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Just transition

Just transition is the term used to describe the transition to a climate-neutral economy while securing the future and livelihoods of workers and their communities. A just transition to a climate-neutral economy provides and guarantees better and decent jobs, social protection, more training opportunities and greater job security for all workers affected by global warming and climate change policies. 

Topic

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Eurofound research

Eurofound's research is shaped by the key challenges for social cohesion and a just transition in a changing environment. It covers the areas of working conditions, industrial relations, employment and living conditions, providing evidence that can assist policy action. 

Main topics linked with the move towards a just transition include working conditions and sustainable work, employment and labour markets, digitalisation, the future of manufacturing, people’s living conditions and well-being, restructuring, skills and training and youth, among others. Research findings could potentially feed into the work of the Just Transition Platform, which assists EU Member States and regions to unlock the support available through the Just Transition Mechanism.

Eurofound also collaborates with the European Environment Agency (EEA) on research around the transition to a climate-neutral economy, in particular environmental and socioeconomic convergence

Key outputs

EU context

A just transition at European level focuses on two core issues for transition, moving towards a green and digital Europe where no one will be left behind

As a committed party to the Paris Climate Agreement, the EU submitted its long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategy to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in March 2020. It sets out the extent of the transition across sectors and regions and lays the ground for designing a just transition.  

Green and digital transition

At the heart of the EU’s long-term strategy is the European Green Deal, which is one of six European Commission priorities for 2019–2024 and the compass to guide Member States towards a green transition that is fair for all citizens. It will contribute to the financing of the transition that Europe faces through its Just Transition Mechanism. In the political guidelines for the next European Commission 2024–2029, Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the importance of staying the course with the European Green Deal goals and committed to a significant increase in funding for a just transition across the next long-term budget. This will go hand in hand with the development of a Quality Jobs Roadmap.

Responding to the way digital technology is changing our lives, another Commission priority is to create a Europe fit for the digital age, leading the transition to a healthy planet and a new digital world through its European Digital Strategy.

Strong social Europe for just transitions

In January 2020, the European Commission presented its Communication ‘A strong social Europe for just transitions’. This vision to reinforce social Europe prepared the way for an Action Plan to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights, which is the European social strategy to make sure that the ‘transitions of climate neutrality, digitalisation and demographic change are socially fair and just’. 

Eurofound’s work related to the just transition links in with several of the Commission’s 2019–2024 priorities, and is highly relevant here.

 

European Industrial Relations Dictionary 

Eurofound expert(s)

​Stavroula Demetriades

Stavroula Demetriades is a senior research manager in the Employment unit at Eurofound. She has responsibility for research in the areas of the green and just transition, social...

Senior research manager,
Employment research unit
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Tina Weber is a senior research manager in Eurofound’s Working Life unit. Having previously shared her time between the Employment and Working Life units, her work has focused on...

Senior research manager,
Working life research unit
Publications results (19)

Multistakeholder partnerships are essential to ensure that the green transition is not only environmentally sound and economically viable but also socially just. This policy brief investigates how relevant actors (national and regional authorities, the social partners and civil society organisations

02 September 2024

Workers will experience the effects of climate change in many ways: job insecurity, changes to their work tasks and responsibilities, and changes in their workplaces that may involve different work practices and the development of new activities and products. Climate change risks are associated with

01 July 2024

O relatório em causa explora a dinâmica do desempenho ambiental dos Estados-Membros da UE e a medida em que as disparidades no seu desempenho diminuíram desde o início da década de 2000. O relatório é um produto da cooperação entre a Eurofound e a Agência Europeia do Ambiente, reunindo os

03 August 2023

This report investigates the involvement of social partners in the just transition to a climate-neutral economy, with a particular focus on the territorial just transition plans. These plans aim to support the regions most negatively affected by the just transition by assisting workers to retrain

19 July 2023

A transição da UE para uma economia com impacto neutro no clima exige uma verdadeira revolução industrial limpa. O presente relatório explora as potenciais implicações socioeconómicas dessas mudanças fundamentais para as diferentes regiões e grupos populacionais europeus, seguindo uma abordagem

19 June 2023

On request by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Eurofound prepared a background paper as a basis for the discussion at the informal Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) meeting on 3-4 May 2023. The paper outlines some of the key challenges

