Ahead of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, which will be held on October 31, ILO has called on nations to prioritize ther world of work aspects of the Paris Agreement on climate change to guarantee a just transition to greener economies. Governments need to integrate into their long-term plans towards zero carbon emissions, clear and concrete measures to promote decent work.

Alongside these measures, comprehensive and coherent polices are needed, involving all actors in the world of work, to enable successful structural change and deep economic and social transformations.

Moustapha Kamal Gueye, head of the ILO’s Green Jobs programme stressed the need for a full range of social and labour market policies to be deployed, in line with the ILO’s Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all

This includes concrete action in the areas of sustainable growth, industrial and sectoral policies, employment and social protection policy, public investment, enterprises, labour migration governance, skills, occupational safety and health, social protection, labour market policies, rights, social dialogue and tripartism.

‘We must ensure that climate change policies leave no one behind and empower all climate actors by promoting decent job creation and by fully taking into account the needs and priorities of indigenous and tribal peoples, persons with disabilities, displaced people with disabilities, migrant workers, workers in the informal economy and the rural sector and youth,’ Gueye said.

Adequate national and international financing are essential to ensure that the transition to sustainable economies does not adversely affect workers’ livelihoods.

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