Throughout the halls of the UN climate talks in Brazil, civil society activists are wearing badges that read “Bam!”. This is not a reference to old superhero comics but indicates support for the Belém Action Mechanism (Bam), a proposal for states to drive action on a just transition towards a low-carbon economy.
Securing the Bam is a top priority for climate justice advocates at Cop30. Proponents argue that if a just transition is not prioritised, climate action will unintentionally leave workers and communities behind. The concept of a just transition originated from the US labour movement, specifically from energy and chemical workers who said employees of polluting sectors should be supported as they move into greener jobs.
It has since expanded to include all people affected by sectors shifting due to climate policies, such as workers in the transition minerals sector and people living near extraction sites. The 2015 Paris agreement mentioned the framework in its preamble, but that text did not lead to implementation. During the 2018 talks in Katowice, the concept entered negotiations, and at Cop27 in Egypt, parties created a “just transition work programme”. However, none of those agreements included requirements for parties.
Bam proponents say a new mechanism is needed to require countries to take concrete steps. “No one is even tracking progress on this,” said Teresa Anderson, global climate justice lead at ActionAid. “Bam would fix that.” The mechanism would require countries to coordinate their work, share best practices, and support implementation, especially in low-income countries. It would prioritise non-debt-inducing finance and technology sharing, values already agreed in the Paris agreement.
Bam was developed by civil society groups including the Climate Action Network, the Women and Gender Constituency, and allies in the labour and youth movements. At Cop30, a coalition of Indigenous groups also joined the call. Advocates secured a major win this week when countries representing about 80% of the world’s population signalled support for the proposal.
