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In line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the European Pillar of Social Rights, fairness and solidarity are key objectives and principles of the European Green Deal, including:

• the Fit for 55 package to reach the EU’s 2030 climate target
• the REPowerEU Plan to accelerate the green transition and achieve energy security
• the General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030 to promote wellbeing and prosperity in a healthy environment

Fair green transition: key areas of activity

Ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality

The Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality sets out comprehensive guidance to Member States on the necessary policy packages to leave no one behind in the green transition.

The Commission’s follow-up actions include:

• monitoring implementation
• engaging with stakeholders, including in the context of the European Employment & Social Rights Forum of 16-17 November 2022 with focus on the social dimension of the green transition 
• strengthening the evidence base further, for instance through enhanced data collection and public opinion surveys on the fairness perceptions of the green transition  as well as on its actual impacts on the ground at local and company level

The European Semester and the Energy Union and Climate Action Governance provide the main frameworks for tracking progress, as done in the annual Semester Country Reports.

Employment, skills, social and distributional aspects of the green transition

To inform evidence-based policymaking, the Commission conducts research and analysis on the employment, skills, social and distributional aspects of the green transition as well as of the changing geopolitical contexts and rising energy prices.

Key projects are the joint Directorate-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) – Joint Research Centre (JRC)  projects on:

• Assessing and Monitoring Employment and Distributional Impacts of the Green Deal (GD-AMEDI)
• Assessing distributional impacts of geopolitical developments and their direct and indirect socio-economic implications, and socio-economic stress tests for future energy price scenarios (AMEDI+)

The Commission also conducts research in other key areas, such as climate change adaptation and just resilience as well as transport poverty.

The 2022 Strategic Foresight Report highlights the trade-offs and synergies between green and digital transitions, thereby contributing to strengthening the focus on dynamic coherence, preparedness and resilience.

To support the design and implementation of concrete solutions supporting fair transitions on the ground, in 2022, the Commission launched a call for proposals on Social innovations for a fair green and digital transition, inviting social economy actors, training institutions, local authorities, communities affected and other stakeholders to submit proposals for designing, piloting and testing innovative actions to promote fair transitions on the ground. The selected projects will be implemented during 2023-24.

Driving forward a just transition at all levels

The Commission is engaging actively with stakeholders on designing, implementing and monitoring just transition policies and related actions including:

• European social partners
• Just Transition Platform
• Industrial Forum
• Platform on Sustainable Finance
• European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG)
• European Alliance for a Just Transition
• EU Business Alliance for Just Transition
• just transition centres and others

The Commission promotes a just transition at the international level, in the context of the EU External Energy Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals. It participates in international events and conferences and engages with international stakeholders including:

• United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP)
• Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) meetings and initiatives including co-leading the CEM-initiative Empowering people: Skills & inclusivity for just transitions together with Canada and the U.S
• International Labour Organization (ILO) including through a first EU-ILO Just Transition Pavilion at COP-27 
• International Energy Agency (IEA) including a recent report on Skills Development and Inclusivity for Clean Energy Transitions
• World Energy Council and its work on Humanising Energy

Fair digital transition: key areas of activity

The Commission conducts policy analysis and research on the fairness dimension of the digital transition, in the context of the Digital Decade and in support of the European Digital Rights and Principles. To further advance on these two initiatives, the Commission engages with stakeholders on the digital divides and digital skill targets.

Future of work

Through cooperation with the JRC on Jobs in the Future (FutureJobs), the Commission aims to deepen insights on the future of work and on the socio-economic dimension of digital transformations, including platform work (through an upcoming third wave of the COLLEEM survey), as well as labour market impacts of the automation of services and of algorithmic management. The Commission is working on expanding the project to assess the synergies between green and digital transitions.

As part of the European Research Area, the Commission  is launching a new research action ERA4FutureWork to create a convening space for stakeholders to exchange on research and innovation (R&I) gaps, priorities and funding opportunities for the future of work. It will initiate a dialogue with Member States and the research community on critical emerging challenges for EU businesses and workers, including the role of R&I in facilitating fair green and digital transitions.

Contribution to Horizon Europe

In its new role as a Research DG, DG EMPL also contributes to the programming, implementation and governance of Horizon Europe, the €95.5 billion framework programme for R&I, by:

• co-creating the Strategic Plans for Horizon Europe
• co-chairing and developing the Work Programme for Cluster 2 (culture, creativity, and inclusive society) including proposals for new research topics on skills, social protection, labour mobility, employment conditions and social rights, for example:
  • providing support in a changing world of work and social protection
  • determining key drivers of inequality trends
  • integrating new technologies into education and training
  • monitoring employment and social impacts of changing supply chains and trade patterns
  • building a knowledge platform and network for social impact assessments of green transition policies
• mainstreaming employment, skills and social aspects and the integration of Social Sciences and Humanities in the work programmes of other Clusters and parts of the programme, notably
  • cluster 1: health
  • cluster 4: digital, industry and pace
  • cluster 5: climate, energy and mobility
  • Horizon Europe missions and partnerships
  • EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities
  • social research infrastructures (ESS, ERIC-SHARE)
• conducting studies and policy reviews on the role of R&I for fair green and digital transitions, organising seminars with researchers, and promoting and engaging a community users of research in the Social Sciences and Humanities
• ensuring feedback to policy and uptake of R&I outcomes in EU and national policy-making