This perspective paper explores the rising impacts of the COVID-19 and the Russia–Ukraine war from different perspectives, with an emphasis on the role of climate financing in achieving equitable and just transition mechanisms and that of peace in expediting this pursuit and sustaining this drive. It is motivated by the realization that there is an urgent need for accelerating the decarbonisation agenda, as highlighted in pre-COP26 debates and in the resulting Glasgow Climate Pact, through the mitigation measures that can be unpacked at both cost and scale. This is further reiterated in the third instalment of Assessment Report 6 (AR6) the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, dwelling on Mitigation of Climate Change, underlining the required policy shifts and technology developmental needs. Green technology, however, comes at a green premium, being more expensive to implement in geographies that cannot absorb its cost in the immediate short term. This engenders an inequitable and unjust landscape, as those that require green technology are unable to have access to it but are most often on the frontlines of the impacts of climate change. While it is urgent to review this issue and to encourage more cooperation for technology development and transfer, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war are posing mounting challenges for achieving these objectives. These two crises are causing an unprecedented rise in commodities and labour pricing, with further knock-on impacts on global supply chains for technology. This is in turn rendering green technology unattainable for developing and less developed countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Recent studies have shown that universities and similar public sector research institutions differ in their relationships with user organizations both in relation to the type of new knowledge transferred and to the mechanisms of such transfer. Both the relationships and knowledge transfer are critically affected by the level of sophistication of the receiving companies. The creation of ‘urban knowledge’ has many dimensions, which means that spatial proximity to the sources of new knowledge does not automatically encourage firms to take advantage of what is on offer. Thus, the knowledge generated by universities has a critical function on the availability of local and international knowledge to the city and region where it is located, but much needs to be done for this knowledge to become relevant and absorbed in its geographical area. To show these dual processes, this chapter analyzes the region of Western Sydney at two levels: the knowledge demanded and the knowledge produced and transferred. Ultimately, the answer to the question of how universities can best contribute to the intellectual vitality of the place where they are located and which knowledge is relevant.
The transition to an ecologically sustainable economy is and will create significant changes in the world of work. These changes will include the creation of new green jobs and new industries, minor to major changes in existing jobs and the phase-out of some jobs in carbon-intensive activities. A just transition ensures that while working towards a more ecologically sound economy, countries also plan for positive outcomes for those communities and people negatively affected by our global efforts to decarbonise. Identifying and implementing a country-specific policy mix for a just transition is an emerging challenge for nations. This paper constructs a policy framework for supporting the greening of employment and a just transition. The resulting policy framework is then used to assess policy readiness for promoting green jobs and a just transition across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The assessment highlights the current state of policy for supporting green jobs, green skills and just transition planning, as well as the significant challenges in identifying and implementing policy settings to support green jobs and a just transition.
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