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How can governments do better at dealing with climate change and workers' rights?

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Irina Meeusen

05/09/2025 12:35 Edited

"World Social Protection Report 2024-26" of focuses on the essential role of universal social protection in enabling climate action and a just transition, more specifically on its role in mitigation and adaptation.: https://www.ilo.org/publications/flagship-reports/world-social-protection-report-2024-26-universal-social-protection-climate

Social protection is key to addressing life cycle and other risks, and to facilitate work and life transitions (example: climate change). There is a great intersection between the different aspects of social protection (SP) and the effects of climate change and climate policies. For example: 1/ the advantage of SP in providing unemployment benefits in the transition of workers from traditional employment to the green sectors, 2/ associated health risks like excess heat from climate or other sources and advantage of universal health coverage in addressing these, 3/ Other examples: child and family benefits, maternity, survivors' benefits, pensions, disability benefits etc. are inter linked. 

Life cycle risks need to be addressed regardless of the source of the risks, whether from climate change or climate policies. Solid SP systems are important in addressing all risks, which must not be addressed in silos. Social protection can help in:
*Adaptation to climate change: reducing vulnerabilities ex ante, protecting against impacts of disasters and displacement, incl. loss and damage, enhancing adaptive capacity for livelihood transition/diversification.
*Mitigation: compensation/cushioning negative impacts of climate policies, supporting the transition to green (decent) jobs, conserving/restoring carbon sinks, greening of pension funds.

Big challenge: SP coverage globally is still very low. Only half of the global population benefits from the barest minimum (only 1) SP coverage, which is not enough. SP coverage varies across regions and countries. Europe has the highest average coverage and Africa the lowest. Not much change in coverage over the period of 2015-2023 for Africa and the Arab states. 

From a climate perspective: those countries that have the highest vulnerability are the least covered by SP systems. 20 most vulnerable countries to climate change impacts have the least effective coverage of 8.7% of the population. 50 most vulnerable countries: 25% of the population have minimum coverage which is still not enough. More indicators on coverage, expenditure, financing, etc. are available in the report. 

Reference: CCC-DEBA-2025-05-78
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