WHAT IS JUST TRANSITION ?
To curb global warming, the economy will have to change a lot in the coming years. The goal of the European Green Deal is to make the European economy carbon neutral by 2050. The term just transition refers to the path we must follow to make this transformation.
The core principle of just transition is the idea that a sustainable economy not only has to be green, but it also needs to be socially fair. Just transition is originally a trade union concept that is included in the Paris climate agreements (2015) and the European Green Deal. In a just transition, a strong social policy and climate ambition go hand in hand to make sure no one gets left behind.
The aim of Just Transition is to reduce emissions and increase resource productivity while maintaining and improving employment, maximising positive effects for workers and the communities in which the company operates, and facilitating corporate action to optimise opportunities for the development of the low-carbon business.
According to the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) “just transition” has become the central concept of the strategy towards a “zero carbon economy”. We know that the transition towards greater sustainability is indispensable. As unions, we must ensure that this transition does not further exacerbate current inequalities, already amplified by unbalanced capitalist development and ungoverned globalisation.
Reference: Taking steps towards a just transition at company/sectoral level through social dialogue. toolkit. november 2022, pp7-11.
Find the complete toolkit here.
A path that probably helps the social sustainability of Just Transition processes is the one envisaged by the ILO (International Labour Organization), which in its 2015 Guidelines defines 5 pillars:
Participation and dialogue at all levels;
Investment in job creation and transformation through low-carbon policies and investment in infrastructure;
Active labour policies and training programmes for new skills to accompany workers in the transition;
Respect for trade unions and human rights: no job can be green if it is not decent;
A network of social shock absorbers for workers that are negatively affected by the transition.
Reference: Taking steps towards a just transition at company/sectoral level through social dialogue. toolkit. november 2022, pp7-11.
Find the complete toolkit here.
The ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation) also released a publication in 2017 with some practical suggestions for the right transition, including:
investing in jobs: decent job opportunities in sectors that reduce emissions and help communities adapt to climate change;
respecting the contribution that fossil workers have made to today’s prosperity and providing them with income support, retraining and redistribution opportunities, as well as secure pensions for older workers;
investing in community renewal to promote hope and confidence in regions and municipalities at the forefront of energy transition, industrial transformation or which are affected by climate impacts;
support innovation and technology sharing to enable rapid transformation of energy and business production;
promote social dialogue with all stakeholders and use collective bargaining with workers and their trade unions for workplace change, productivity enhancement and skills development.
Reference: Taking steps towards a just transition at company/sectoral level through social dialogue. toolkit. november 2022, pp7-11.
Find the complete toolkit here.
The Doughnut model of British economist Kate Raworth paints a picture of how a sustainable economy should look after a just transition. A sustainable economy takes two boundaries into account: the social foundation and the ecological ceiling. In a sustainable economy, there is no place for social dumping practices and the wellbeing of the planet is respected. Just transition is the fight for a socially and ecologically sustainable society.
Trade unions have an important role to play in the struggle for a just transition, of course, we should keep guarding the social rights of workers. The social foundation is our classical area of action. On top of that, we should also help guard the ecological ceiling as failing to do so will jeopardize our future. The climate transition will go step by step, like every major societal change.
Reference: Taking steps towards a just transition at company/sectoral level through social dialogue. toolkit. november 2022, pp7-11.
Find the complete toolkit here.
To ensure a just transition each step will need to be:
Ambitious
No jobs on a dead planet.
A liveable climate is a necessary condition to ensure a thriving economy with good jobs. Each step should therefore be ambitious enough to meet the Paris climate goals.
Socially just
Leave no one behind.
No step towards a green economy should be a step back for workers. Green jobs need to be good jobs and extra social measures should be taken where needed to make sure no one gets left behind.
Democratic
Nothing about us without us.
Workers and unions should be consulted and included at every step along the way to a green transition in the world of work at every level (company, sector, region, …).
Reference: Taking steps towards a just transition at company/sectoral level through social dialogue. toolkit. november 2022, pp7-11.
Find the complete toolkit here.
