trade unions – Just Transition Initiative

What is "Just Transition"?

Report/Case Study; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Aug 2020

Insights from historical cases of transition: Background paper for the EBRD just transition initiative

The report suggests a series of considerations for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to allow for the integration of just transition considerations into its decarbonization operations, using historical evidence from other deep structural changes.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General; Mining
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans, Other; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills; Environment and/or pollution; Social and/or cultural impacts > Pride or cultural identity
Keywords: International Finance Institutions (IFIs); multilateral development banks; regional economic development; worker training; special economic zone; managed retreat; environmental rehabilitation; environmental remediation; “Bottom-up” approaches; labor policy; private sector; trade unions
By: Aaron Atteridge, Isabel Blanco, Claudia Strambo
Publishing Organization: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Development finance institution
Summary: The authors seek to offer insights into how transitions impact people, economies, and the environment, as well as the extent of the effectiveness of different kinds of responses including the impacts of not responding. Moreover, it provides useful considerations related to the needs of those who lose out in society, while addressing overall concerns about inequalities in societies affected by deep structural changes. The report was used to inform EBRD’s approach to just transitions, as set out in the document “The EBRD Just Transition Initiative”.

The authors highlight that without measures to promote a “just” transition, resistance will likely undermine its pace. They draw inferences from other deep structural transitions, such as the steel industries in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Newcastle, Australia, as well as the gold industry in Free State Province, South Africa, to offer insights into what to expect from a green transition.

The authors suggest a series of considerations for EBRD’s operational response to a just transition in order to create viable short-term and long-term solutions for local populations who are affected. Notably, they point out the need for strategic planning for impacted communities, governance structures, and state capacity to implement just transition actions, along with a holistic approach to regional economic development.

Report/Definitions and Concepts; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Apr 2019

The Contribution of Social Dialogue to the 2030 Agenda: Promoting a Just Transition towards Sustainable Economies and Societies for All

This paper explains how just transitions can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and discusses the importance of social dialogue, citing examples from around the world.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills, Social protections, Worker safety; Government intervention > Regulation; Inequality and/or poverty > Other; Investment > ESG and corporate engagement
Keywords: sustainable development goals; social dialogue; collective bargaining; multinational companies; Global Framework Agreements (GFA); sustainable economic development; sectoral transformation; trade unions
By: Antonio Ferrer Márquez, Begoña María-Tomé Gil, Olga López Maeztu
Publishing Organization: International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Inter-governmental/international organization, Labor organization
Summary: In this report, the authors explain how just transitions can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and address climate change. They argue that social dialogue is an essential element of just transitions, as it can facilitate planning processes based on genuine partnership. Drawing on case studies from around the world, the authors highlight just transition processes forged through social dialogue at the national and corporate levels.

The authors examine the role of multinational companies in a just transition, describing the dilution of regulatory power and social and labor rights tied to the rise of large multinational companies. In this context, they explain the importance of social dialogue to protect workers’ interests across supply chains. They highlight various examples of social dialogue within energy and textile companies, including through Global Framework Agreements, and advocate for coordination among trade unions to promote supranational mechanisms for social dialogue. They highlight the need for trade unions to strengthen their capacity on climate-change issues and to integrate an environmental dimension into their strategies to engage in just transitions effectively.

The authors conclude with wide-ranging recommendations for the successful implementation of just transitions. These recommendations are directed at a variety of actors in this space, including donor governments engaged in development.

Brief/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Mar 2018

Just Transition for All: Analytical Evidence

This brief includes nine short essays on a range of issues related to just transitions, including summaries of various tools and strategies and brief regional case studies.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: Energy; Mining
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans, Infrastructure investment; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills, Social protections; Government intervention > Regulation; Inequality and/or poverty > Other; Resilience
Keywords: social and economic transition risks; fossil fuel subsidy reform; trade unions
By: Jesse Burton, Laura Merrill, Heidi Peltier, Ulrike Lehr, Lucy Stone, Catherine Saget, Dunja Krause, Maciej Bukowski, Jan Witajewski-Baltvilks
Publishing Organization: Climate Strategies
Academic/research institution or journal
Summary: This brief consists of short papers prepared for a breakout session of the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) in March 2018. The papers examine various just transitions efforts around the world, including different approaches to green transitions, a case study of distributional impacts in Germany, and a summary of green coalitions and movements in the United States.

Several of the authors emphasize implementing social protections and promoting inclusion to ensure a just transition to a low-carbon economy. The document calls on countries to take urgent action to train workers in the skills needed for a greener economy and to provide them with social protections to facilitate the transition to new jobs. One author argues that a truly just transition cannot focus solely on unionized coal miners but must consider informal workers or service providers as well. Another essay classifies just transitions approaches in terms of their inclusiveness and ambition, offering a useful taxonomy for assessing them. Another author argues in favor of a “systems approach” to just transitions that would use not only sectoral data but also microeconomic, demographic, and social survey data to create a more holistic view of societies in transition.

Report/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

May 2017

Just Transition: A Report for the OECD

This report presents a holistic approach for a just transition to a low-carbon world that promotes environmental sustainability as well as decent work, social inclusion, and poverty eradication.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans, Infrastructure investment; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills, Social protections, Worker safety; Government intervention > Public finance; Inequality and/or poverty > Other; Investment > ESG and corporate engagement, Private finance
Keywords: OECD countries; social partners; informal workers; innovations; indigenous rights; poverty alleviation; disclosure; trade unions; community development
By: Samantha Smith
Publishing Organization: Just Transition Centre
Inter-governmental/international organization, Labor organization
Summary: This report from the Just Transition Centre describes various concepts and principles of just transitions, using case studies from around the world to analyze the roles key stakeholders can play.

