Major barriers to just transition for workers in emission-intensive industries in Europe – researchers
Clean Energy Wire
Comparatively high salaries and a lack of similarly paid job alternatives present significant hurdles to the transition of the workforce in emission-intensive manufacturing (EIM) in Europe, said researchers from the Berlin-based Hertie School and its Jacques Delors Centre.
“The [climate-friendly] transition poses significant challenges for regions highly dependent on EIM jobs due to fewer outside employment opportunities and significant wage premiums in these sectors,” said co-author Anke Hassel. “This makes job mobility and reskilling difficult for workers who might face displacement.”
While EIM sectors employ only 4.3 percent of the workforce in the European Union, they account for 18.6 percent of the union’s total emissions – making them especially affected by emission reduction policies, said the paper. The research shows that jobs in these sectors are often held by male workers with mid-level skills, often situated in rural areas. “Although these workers face substantial challenges in adapting to new skill needs or potential sectoral decline, they are generally less likely to participate in training courses than workers in other sectors,” said the paper.
The researchers argue that just transition approaches should cease to mostly focus on (former) fossil fuel regions, and instead provide tailored transition plans for areas with a lot of EIM. As local conditions can vary significantly, it is important to assess place-specific challenges for workforce transition, they said. “For these workers, policies could include paid training leave and specialised qualification programmes, helping them acquire the skills needed in clean technology manufacturing or other sectors anticipated to emerge in their region,” said the paper.