04 May 2023

This paper presents an analytical summary of current academic and policy literature on the impact of climate change and policies to manage the transition to a carbon-neutral economy on four key domains: employment, working conditions, social dialogue and living conditions. It maps the main empirical

12 April 2023

À medida que as economias começam a recuperar da pandemia de COVID-19, a escassez de mão de obra está a tornar-se cada vez mais evidente, apesar do impacto da guerra na Ucrânia nos preços dos produtos energéticos e das matérias-primas. Esta escassez inclui carências exacerbadas pela crise em alguns

28 March 2023

This paper provides a context for the questions to be explored within the Foundation Forum 2022. Europe is emerging from the COVID-19 crisis having managed to protect its economy in the face of a major shock and prevent mass unemployment. However, challenges remain. While the Member States up to now

24 February 2022

The informal meeting of EU ministers responsible for employment and social policy (EPSCO) took place in Bordeaux on 14–15 February 2022. The meeting focused on the challenges posed by the major green and digital transitions to the labour market, and the way in which the European Union can support th

14 February 2022

Online resources results (6)

Tripartite Exchange Seminar 2024: The role of social dialogue in a green just transition

Explore our digital summary of the discussion during the Tripartite Exchange Seminar 2024. The TES 2024 is a joint initiative of four EU agencies – Cedefop, EEA, ETF and Eurofound – to put social dialogue at the heart of a green just transition in national and European social initiatives.

Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound researchers Agnès Parent-Thirion, Tina Weber and Jorge Cabrita about how climate change is influencing working conditions and the labour market in Europe, the role of the green transition, and how policy can help protect workers and safeguard workplaces.

16 Outubro 2024

Climate change objectives and decarbonisation measures are vital for the future of Europe. But how will these objectives impact employment and the labour market? In this episode of the Eurofound Talks podcast series, Mary McCaughey speaks with Eurofound Senior Research Manager John Hurley about new

22 Novembro 2023

Presentation by Ricardo Rodriguez Contreras, Research Manager, Eurofound. 2-3 October 2023, EMCO meeting hosted by the Spanish Presidency, Madrid.

9 Outubro 2023
Image of a group of cyclists crossing at a street junction.

Facing up to the social realities of the green transition

The European Green Deal binds the European Union to becoming a climate-neutral territory by 2050. As part of this, the European Climate Law (June 2021) commits the EU to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% (compared with 1990 levels) by 2030. To achieve this, a fundamental transformati

The rise in cost of living and energy poverty: Social impact and policy responses. 14 October 2022, Informal Meeting of Employment and Social Affairs Ministers (EPSCO). Presentation by Ivailo Kalfin, Executive Director, Eurofound.

14 Outubro 2022
Blogs results (6)

Not only do we need appropriate policy measures to drive the shift to a carbon-neutral economy, we also need sound policy to ensure no one is left behind – we need to ensure a just transition.

2 Maio 2024

‘Building back better’ is not just an empty slogan – we need the construction sector to help us achieve our climate targets. Eurofound research reveals that construction is where the Fit for 55 climate policy package will generate the most net new employment.

4 Dezembro 2023
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Rising energy prices are putting more people under increased financial pressure and at greater risk of energy poverty. In this data story, we take a closer look at the data from the fifth round of the Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey to explore the extent of the issue and the threat of energy

3 Agosto 2022
Image of people waiting for tram in city street and man cycling on cycle path

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions have caused energy prices to soar. Governments seeking to alleviate the negative impacts of price increases on households have introduced energy subsidies and VAT reductions for electricity, gas and fuel. While such policies may be needed

10 Junho 2022
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When it comes to Europe’s COVID-19 recovery and its aspiration to build back a more resilient society, the so-called green and digital transitions have dominated EU policy discussions. And as Eurofound made preparations for the 2022 Foundation Forum – a unique occasion for high-level debate on the s

11 Março 2022
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At the very outset of its mandate, the new European Commission presented the European Green Deal, establishing the objective of becoming the first climate-neutral bloc in the world by 2050. The initiative emphasises the seriousness which the European Commission places on the climate and biodiversity

21 Fevereiro 2020
Data results (1)

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