The CEC European Managers (Confederation Européenne des Cadres) is deeply committed to a Just Transition towards a decarbonised industry and energy use, ensuring that no worker is left behind.
The President of the European Federation of Energy and Research Executives (FECER) took part in the 2nd ‘JustTransitionLead’ conference, held in Malaga (Spain) and attended by around a hundred representatives from major European companies and executive trade unions. The conference focused on the chemical and allied industries. Six companies presented their efforts towards a cleaner industry, often looking back over several years or even decades. Representatives from executive trade unions took part in the round-table discussions.
“The just transition is a collaborative endeavour in which we must all play our part,” noted Maxime Legrand, President of the CEC.
There are some striking similarities with our sector, the energy sector. Take, for example, the prominence of sustainability in the discourse of the chemical industry. It is also worth noting that the difficulties mentioned – including the stress experienced by managers faced with conflicting demands and the associated psychosocial risks, the pressure exerted by economic constraints, the need to remain competitive, the still highly diverse standards in a globalised market, and the recurring accusations of greenwashing – largely mirror the challenges facing all our industries.
We now look forward with interest to the ‘Just Transition Toolbox’, a ‘toolkit’ for sound management of sustainable development, which should be adaptable to sectors other than the chemical industry.
The ILO (International Labour Organisation) defines a Just Transition as follows in its Just Transition Guidelines (2015): “A Just Transition means greening the economy in a way that is as fair and inclusive as possible to everyone concerned, creating decent work opportunities and leaving no one behind. […] A Just Transition involves maximizing the social and economic opportunities of climate action, while minimizing and carefully managing any challenges – including through effective social, dialogue among all groups impacted, and respect for fundamental labour principles and rights.”
Sharing best practices can only be beneficial for everyone. But let us not delude ourselves: no one is offering a magic formula for a Just Transition. Any change, even when well supported, is uncomfortable to say the least, and FECER will continue to closely monitor the risks to employees and the solutions proposed for a just transition towards a low-carbon economy and low-carbon practices.
And beyond the concept of a Just Transition, the FECER will ensure that the so-called ‘green transition’ – as it is referred to in many European bodies – is synonymous with a technologically, economically and socially sound transition towards low-carbon energy sources.
The CEC’s Just Transition Leadership project is supported by the European Commission.
For more information, see : https://www.cec-managers.org