This brief examines the impacts of climate change on the world of work and discusses how a just transition to a low-carbon economy must consider persons with disabilities. It further describes various types of workplace discrimination and injustices against persons with disabilities and makes recommendations for a just and equitable transition in which they are included.

The paper stresses that persons with disabilities are disproportionately affected by climate change yet are often excluded from climate policies’ societal planning and decision-making processes. The paper also discusses the disproportionately low representation of persons with disabilities in the global labor market and suggests that a just transition could expand the opportunities for decent work available to them.

The authors refer to existing international frameworks that provide a can help guide disability-inclusive transitions and highlight key public policy needs, including legal standards, social protection mechanisms, skill-development initiatives, and attitudinal changes. They conclude with a list of recommendations for specific stakeholders, including governments, businesses, trade unions, and development agencies, among others.