Towards a Green, Just and Competitive Future? Governing the labour and climate transitions through democratisation

Achieving sustainability within planetary boundaries requires substantial changes in how we produce and consume, and this transformation will affect labour relations.

Over the past decade, Belgian federal and regional authorities have developed targets, scenarios, and plans to transition towards a low-carbon economy, aligned with European strategies and international agreements. Simultaneously, a core aim has been to increase employment rates and foster labour market opportunities. Integrating climate goals with work, employment, and broader social objectives is a key aspect of the concept of a just transition.

In this context, the LAMARTRA team aims to explore the potential futures that could emerge from the low-carbon and labour transitions. The team also seeks to understand how these transitions can be governed to achieve both climate objectives and just work and employment opportunities.

This conference will discuss research results from the LAMARTRA project which speak to the various ways through which the labour and ecological transitions are conducted and how democratisation in its various forms (social dialogue, consultation, workers’ participation, etc.) contribute to the successful governance of the double transition.