Just transition demands restructuring labour markets
Just transition is central to cities. Research is making it increasingly evident that transitions towards climate neutrality will have significant (re)distributive effects that are geographically, sectorally and socially uneven.
Negative externalities will not only hit carbon-intensive areas, such as mining regions, but will occur within all cities and towns. From an employment perspective, this means disproportionate job-losses for low-paid, so-called “blue-collar” workers – in all likelihood widening existing income inequalities. With 78% of Europe’s population living in urban areas, the just transition must therefore create new ideas and opportunities for cities to restructure their labour markets.
How are cities to respond to this? The Urban Innovative Actions initiative (UIA), which is an ICLEI Europe partner, has released an insightful and timely new publication on this very question. The report, titled Skills for a green future, contributes to ongoing discussions regarding how to ensure that transitions are just for all, with a focus on employment.
The UIA report focuses on three primary approaches: (i) forecasting; (ii) facilitating growth of green jobs, and (iii) re-skilling. Overall, it finds that while many cities are taking an innovative and dynamic approach to the first two dimensions, there is a need to engage significantly more with the issue of reskilling of existing (often older) workers.
