Just Transition central to successful response to climate change, say unions and environmentalists

Ahead of a Scottish Government debate today (15/1/19) on securing a Just Transition to a Carbon-neutral Economy, the Just Transition Partnership, a coalition of trade unions and environmental organisations, highlights why a Just Transition is necessary.

The concept of a just transition is central to a successful response to climate change, and to build popular support for action on to cut emissions. A just transition must:

• Put protecting workers’ livelihoods, creating new jobs, and delivering a fairer Scotland at the centre of the move to a low-carbon economy
• Be embedded across and supported by Government priorities and infrastructure projects including the Climate Change Plan, the Publicly Owned Energy Company, the Scottish National Investment Bank, future economic strategies and the work of the enterprise agencies
• Involve trade unions, communities and environmentalists at the heart of the process
• Be put into statute under the Climate Change Bill

Grahame Smith, General Secretary, STUC:
“Climate change is one of the most significant challenges facing our society. A Just Transition can help secure the future and livelihoods of workers and their communities in the transition to a low carbon economy. However, we must learn from previous transitions and place good jobs and social and economic justice at the heart of our response. This will require significant Government policy, planning, direction and investment across all areas of the economy.”

Mary Church, Head of Campaigns, Friends of the Earth Scotland:
“A Just Transition for workers and communities currently dependent on high carbon industries is essential for a successful response to the climate emergency we are facing. We urgently need transformative change across all sectors to avert the economic and environmental costs of climate change, protect jobs, and to rebalance the economy to one which provides enough decent jobs making and doing things in non-polluting ways.

“The current marketised energy system has failed to deliver on the transformation required, therefore a Just Transition approach should be firmly embedded in the Publicly Owned Energy Company and Scottish National Investment Bank to drive forward the necessary change.”

ENDS