From Policy to People: Building a Just Transition in Jharkhand
The Center for Environment and Energy Development (CEED) is helping communities in Jharkhand, India, prepare for a future beyond fossil fuels. By connecting the lived experiences of Indigenous communities, women, farmers, and young people with government decision makers, CEED is advancing a just transition that protects livelihoods, strengthens local economies, and builds climate resilience.
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Jharkhand holds more than a quarter of India’s coal reserves, and much of the state’s economy and many livelihoods depend on fossil fuels. Moving toward a cleaner economy therefore requires more than replacing one energy source with another. It requires creating new opportunities and ensuring that the people most affected help shape the transition.
CEED serves as a bridge between communities and policymakers. Working with 19 state government departments, with a presence in more than 60 districts connecting more than 4 million people, and a network of more than 1,200 civil society partners, the organization brings community knowledge into government planning while helping translate policy goals into practical solutions at the local level.
In rural communities, those solutions include climate resilient farming practices that conserve water and reduce emissions; solar-powered irrigation that replaces costly and polluting diesel pumps; and improved cookstoves that use less wood and produce less smoke. These changes can lower household expenses, improve women’s health, strengthen food security, and help families build more resilient livelihoods.
CEED’s community engagement, research, and evidence building helped lead to the creation of Jharkhand’s first-of-its-kind Task Force on Sustainable Just Transition. Its “policy to people” approach offers a model for moving away from fossil fuels without leaving people behind—one that could be adapted in other resource-rich and climate-vulnerable regions across India and the Global South.
