Outputs

1) Toolkit

The toolkit (estimated to be 20-40 pages excluding annexes) serves as a comprehensive resource that captures and distills regional experiences and global trends in advancing just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, with a specific focus on women and Indigenous Peoples. To tailor the focus on women and Indigenous Peoples to the domestic contexts of individual APEC economies, Project Overseers will conduct economy-level research and consultations to gain deeper understanding of the situations of women and Indigenous People as appropriate across the APEC economies, and leverage these insights to develop a practical toolkit. Its purpose is to strengthen knowledge and skills as a long-standing reference for APEC members. The toolkit outline commenced on April 5, 2024, followed by desk research and consultations. The toolkit is anticipated to be structured as follows, to be amended as needed based on the outcomes of research and consultations: 1) introduction to the risks that energy transitions pose to women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate, as well as the benefits that can flow to women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate through inclusive and just energy transitions; 2) a series of sections on specified structural reform approaches to mitigate the risks and maximize the benefits of just energy transitions to women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate, organized by the nature of the reform approach, and integrating thought leadership and economy examples of each specified approach, as well as actional next steps that economies may consider to pursue the approach (including proposed agencies and stakeholders involved and their respective roles); 3) a set of high-level recommendations for APEC and the EC to advance work on just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, including specifically Indigenous Peoples as appropriate, following the completion of this project. Key questions to guide the development of the toolkit include, but are not limited to:

i. What are just energy transitions? What risks do energy transitions pose to women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate? What benefits can properly- designed just energy transitions offer to women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate?

ii.  Why is structural reform relevant in energy transitions? Broadly, what are examples of laws, policies, regulations, and programs that interplay with energy transitions?

iii.  Why is structural reform relevant to just energy transitions? How can inclusive structural reform play a role in just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate?

iv.  How have APEC economies endeavored to use structural reform as a tool for just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate? What are the observed benefits, challenges, and lessons learned?

v.  What are the global innovations and trends for the use of structural reform for just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate? Are these approaches well-suited for APEC economies?

vi.  What key considerations and adaptations should APEC economies take into account when looking to apply structural reform in just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential, specifically focusing on women and Indigenous Peoples as appropriate?

What forward-looking initiatives can APEC (and, specifically, the EC) pursue to apply structural reform in just energy transitions as a means to improve the economic and social well-being of people in the APEC region. Though the toolkit drafting will begin before the workshop, it will be tailored with the outcomes and policy recommendations resulting from the workshop (described below) prior to finalization in order to create a comprehensive resource that draws upon existing literature, economy consultations, and workshop proceedings. Finalization is expected by October 31, 2024. As this deliverable may be of interest to EWG and PPWE members, following endorsement by EC members, the final toolkit will be circulated to EWG and PPWE members for information via the working group listservs.

2) Capacity Building Workshop

The one-day (8 hour), in-person, APEC-wide capacity building workshop – scheduled on the margins of the Third APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM3) in August 2024 – will build on the draft findings of the toolkit.

Guided by the regional experiences, global trends, and thought leadership conveyed in the toolkit, this workshop provides a platform for APEC members to engage with experts and exchange information on structural reform and energy transitions, and to consider whether shared approaches could be adapted and applied within their own domestic contexts. The workshop is anticipated to include a lecture-based scene- setting session to contextualize the importance of just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential; an interactive discussion session detailing how structural reform can play a role in advancing just energy transitions, based on the draft findings of the toolkit; a panel session with speakers from select participating economies’ discussing regional experiences to provide more in-depth information on the approaches taken, stakeholders involved, challenges faced, benefits accrued, and lessons learned; a panel session of subject matter experts and other stakeholders presenting additional considerations and global trends for economies as they continue to leverage structural reform as a tool for just energy transitions; and an interactive exercise that facilitates discussion on how to ensure the toolkit remains a useful and relevant resource into the future, and on possibilities for the EC to advance work on these issues after the completion of this project.

Sessions may be adapted or added to the final agenda based on the findings resulting from the research process for the toolkit. The workshop will ensure broad participation, maximize learning outcomes, and inform final tailoring of the toolkit to ensure the toolkit remains relevant and practical for all APEC members. Project Overseers will share the invitation to nominate participants with EC members; and will share an informational invitation document with EWG and PPWE members to notify economy delegates of the event, welcome their self-funded participation, and direct them to their economy’s EC representatives for any requests to be nominated for funded participation. Project Overseers aim for workshop proceedings to generate recommended next steps for each APEC economy to launch or advance initiatives that integrate structural reform as a tool for just energy transitions for women and groups with untapped economic potential.

Outcomes
1)  Replication and adaption of structural reform approaches for just energy transitions by economies. The project aims to facilitate the replication and adaption of structural reform approaches by economies, guided by the overarching objective of enhancing APEC members’ understanding of effective avenues for just energy transitions. By doing so, the project ensures alignment with its broader mission of influencing policy responses and catalyzing reforms that foster the development of equitable, inclusive, and low-carbon economies. Through this concerted effort, the project seeks to promote a collaborative environment where economies can learn from each other's experiences and collectively advance towards sustainable energy transitions that prioritize equity and inclusivity. Considering the timeframe of this project, outcomes will be measured in the post workshop survey by examining the percent of participants who express interest in replicating or adapting discussed approaches in their home economies. A follow-up activity may be implemented to enable longer-term monitoring of implemented structural reforms.

2) Enhanced participant knowledge and understanding. The project aims to improve participants' understanding of effective practices and their grasp of inclusive and equitable energy transitions, especially for women and other groups with untapped economic potential. This directly supports the project's goal of boosting APEC members’ knowledge of effective pathways for just energy transitions. Through a post-workshop survey, Project Overseers will collect participants’ views on the usefulness of project components, and further will evaluate the project's impact and effectiveness in equipping participants to contribute to inclusive and equitable energy transitions in their economies.

3) Recommendations for policy and programmatic changes to advance just energy transition. The project aims to catalyze policy and programmatic changes to advance just energy transitions, contributing to informed policy responses and reforms that build equitable, inclusive, and low-carbon economies. By formulating actionable recommendations for implementing best practices, the project seeks to influence decision-making processes and drive practical changes in the energy sector. The number of recommendations generated through project activities will be meticulously tracked, offering a quantitative measure of the project's impact on policy and practice development. This systematic approach provides valuable insights into the project's effectiveness in shaping policy discourse and fostering tangible advancements towards sustainable energy transitions that prioritize equity and inclusivity.

Beneficiaries

The primary beneficiaries include government officials in APEC member economies who will receive the toolkit resource and be invited to participate in the workshop, and will have the opportunity to use the deliverables to inform policy responses and structural reforms. Given the topic, Project Overseers will target workshop participant nominations from ministries responsible for structural reform and energy-related policies. Nominations for representatives from women’s ministries in policy roles will also be accepted. Project Overseers will strongly encourage APEC members to select and nominate suitably skilled and qualified women as participants.

In the longer-term, this project also aims to benefit women and groups with untapped economic potential by mitigating the negative impacts faced and maximizing new opportunities as a result of energy transitions to low-carbon economies. In addition, non-governmental organizations may find the research helpful in advocating for laws, policies, and reforms.