On the 17th of May, Leonor, from the portuguese Climate Jobs campaign was on the panel on Just Transition at the Beyond Growth conference at the European Parliament (https://www.beyond-growth-2023.eu/).
This was a 3 day conference attended by over 1000 people including scientists, academics, trade unionists, activists, members of parliament, council and commission as well as members of various civil society organisations.
Leonor shared the campaign’s ideas while discussing a framework for a just transition on a panel with Patrizia Heidegger (European Environmetal Bureau), Éloi Laurent (economist, OFCE, Sciences Po Centre for Economic Research, Paris), Brototi Roy (researcher at the Central European University, Vienna and Autonomous University of Barcelona.) and Ludovic Voet (Confederal Secretary of European Trade Union Confederation).
A number of difficulties to a just energy transition within the current framework were pointed out, which make it difficult for workers in carbon-intensive sectors to trust the transition, and alienate them from the struggle for climate justice. Also was pointed the difficulty for trade unions to defend a just transition and workers’ interests through current social dialogue mechanisms. In addition, important issues were noted such as the fact that an energy transition in Europe and the Global North cannot be mean the exploitation and neo-colonialist models in other parts of the world, as well as the need to ensure that it is indeed an energy transition taking place and not an energy growth for profit. Thus, the need for global justice criteria in the energy transition, massive public investment and planning to ensure a just transition and to create conditions of security and guarantees for workers in carbon-intensive sectors through Climate Jobs programmes was made clear. The transition must be led by the public sector with strong engagement from workers, their organisations and communities to ensure it translates into a more democratic energy sector, as well as investment in quality public and universal services , and decent jobs.
The presentations and discussion can be viewed in full here: https://www.beyond-growth-2023.eu/lecture/focus-panel-20/
