The present situation is deeply concerning. The impacts of climate change are becoming more pronounced, characterized by unprecedented heatwaves, severe weather occurrences, and a rapid decline in biodiversity. It is now indisputable that our planet is confronting an unparalleled climate crisis. In light of this reality, World Environment Day assumes an enhanced significance as a worldwide platform to raise awareness and rally efforts towards safeguarding our delicate ecosystem.
Climate change exerts a wide-ranging influence on various facets of human existence, including weather patterns, the emergence of new diseases, migration, and human mobility. However, its detrimental impact on the labour market is particularly noteworthy, leading to decreased productivity, diminished job prospects, and a decline in gross domestic product (GDP). Recent research conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) reveals that if global temperatures rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030, it would result in a 2.2% reduction in working hours, equivalent to the loss of 80 million full-time jobs.
The Tangible Impact of Climate Change on Employment:
Climate change, along with adaptation and mitigation efforts, profoundly influences economic and social development, production and consumption patterns, employment, income, and poverty alleviation. One of the most apparent risks is posed to food and economic security, particularly in regions and sectors reliant on agriculture. According to the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, 22% of the global population depends on agriculture, which
also harbors the largest concentration of impoverished individuals (75% of the world’s poorest people, equivalent to one billion people living on less than a dollar a day).
Climate change threatens to jeopardise the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) because of its effects on agricultural sources of income, a threat exacerbated by the recent rise in food prices. Climate change is also having an impact on workers’ health, particularly in developing countries, which poses a further threat to the MDGs. The tourism sector, which is heavily dependent on weather conditions, is another example of a sector where employment has grown rapidly and which is likely to be impacted.
In a recent study, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimated that, by 2030, the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the resulting energy policies should lead to a total loss of 6 million jobs. This transition to more sustainable economic activities based on renewable energy sources will have a significant impact on the labour market, with job losses in some sectors and job opportunities in others. These figures underline the importance of a fair and equitable transition, with appropriate policies and accompanying measures to support workers affected by these structural changes.
Although it is difficult to predict which jobs will disappear, particularly as many of the current unsustainable jobs can be transformed through the adoption of “clean coal” technologies (CCTs), fossil fuel jobs are in decline. This decline can be attributed to a variety of factors that are not necessarily linked to the measures taken to combat climate change.
Navigating Climate Change and Job Preservation: Unveiling Solutions:
Significant investments in adaptation have the potential to generate a considerable number of jobs and income-generating opportunities in various sectors. These include extending coastal protection, reinforcing buildings and infrastructure, managing water resources, and improving crop harvesting techniques. Successful adaptation efforts will require the large-scale deployment of new technologies and the relocation of settlements and industries from high-risk areas. In the agricultural sector, for example, the impact of adaptation on employment and income can vary depending on factors such as the labor requirements of new crops, the adoption of farming practices, and their compatibility with small-scale farms. Access to finance under favourable conditions is essential to enable low-income farmers, small businesses, and disadvantaged communities to invest in adaptation. This calls for contributions from donors and the implementation of clear government policies, as demonstrated by numerous countries that have already embraced national sustainable development programs.
According to a study carried out by the ILO, based mainly on quantitative evaluations carried out in industrialised countries, the transition to a low-carbon economy should result in a net increase in jobs overall. However, this small net gain is the result of profound transformations in the labour markets, involving significant job losses in some sectors, offset by a greater increase in others. It is also plausible to assume that most of the jobs lost could be well-paid jobs in unionised sectors, such as the fossil fuel industry. If this is the case, it is legitimate to consider the role that collective bargaining can play in facilitating labour market adjustment while limiting social costs. These negotiations could focus in particular on the skills required to facilitate this transition.
Trade unions and eco-responsible policies:
The labor market and job stability face significant challenges from climate change policies, which have become a major concern for trade unions worldwide, especially in the Arab region. This concern has recently gained attention in Tunisia, where a contentious case has sparked widespread public debate. The case revolves around the closure of SIAPE, a phosphate
processing plant owned by Groupe Chimique Tunisien (GCT)1 located in Sfax. The plant is suspected of engaging in highly polluting activities that pose environmental risks. The closure of the plant has sharply divided public opinion in Tunisia.
Since the early 2000s, the people of Sfax had been calling for the closure of the plant, which employed 450 workers in addition to indirect jobs estimated at around 150, because of the pollution it generated. Located just 4km from the town centre, in the heart of the urban area, this site specialising in the production of Triple Superphosphate (TSP) was emitting acid fumes into the air and producing phosphogypsum, an industrial waste product rich in extremely toxic and slightly radioactive hydrofluoric acid. In 2008, COMETE Engineering estimated the cost of the environmental damage caused by the plant at around 683 million dinars (€214.6 million). In December 2016, several associations, organisations and components of civil society launched a petition calling on the government to close and dismantle the SIAPE plant to put an end to the environmental damage caused by its activities.
However, the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) opposed the closure of the plant, claiming that there were no comprehensive scientific studies proposing effective ways of reducing pollution while protecting workers’ rights.
In the absence of an agreement that takes into account the need to preserve the environment while protecting workers from the risk of redundancy, several officials of the UGTT, some of whom used to work for the same plant, claimed that the latter’s activities were harmless to the environment, pointing out that the organisation would never take the risk of exposing the health of its members and the inhabitants of the city of Sfax to such a risk. This opposition led to the closure and dismantling of the plant being postponed several times before it was finally decided to close in August 2019.
However, this closure did not prevent the UGTT from continuing its efforts to preserve the labour market in the region. After several negotiating sessions, the organisation succeeded in obtaining a commitment from the Ministry of Industry to transform “the 210 hectares of the factory into a technology park, a research centre, a green zone and a sports centre”. In partnership with the GCT, the Tunisian government is committed to an environment friendly Industry 4.0.
The SIAPE case serves as a potential precedent for similar situations in other regions of Tunisia, including Gabès and Rades. These areas also experience a concentration of industrial activities that pose significant environmental hazards. However, no concrete measures have been formulated to effectively address these activities’ detrimental impact on the climate while simultaneously ensuring job preservation.
The highlighted case serves as a prime example of the delicate balance between combating climate change and preserving jobs. This equation can only be fairly addressed with the involvement of trade unions. Through mechanisms such as collective bargaining, trade unions can effectively collaborate with governments and employers to navigate the ecological transition while safeguarding employment and workers’ rights. This collaborative approach enables a comprehensive and equitable resolution that accounts for both environmental concerns and the well-being of workers.
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