COP26: Glasgow can show the way to a more sustainable planet – and must not leave workers and citizens behind

Delayed by a year due to the COVID pandemic, the 26^th U.N. climate summit brings representatives from almost 200 countries to Glasgow to negotiate measures to combat global warming.

The conference aims to keep alive the target of limiting temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels to mitigate the damage already caused by the greenhouse effect. Although negotiations are expected to be long, world leaders have already vowed to stop deforestation and cut methane emission levels by 30% to help slow climate change.

Undoubtedly, a possible consensus on international interventions that will minimise ecological footprints can revitalise the efforts towards a greener and more sustainable planet. However, the success of the transition to a climate-neutral economy also essentially depends on the impact it will have on our societies. It must be ensured that the transition will be socially just and this can only happen if citizens and, above all, workers will be part of environmental strategies.

CESI Secretary General Klaus Heeger said: “We are pleased to see any efforts of the international community to take climate change seriously. However, the shift to a greener economy can also mean employment-related and thus financial uncertainty for many workers. It is central that the green transition considers impacts on labour markets and jobs and is reconciled with the continued provision of quality employment opportunities for those workers that are adversely affected by green transition policies and measures. The green and the social must go together, at par with each other. We expect the EU Member States to raise this matter together in Glasgow. It is unfortunate that the European Commission President von der Leyen failed to make any reference to the social dimension of climate change policies in her speech at the COP26 on November 1.”