Floor

A transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies is necessary, urgent, and possible. COP 27 provides a unique opportunity for the ILO and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to host a discussion on how economic and social transformations toward low carbon economies can lead to net job gains in a fair and inclusive manner. 

<p>Keeping the social dimension of climate change at the forefront of discussions is the focus of events being organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) at the up-coming UN Climate Change Conference (COP27). Together with the European Commission, the ILO hosts the first ever Just Transition Pavilion, a convening space for events, meetings and knowledge sharing around just transition and climate action in cooperation with the UNFCCC, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and International Organisation of Employers (IOE). You can watch live – or replay&nbsp;– all events held in the Pavilion on this page. Please note all times are in Sharm-El-Sheikh local time (GMT+2, GVA+1).</p>


Side-event on how valuing natural capital proves a promising strategy to fight climate change. Framing the value of eco-systems in economic terms can help decentralised financial approaches to address both lack of financing for nature preservation and support for local development. Protecting nature can become a driver of just transitions to a green economy and provide new resources for a productive economic system. 

Sharm El-Sheikh

Ecosystem payments for a Just Transition 

Blue Zone COP27

Just Transition Pavilion

Listen to young leaders sharing their career ambitions in the green economy. Learn about youth employment trends and opportunities powered by the green transition based on ILO research. And explore lessons learned from initiatives that call for coherent employment and environmental policies to realise the transformative potential of youth.
The event is co-organised by the ILO with IFAD and GiZ.

Transforming futures for young people 

What are the opportunities and challenges for international cooperation on the just transition and fossil fuel phase out? Join experts to explore the suitability of existing and new multilateral frameworks for managing the transition and discuss the role of States as well as sub-national governments, intergovernmental organisations and civil society in improving global governance of fossil fuel supply. 

International cooperation for a fair fossil free phase-out

Urgent actions are needed to fully decarbonize international shipping - the backbone of global trade - by 2050 to meet the Paris Agreement 1.5 temperature goal. To secure a Just Transition to green shipping, the maritime workforce will need to be upskilled, global training standards will need to be strengthened and seafarers will need to have a say. This side event is organised by Global Compact, the ILO, the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Transport Workers’ Federation. It will convene Ministers, union heads, the UN and Industry, to mark the launch of a 10-Point Action Plan by the Maritime Just Transition Task Force - the first global task force dedicated to securing a Just Transition in a sector. 

Delivering a Just Transition in Global Shipping: Maritime Just Transition Task Force Launch

The event will officially open the first ever Just Transition Pavilion at COP. It will aim to take stock of just transition commitments and measures globally and discuss the way forward. It will also reflect on the progress of the Climate Action for Jobs Initiative and how it can further support a human-centred climate agenda, leaving no-one behind.

Pavilion opening: Three years on - Just Transition commitments & the Climate Action for Jobs Initiative

As a legacy of Stockholm+50 UNEP, ILO and UNICEF/Generation Unlimited have joined forces to develop a “Green Jobs for Youth Pact”. Working with and for young people, it is a bold and unique partnership for action to close the skills gap in developing countries, targeting climate vulnerable sectors and contributing to a systemic change harvesting benefits for people, planet and prosperity.

Pact Launch: Accelerating young skills and talent for green jobs

Financial institutions have a crucial role to play in connecting climate action with positive social outcomes. The ILO and the LSE Grantham Institute will launch a just transition tool for investment and banking activities. The event will include a panel discussion with industry experts and stakeholders on how financial institutions can take steps for a just and ambitious climate transition. 

Financing a just transition: a new tool for banks and investors

Ben Backwell, CEO of the Global Wind Energy Council, will share insights on how the global wind industry can foster a just and equitable clean energy transition. This interactive exchange will touch on a range of topics including the industry's impact on developing economies, workforce and job creation opportunities, socioeconomic benefits linked to renewable energy deployment and a creating a sustainable, people-centred industry. 

Knowledge Hub: Integrating just transition into the renewable energy sector  - lessons-learnt from the Global Wind Energy Council

Hosted in the ILO's Just Transition Pavilion, join the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB), the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Vestas, Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI), and African Climate Foundation (ACF) for a conversation on how to maximise the opportunities and minimise the risks for workers, indigenous peoples, and local communities in the global rush to wind energy.