With social dialogue and social protection as its main principles, the International Labor Organization (ILO) definition of just transition serves as a bridge to the future where “all jobs are green and decent, poverty is eradicated, and communities are thriving and resilient,” as defined by the ILO. This report examines the potential role for various stakeholders depending on the scale of a transition. Drawing from several case studies, the report offers examples in which social dialogue has been key, including the closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power facility in California and the wind sector transition in Denmark.

The report further acknowledges gaps in these transitions, such as a lack of appropriate government policies, funds, and structures that make it difficult for workers, employers, and communities to move forward. The author offers recommendations to help achieve both Paris Agreement targets and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including making a strong commitment to social dialogue.

Report/Definitions and Concepts; Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Jan 2020

Just Transition: A Social Route To Sustainability

This report introduces the concept of just transitions, outlines their role in providing a social route to sustainability, and provides new guiding principles for policymakers.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans, Industry and/or sector assistance or plans; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills, Social protections; Government intervention > Public finance, Regulation; Inequality and/or poverty > Other; Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords: European Green Deal; Just Transition fund; media coverage; coronavirus; trade unions; green growth
Publishing Organization: Social Europe Publishing, Hans Bockler Stiftung, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Foundation
Academic/research institution or journal, Non-profit organization/civil society organization
Summary: This report consists of 16 short essays explaining the concept and application of just transitions through discussion of various just transition policies such as the European Green Deal. These contributions from European and international government officials and trade union leaders advocate collective action and engagement with affected communities to draw on their knowledge and perspectives.

The concept of just transitions has gained popularity in the last few decades but remains poorly understood. The report describes just transitions as a bridge between the current world—in which the gap between the rich and the poor enables outsourcing of environmental damage of all kinds—and a world in which “human well-being is improved,” not just growth. It calls for designing fair socioecological policies that not only aim to reduce pollution but also address inequality and social injustice.

In addition, the report emphasizes the need to mobilize resources such as the European Union’s Just Transition Fund and develop the right tools for an inclusive approach to climate change and social issues. It describes sustainability as a core principle for just transitions, urging the European Green Deal to “integrate all dimensions of sustainability,” including social, environmental, and economic aspects. The authors criticize a lack of media coverage of the issues and maintain that stronger public support is needed to combat climate change and improve environmental justice.

Report/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Jun 2015

Power to the People: Toward Democratic Control of Electricity Generation

This report offers a trade union perspective on the need to increase public ownership of energy assets and production in the United States by expanding the role of energy cooperatives, reforming utilities, and establishing a Renewable Energy Administration.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: Energy
Focus Areas: Economic diversification/restructuring > Economic development plans, Infrastructure investment; Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Social protections; Inequality and/or poverty > Other; Investment > Other; Justice; Social and/or cultural impacts > Other
Keywords: energy democracy; energy cooperatives; solidarity economy; energy liberalization; remunicipalization; public works; decentralization; utilities; equity; trade unions
By: Sean Sweeney, Kylie Benton-Connell, Lara Skinner
Publishing Organization: Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED), The Worker Institute at Cornell, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Foundation
Labor organization
Summary: These four short papers seek to define “energy democracy,” a term used by labor unions to characterize greater public ownership of energy assets and production. The authors address various potential dimensions of energy democracy: increased public ownership of energy assets, a larger role for energy cooperatives, reform of utilities, and the creation of a new Renewable Energy Administration.

The authors argue that market forces and cost competitiveness alone will not be sufficient to advance a shift to renewable energy. They contend that unions and social movements will have to spearhead the required “non-market, needs-based approaches.” The report explores the role of energy cooperatives, including the structure and financing options for such groups. They cite successful case studies, including the Volkswagen Staff Association for Regenerative Energy in Germany. However, they note that a shift from centralized utilities to cooperatively owned energy could pose certain challenges for labor unions, such as undermining fair wages by relying more heavily on volunteer labor.

The third section focuses on “re-municipalization” as a means to increase renewable energy growth and counter resistance from utilities. The final paper outlines the role for unions in supporting a “public goods” approach to clean energy and argues that lessons learned from the New Deal should be applied in creating a new Renewable Energy Administration.

Brief/Guidelines, Strategies and Recommendations

Jul 2019

A Just Transition to a Greener, Fairer Economy

This report discusses the need for a just economic transition to a greener economy in the United Kingdom and makes policy recommendations to ensure workers are protected during the transition.

Geographic Scope
Sectors: General
Focus Areas: Employment > Job creation and/or equality, Skills; Inequality and/or poverty > Gender inequality
Keywords: green economy; worker engagement; trade unions; transition agreements
Publishing Organization: Trades Union Congress (TUC)
Labor organization
Summary: “This paper by the British Trades Union Congress (TUC) discusses the need for a just transition in the United Kingdom and proposes ambitious policies that could help protect workers, such as including workers in policy processes and giving them access to funding for skills development. The TUC calls for the UK government to ensure sufficient funding to enable a fair transition.

The TUC argues that workers’ voices must be heard at all levels of decision-making processes, advocating unionization in all workplaces to ensure better worker representation. The organization calls for companies seeking to adopt a lower carbon model to provide transition agreements that include worker-friendly policies that provide guarantees of job security, outline working time, facilitate access to training and skills, and ensure equal opportunities.

The paper concludes by emphasizing the role the UK government should play as “a funder and procurer of new energy and broader infrastructure” to ensure that new jobs benefit local communities. The TUC warns against awarding contracts to companies without first agreeing on standards for corporate behavior.”