"COP29: A major setback for workers"

The 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, ended with disappointing results, particularly for workers. The outcomes failed to address urgent needs in climate finance and Just Transition, leaving significant gaps in how the climate crisis, and its social impacts are being tackled.

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For workers, COP29 was nothing short of a betrayal. The Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP), which was supposed to create pathways for workers as economies transition to greener models, made zero progress. There were no commitments on funding, no agreements on policy implementation leaving workers in vulnerable sectors and the global south unprotected and at risk. The exclusion of unions from critical discussions only compounded this injustice, stripping workers of their voice in decisions that will directly affect their livelihoods.

Efforts to accelerate the energy transition also stalled ...

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The results of COP29 make it clear: the world is not moving fast enough, nor inclusively enough, to meet the climate challenge. Unions must continue to hold governments accountable and demand climate justice that works for all people not just the wealthy few. The time for real, people-centered solutions is now.