Work, Economy & the Just Transition

Work, Economy & the Just Transition

 

The social democratic understanding of progress in the 21st century combines social, economic, and ecological responsibility. The power of automation, combined with the global threats posed by increasing inequality and climate change – two of the greatest present-day challenges – prompts us to rethink much of our economic, industrial, and social models. Hence, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is committed to a Just Transition – a socially and ecologically just structural change that enables sustainable economic activity, climate protection, and better life prospects for all.

FES UK strives to support both people and the economy for a Just Transition in the UK and Germany. We work with political and economic experts, international organisations, and trade unions to develop strategies and provide advice on how the UK and Germany can work together to achieve social justice and sustainability, especially in the aftermath of Brexit. In dialogue formats and publications, we develop approaches on how the EU and UK can successfully work together on climate and social policies. We need to safeguard and strengthen the welfare state, contribute to gender equality, and develop climate-neutral energy systems and industries.

Trade unions are at the forefront of the struggles for a democratic and sustainable world of work. International dialogue, policymaking, and strategising are essential to ensure effective workers’ representation. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung works closely with workers, activists, and officials to promote stronger, more democratic, and more inclusive trade unions. In addition, our work in this area is supported by our Future of Work and Just Climate offices, both of which are located in Brussels and were founded in 2021. FES Future of Work aims to discuss and debate the future of work at the European level, and FES Just Climate focuses on energy, industrial, structural, and labour policies, as well as the European Green Deal.

Related Events

The Road to a Carbon-Free Society

Gareth Forest & Anna Markova (November 2021): While there is a consensus in the UK on the need to decarbonise the economy, there is no clear roadmap for how to do this on the timeline or the scale necessary to prevent irreversible damage to the climate.

The Road to a Carbon-Free Society

The UK government has enshrined targets that align with official scientific advice on climate  change. While it has publicly announced very ambitious goals it has only hesitantly taken up steps to support the decarbonisation of domestic industries. A comprehensive, socially and ecologically sustainable industrial strategy that is co-designed by and with workers is still lacking. Social justice, gender justice, decent work and collective bargaining are essential components of this historical structural change, achievable only through worker participation, and without them a just transition will be impossible to realise.

Five areas of the economy are closely associated with two-thirds of all UK greenhouse gas emissions: fossil energy supply; energy intensive manufacturing; aviation; automotive; and meat and dairy production. Tripartite dialogue is rare at the national level and the level of public investment is far behind what is required to decarbonise at pace and to protect workforces, but workplace climate organising is pressing ahead despite government inaction.

Read the full report here.

No items found

Related Publications

The Road to a Carbon-Free Society

Gareth Forest & Anna Markova (November 2021): While there is a consensus in the UK on the need to decarbonise the economy, there is no clear roadmap for how to do this on the timeline or the scale necessary to prevent irreversible damage to the climate.

The Road to a Carbon-Free Society

The UK government has enshrined targets that align with official scientific advice on climate  change. While it has publicly announced very ambitious goals it has only hesitantly taken up steps to support the decarbonisation of domestic industries. A comprehensive, socially and ecologically sustainable industrial strategy that is co-designed by and with workers is still lacking. Social justice, gender justice, decent work and collective bargaining are essential components of this historical structural change, achievable only through worker participation, and without them a just transition will be impossible to realise.

Five areas of the economy are closely associated with two-thirds of all UK greenhouse gas emissions: fossil energy supply; energy intensive manufacturing; aviation; automotive; and meat and dairy production. Tripartite dialogue is rare at the national level and the level of public investment is far behind what is required to decarbonise at pace and to protect workforces, but workplace climate organising is pressing ahead despite government inaction.

Read the full report here.

The road to a carbon-free society

Forest, Gareth; Markova, Anna

The road to a carbon-free society

United Kingdom
London, 2021

Download publication (340 KB, PDF-File)