Workers and just transition
Youth trade union leaders adopt just transition resolution
Youth trade union leaders in Asia-Pacific have adopted a resolution calling for a just transition that puts workers and social justice at the centre of climate action.
4 May 2026
MANILA (ILO News) – Youth trade union leaders across Asia-Pacific have united to push for climate policies that protect jobs, livelihoods, and future generations.
The resolution was adopted at the end of the Regional Trade Union Youth Conference on Just Transition. It calls for urgent action to ensure that climate responses deliver decent work and economic security, especially for young workers.
The move comes as climate change continues to disrupt jobs, livelihoods and industries, which deepen inequalities across the region. Many young workers already face informal employment, insecure contracts, and limited social protection. The resolution stresses that without deliberate action, the shift to greener economies could worsen these conditions.
"A just transition is not just about climate. It is about fairness. If we focus only on green growth without addressing job quality, we will create new problems while trying to solve the old ones," said Khalid Hassan, Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for the Philippines. He noted that 60 to 70 per cent of young workers in the region remain in the informal economy with limited protection.
The conference was organized by the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities in partnership with the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and the ASEAN Trade Union Council (aseantuc).
"Workers must not be at the back of the line, but rather they must lead from the front. Just transition is essentially about making sure that our response to climate crisis will not leave behind the very people whose welfare we should be working so hard for," said Gigi Mathay, Director for National and International Affairs of the TUCP.
The importance of the resolution is underscored by the risks of inaction. TUCP further warned that the region’s gross domestic product could fall by up to 41 per cent by the end of the century if climate impacts are not addressed.
The conference, held on 23 to 24 April 2026 in Manila, brought together 25 youth trade union leaders from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Timor-Leste, and the Philippines. It marked a shift toward stronger youth leadership in shaping labour and climate policies.
"There can be no transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all without social justice, without social dialogue, and without the promotion and implementation of international labour standards – this is why just transition is key. Achieving this requires a strong role for trade unions and the meaningful participation of workers, especially young workers," said Ariel Castro, Desk Officer for ILO ACTRAV Asia-Pacific. He added that the conference signalled a move from project-based activities to youth-led and union-driven action.
Participants also called for young workers to take a more active role in shaping economic policy. The conference aimed to equip them with the knowledge to influence national decisions on investment and industrial strategy.
The resolution sets out key demands to ensure a worker-centred and youth-inclusive transition. These include fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to collective bargaining in emerging green sectors. It calls for meaningful participation of young workers in decision-making bodies, including voting roles in social dialogue and climate governance.
The adopted resolution outlines several urgent demands and commitments:
- Decent work: A demand that green jobs must be high-quality, with fair wages and safe conditions, and the right to collective bargaining in all new green jobs rather than a continuation of precarious work.
- Institutionalized leadership: A commitment to strengthening youth structures within unions and ensuring meaningful, not token representation in national and global climate governance, including voting roles for youth in social dialogue and climate governance.
- Macroeconomic engagement: A call for state-led, worker-centred industrial policies and non-debt-creating climate finance to support national Just Transition programmes.
- Green and digital skills: Expanding upskilling and reskilling initiatives to bridge the gap between training and actual employment in the green and digital jobs.
The resolution urges governments to adopt worker-centred industrial policies and provide climate finance that does not increase debt. Finally, it encourages unions to use collective bargaining agreements to include green and social provisions and to engage directly in national climate commitments.
Trade unions and youth leaders are urged to promote these goals through practical initiatives such as negotiating green clauses in Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) and participating in the development and implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The adoption of the resolution signals a unified regional push to ensure that the transition to a low-carbon economy creates opportunities rather than deepening existing inequalities.
