COP31: Africa’s 18m workers sound alarm, demand climate justice, green jobs, billions in funding

By Victor Ahiuma-Young Africa’s 18 million organised workers have sounded a strong warning ahead of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), demanding climate justice, decent jobs, affordable energy and billions of dollars in climate financing to ensure that the continent does not bear the burden of the global energy transition. The Africa Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), representing workers in 52 African countries, has called on African governments, developed nations, international financial institutions and other climate-transition partners to put workers and communities at the centre of climate policies.

In its five-point demands ahead of COP31, organisation’s General Secretary, Akhator Joel Odigie, insisted that the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy must not come at the expense of workers’ livelihoods, economic security and fundamental labour rights. According to the statement: “The COP31 demands are premised on the central proposition that decarbonization must be accompanied by decent work, democratic control and a fair distribution of costs and benefits.

This approach places the livelihoods and rights of workers and communities at the heart of climate policy, rather than treating workers as secondary considerations. “Meaningful trade union representation is therefore essential to the design and implementation of the transition. “Under its first major demand, ITUC-Africa called for universal, affordable and reliable access to electricity across Africa, insisting that energy must be recognised as a developmental right and public obligation.

“It urged governments to strengthen public energy utilities, improve electricity infrastructure and ensure that decisions on energy investment, tariffs and service delivery involve workers and affected communities. “The organisation also cautioned against energy-sector arrangements that transfer financial risks to governments and taxpayers while guaranteeing protected private returns.

“On climate financing, ITUC-Africa called on developed countries to provide new, additional, predictable and adequate funding, primarily through grants and highly concessional public financing. “It maintained that African countries should not be forced to accumulate more debt in their efforts to address the climate crisis. “The organisation further demanded adequate funding for the Loss and Damage Fund, insisting that financial support must reach vulnerable African countries and communities suffering the consequences of extreme weather events and slow-onset climate impacts.

“It called for debt relief, progressive taxation, windfall taxes on excessive profits in the extractive sector and stronger action against tax avoidance and illicit financial flows to mobilise resources for climate action and public services. “On employment, ITUC-Africa called for stronger international commitments to a just transition, demanding that workers must not be abandoned as economies move towards cleaner energy systems.

“It urged COP31 to strengthen the UNFCCC Just Transition Work Programme and operationalise the Just Transition Mechanism to provide technical assistance, capacity-building and financial support for countries developing national transition pathways. “The organisation insisted that governments must guarantee workers’ participation in transition decisions, including plans involving the restructuring or closure of industries.

“It also called for employment-impact assessments, skills development, retraining, redeployment opportunities, job or income guarantees, occupational safety and health protections, and universal social protection. “Women, young people, migrant workers and those in the informal economy were identified as groups requiring specific protection in the transition process.

“In another major demand, the labour organisation called for Africa to use the global shift towards renewable energy as an opportunity to accelerate industrialisation rather than remain a supplier of unprocessed raw materials. “It demanded greater investment in local processing of critical minerals, component manufacturing, technology transfer, research and development, and African participation in higher-value green supply chains.

“According to ITUC-Africa, investments in renewable energy and critical minerals must create decent jobs, promote local manufacturing, strengthen technical skills and guarantee strong environmental and labour protections. “It warned against reproducing the continent’s traditional extractive economic model under the banner of green energy. “The organisation also called for institutionalised labour representation in national energy planning, climate-finance governance, regulatory processes, just-transition commissions and national delegations to COP31.

“It maintained that workers’ participation must go beyond general consultations, insisting that trade unions must have formal representation and meaningful