Just Wind: Business, Human Rights, and Climate Action across the Wind Energy Sector

Do you want to know how ready you are for a just transition? Do you want to win a souvenir? The ILO-ETF-LinkedIn event is designed to be a two-way knowledge exchange session through a panel session which will be followed by a small competition on finding creative solutions for greening jobs and skills. It is expected to expand the collective knowledge and build community of ideas on the green and just transition with skills perspective. The winners of the competition will receive a package of souvenirs.

Knowledge Hub: Check your skills readiness for a just transition

This side event organised by PACE in partnership with ENEL, NREL and WRI, will share public, private, and civil society sector perspectives on what is needed to incorporate circularity into solar power and battery value chains, and how this can enable a more just transition. During the session, PACE will announce plans to mobilize collaborative actions on circular strategies which are most relevant to support a sustainable clean energy transition.

How a circular economy can support the clean energy transition

ITUC, LO Norway and IndustriALL Global Union are working together on an initiative that will ensure that labor movement has the information, tools, and plans they need to get good jobs and Just Transition in this chaotic period. The initiative has two parts, one has provided a table for unions to exchange information, examples, and strategies for good jobs and JT in the energy sector. The other explores the potential for a new, tripartite process anchored in the UN that would promote and oversee new Global Just Transition Agreements between international energy companies and trade unions.

Just Transition in the Energy Sector 

Climate impacts and related Policy responses have implications on the world of Work in diverse ways. The conversation will discuss climate impacts in specific sectors and related workers’ responses. It will also touch on Just Transition as a tool for effective climate policy implementationThe session will end with thoughts on how  to advance Just Transition for workers in Africa. 

Knowledge Hub: Just Transition and Workers: Experience Sharing from ITUC-Africa

The ILO’s Just Transition Guidelines calls on all stakeholders to work together to develop plans on adaptation to climate change. This session brings together experts from social organizations and the private sector represented in the UN Global Compact Think Lab on Just Transition to discuss the business case and corporate actions to advance just transition in the context of adaptation.

Demystifying Just Transition and Adaptation for Business 

This joint ILO-UNEP-IUCN event will explore the relevance and importance of Just Transition to Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and how the Just Transition framework can mitigate risks and maximize opportunities for Decent Work when scaling up the use of NbS. The event is also a prelude to the launch of the first ILO, UNEP and IUCN report on Decent Work in NbS that aims to address the knowledge gap of how increased use of NbS will impact labour markets and the creation of decent jobs.

Decent Work in Nature-based Solutions

Climate change mobility can increase vulnerability in the absence of protection safeguards. Yet planned and chosen migration, that adheres to international standards, can become a meaningful climate resilience and adaptation strategy for sending and receiving communities. In this event speakers from governments, employers and workers’ organizations will discuss key priorities for decent work and just transitions that are inclusive of people on the move.

Climate mobility and labour migration in a just transition

The environment and women’s time have often been treated as infinite resources. Unless gender-transformative and inclusive measures are in place, women will not benefit equitably from the just transition process, and gender inequalities and discrimination at work are likely to persist. This event will discuss and move forward the agenda on delivering a gender transformative and inclusive just transition.

Delivering a gender-responsive just transition

India, one of the fastest-growing economies worldwide, experiences significant vulnerability to climate change as well as challenges in transitioning to an environmentally sustainable economy and society. Declining employment in some sectors, growing job opportunities in others and socio-economic impacts on people highlight the need to manage the allocation of benefits, including through social protection linked to skills development and employment promotion, for a just transition in India.

Knowledge Hub: A Just Transition in India – Experiences and lessons for social justice

Outgoing COP President addressed the conference by saying that climate action is action for green growth and job creation. Can it happen in Africa? Leapfrogging 20 century development stages and transitioning to net Zero? What is needed to make climate action create jobs and ensure it is just? This event will discuss these issues.

What does a Just Transition mean for Africa?

The Scottish Just Transition Commission completed its first Phase in 2021. A re-constituted Commission now has the  role of advising on, and scrutinising, the Scottish Government’s implementation of just transition principles. A new Just Transition Minister is coordinating efforts across the government system.

Knowledge Hub: Moving to Stage 2: Scottish Just Transition

Some of the Arab countries are the largest contributors to emissions and to the changing climate. The Arab region is also one of the most impacted by climate change, with water scarcity, desertification, loss of biodiversity being some of the effects already witnessed. Meanwhile, Arab countries have enormous human, natural and economic potential for leapfrogging and rapid clean economic growth. In order to tap into the huge potential for job creation in a diversified economy, a comprehensive set of just transition policies has the potential to stimulate economic growth and added value in agriculture, industry and services. The event will discuss how to move from commitment to the implementation of Just Transition policies.

