“The outcome of Baku was dismal: no decision on the Just Transition Work Programme, a weak agreement on climate finance, and no meaningful high-level commitments on the necessity for ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions. This is a huge disappointment for the labour movement.”

Giulia Laganà, director of the ITUC’s award-winning Just Transition Centre, speaks to Equal Times about what the transition to a low-carbon economy looks like in practice and why the imperfect COP process is still the best way to prevent total climate breakdown.

According to the ILO, more than two billion people are having to cope with the ravages of climate breakdown without any kind of protection, relying solely on their wits and kin to survive. This is why the organisation advocates the introduction of universal social protection.

While EU member states remain divided when it comes to investing in – and relying on – nuclear energy, they all face the same question: how can they safely dispose of nuclear waste?

Bagnoli, a post-industrialised and ecologically devastated district of Naples, offers an example of local people combining to struggle for a clean ocean and to create a socially just future.

The idea that the Global North owes an ‘ecological debt’ to the Global South remains controversial, particularly when it comes to putting an exact figure on that debt, let alone honouring it. This concept, however, refers to real responsibilities and inequalities arising from [...]

Climate disruption is leading to the onset of health problems, such as ‘heat stress’ or skin and eye diseases, while certain extreme weather events are responsible for a large number of work-related deaths every year. In Brazil, workers in the least skilled jobs are often hardest hit.

Bolivia’s second largest lake has been completely dried out since 2015. This is due to global warming, which is accelerating evaporation – already very high at 4,000 metres altitude – as well as the mining industry, which consumes a significant amount of water. The Uru Murato [...]

Solar is the energy of choice in refugee camps around the world that are turning to clean energy, whether at the initiative of UN agencies, humanitarian groups or governments.

The global digital and energy transition is increasing the demand for minerals. At the same time, resistance against projects is rising, support networks are being woven and initiatives to guarantee the rights of communities and decent working conditions are being developed.