The 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC

ILO to advocate for a Just Transition at COP27

Keeping the social dimension of climate change at the forefront of discussions will be the focus of events being organized by the International Labour Organization at the COP27 UN Climate Change Conference.

News | 27 October 2022
GENEVA (ILO News) – The social dimensions of climate change will be highlighted in a series of events hosted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) at the COP27 UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt. 

These include a 49-country initiative on Climate Action for Jobs, a new Green Jobs for Youth Pact, and the launch of products that support the financing of a just transition and nature-based solutions.

The ILO will also be hosting the first ever Just Transition Pavilion, together with the European Commission.

The pavilion will host workshops, events and meetings focusing on a just transition and the climate change agenda. These will include a preview of the ILO, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) joint report on Decent Work in Nature-based Solutions (NbS), which will look at the how investments in NbS can create decent work and a Just Transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all.

Events in the Pavilion will also examine other priorities set by the COP Presidency, including accelerating global climate action through emissions reduction, scaled-up adaptation efforts and enhanced flows of appropriate finance.

The Pavilion will be the location for the Just Transition Knowledge Hub where experts will discuss just transition examples and have interactive and practical exchanges about challenges, opportunities, and approaches. This will include live daily events focusing on different themes and questions related to a Just Transition.

The Green Jobs for Youth Pact, which is to be launched on 9 November following the opening of the Just transition Pavilion, is a partnership between the ILO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the European Commission, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP); the children and youth constituency of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (YOUNGO) and LinkedIn. The pact aims at closing the skills gap for young people in developing countries and targeting climate vulnerable sectors.

A Just Transition embodies a society-wide approach to climate change and, in the spirit of One UN, encourages different UN agencies to maximize their competitive advantages to tackle the common problem. Working with its partners, the ILO’s participation at COP27 aims to showcase concrete initiatives, projects, and tools that can support just transition plans in both developed and developing countries.

COP27 takes place from 6 to 18 November 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

The list of ILO events at COP27 is regularly updated and available for consultation online.

Note to COP27 participants: The COP27 Just Transition Pavilion will be located in the Blue Zone of the Sharm el-Sheikh International Convention Centre (SHICC). All in-person participants must secure their badge into the Blue Zone as a member of their national delegation or any other official delegation. Some events will be livestreamed on ilo.org/cop27.