the development of just transition policy:

  • From February to April 2019, comments were received and integrated to refine the original Strategy.
  • From December 2025 to February 2026, MITECO received written submissions to inform priorities, challenges and opportunities, instruments, coordination and governance for the Just Transition Strategy 2026-2030.