Road to COP28 - “Just Transition for Arab states” 

Fostering a net-zero emissions future with decent jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean 

There’s no one-size-fits-all recipe, but that there are a few ingredients that make just transition work as social dialogue in the workplace, along with respect for labour standards and human rights, and large involvement of communities. This side event organized by the EESC aims to bring together civil society organization and policymakers presenting concrete examples of just transition initiatives and analysing which are the main strengths and challenges in ongoing processes. 

Just transition and social dialogue to achieve ambitious climate policies that leave no one behind

Spain is developing a deep and rapid process of coal phase-out accompanied by strong just transition policies: a dedicated governance structure, support for affected workers, economic incentives for alternative projects in affected territories, environmental restoration of coal mines, etc. This event will provide a first-hand interactive session on Spain’s just transition policy-making. 

Knowledge Hub: Just transition policy-making: sharing the experience of Spain

The relationship between business and the environment is a complex policy issue and has matured on the international agenda in recent years. This event will provide insights into recent regulatory developments on environmental matters which have accelerated discussion, planning and preparation for companies to remain both compliant, fit for purpose and avoid any possible future litigation raising from environmental issues.

Business Perspective on the Climate Change-Human Rights Nexus

This session will provide an overview of just transition developments across the world, bringing insights and stories from IOE’s global network of over 150 employers’ organisations representing millions of companies. 

Knowledge Hub: Just Transition and Employers’ Organisations: IOE experiences

Through concrete examples of social dialogue, various stakeholders will demonstrate that it is an essential condition for a just transition.

Just Transition goes by Social dialogue

SSE is a UK headquartered energy company pursuing net zero through investment in renewable energy, electricity network infrastructure and low carbon flexible thermal.  The scale of its investments and the scale of the energy transition led SSE to publish a Just Transition Strategy in 2020.  

Knowledge Hub: From Principles to Action:  a just transition case study from SSE

The long-term success of climate action and the transition will depend on how well negative social and economic impacts can be prevented or addressed. This panel discussion, organized with the support of the USP2030 Social Protection and Climate Change Working Group, aims to discuss the potential of social protection linked to skills and employment promotion to support people throughout the transition and leave no one behind.

Making the transition just – through social protection

Decarbonisation and a sustainable economy across the globe will only happen through the development of new processes, products, services, business models, and ways of working. This event will share views, experience and recommendations from industry experts on how businesses can reduce their environmental impact and become sustainable while continuing to be successful.

Greening Business – paths to more sustainable companies

This event will take stock of progress made at COP27 on delivering just transitions to a net zero and resilient economy, identify gaps that remain, and highlight the priorities for further action into 2023, focusing on the role of the financial system. It is hosted by the LSE, 3BL Media, the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC), ILO, Planet Tracker and the Scottish Just Transition Commission. 

After COP27: where next for delivering net zero and resilience through just transitions? 

Just Transition is a global concept, yet the country context differs from case to case. This also means that just transition can mean different things for different people. In this session FES will share experiences of working on just transition on the ground with its partners from civil society and trade unions worldwide.

Just Transition from a global perspective: learnings from the work of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES)

This conversation hosted by the KCI will see sharing of experience and lessons learned from the undertaking of just transition in Southeast Asia, Spain and Canada. 

Report from the field: Just Transition Stories

Introducing the Fair Energy Transition for All (FETA) project: Key findings of innovative dialogues about energy transition with more than 900 vulnerable Europeans from the poorest communities, and 150 experts, in nine countries. The project has let to concrete recommendations at EU and national levels for policies that can secure support across society and avoid placing a burden on the most vulnerable.

Energy Transition: what vulnerable Europeans have to say?

The Paris Agreement established a global carbon market (under Article 6) in which (developing) countries may sell certified emission reductions to (industrialized) countries. In theory, the idea should increase green investment in (developing) countries and contribute to sustainable development. However, evidence from the Clean Developing Mechanism (CDM) show that few countries in need benefited. How should a global market be designed to truly contribute to development and a Just Transition?  

Achieving a Just Transition through Article 6

The session will address the challenges and mechanism of just transition of informal workers and the informal economy that dominates the coal mining sectors, as well as most fossil fuel dependent industries. The discussion will draw on experiences on countries of the global South- India, South Africa and Indonesia, and observations of the labour unions, towards addressing it. 

Live

Fostering a net-zero emissions future with decent jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean

Speakers