Summary:
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) ended in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The ILO has been involved in ensuring that the social aspects of climate change are talked about. COP27 concluded with pathways to a just transition based on meaningful and successful social discussion. The International Labor Organization (ILO) hosted the first-ever Just Transition Pavilion at COP27. The UNFCCC, European Commission, and International Organization of Employers all participated in hosting the pavilion. Delegates discussed how to ensure equitable transition policies and practices for climate change.
After two weeks of talks, the UN Climate Change Conference ended on November 20. The International Labour Organization welcomed the conference with open arms. The summit, which was also called COP27, led to a historic decision to offer “loss and damage” compensation to poorer countries that have been severely hurt by climate disasters.
The participating governments also endorsed a set of decisions reiterating their commitment to keeping the increase in the global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
According to Moustapha Kamal Gueye, ILO Global Coordinator for Green Jobs, “COP27 conclusions lead the global community forward on collective action to develop policies to combat the impact of climate change.” The conclusions recognise the significance of employment policies, such as social protection, in mitigating the effects of climate change and include pathways to a just transition based on meaningful and successful social discussion.
Since the COP process started in 1995, the ILO has been in charge of making sure that the social aspects of climate change are talked about in important international discussions about climate policy. During the conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the ILO oversaw more than 35 thematic events in a Just Transition Pavilion. This pavilion was created to draw attention to the social impacts of the transition to a low-carbon economy and the significance of incorporating a just transition into adaptation and mitigation processes.
Events at the Pavilion included the unveiling of a Just Transition Finance Tool for Banking and Investment Activities, developed in collaboration with the Grantham Research Institute of the London School of Economics, to assist financial institutions in integrating a just transition dimension throughout their operations as well as the launch of a new “Green Jobs for Youth Pact” initiative, which aims to help close the skills gap for young people.
During COP27, several ILO knowledge products were introduced. A new report on the role businesses can play in the green transition was also among them. The Just Transition Policy Brief series was developed to improve technical and policy understanding of how to apply the International Labour Organization’s Guidelines for a Just Transition to Environmentally Sustainable Economies and Societies for All.
Delegates exchanged knowledge about operationalizing equitable transition policies and practices at the corporate, sectoral, national, and regional levels at the Just Transition Knowledge Hub, which was housed at the Pavilion. Other events highlighted the value of social discussion, as well as concerns around social inclusion and vulnerable groups who run the danger of being disproportionately impacted by the shift, such as women, indigenous people, immigrants, and people with disabilities.
The International Labor Organization (ILO), the European Commission, the International Organization of Employers (IOE), and the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change all participated in hosting the Just Transition Pavilion (UNFCCC). It functioned as a gathering place for hundreds of delegates, including those from governments, workers’ and employers’ organisations, the commercial sector, academic institutions, and youth organisations.
The European Commission’s Director-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion, Joost Korte, stated, “We are happy that we put up this first-ever Just Transition Pavilion with the colleagues of the International Labor Organization.” We are talking about a very important topic, and I think the process will be both important and interesting.
“At COP27, the international labor movement organized in support of a comprehensive climate accord.” We require a change for workers centered on social discussion, social protection, and labor rights. With its numerous activities and widespread visibility, the ILO Just Transition Pavilion helped with this effort, according to the International Trade Union Confederation’s Sharan Burrow, general secretary.
Roberto Suárez Santos, Secretary-General of the International Organization of Employers, said, “The ILO did a great job with the first-ever Just Transition Pavilion at COP27. We’re proud to have been part of this effort to create an obvious space for convening employers and workers and promoting their experiences, challenges, and priorities.”
Analysis by: Advocacy Unified Network
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