International Labour Confederation (ILC)

Statement on the Occasion of World Environment Day – 5 June

A Just Transition and a Livable Future Are Only Possible Through the Struggle of Labour

On the occasion of World Environment Day, the International Labour Confederation (ILC) reaffirms that environmental sustainability and labour rights are inseparable. The climate crisis, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss are not merely ecological challenges—they represent a global justice crisis that deepens existing social inequalities.

Extreme weather events, droughts, rising sea levels, the degradation of agricultural land, and the depletion of natural resources threaten livelihoods, undermine job security, and destabilize social cohesion across the globe.

These dynamics are fuelling an ever-growing wave of forced migration. Millions of people are being displaced from lands rendered uninhabitable, exacerbating poverty, unemployment, and social injustice in urban centres and beyond.

Women and children are disproportionately affected by these intersecting crises. As providers of both productive and care labour, they are directly impacted by the erosion of food security, agricultural livelihoods, and public health systems. The compounding pressures of migration, poverty, and precarity expose them to multilayered discrimination and exploitation. At the same time, the climate crisis is a direct threat to the lives and futures of younger generations. The struggle for environmental justice is, therefore, also a struggle to defend the future. 

As ILC, we firmly believe that a just transition is only possible through an approach that puts labour at its centre and upholds the principle of social equality. In this regard, we underline the following:

·        Workers and communities must be protected throughout the transition to low-carbon economies; social security systems must be strengthened, and trade unions must be granted active roles in all decision-making processes;

·        Profit-driven approaches that externalize environmental costs onto labour must be rejected, and a production model based on the public good and ecological balance must be promoted;

·        Green transition policies must guarantee unionized, secure, and dignified jobs. The “green” label must not be used to legitimize the exploitation of labour;

·        The leadership and rights of women, local communities, migrant workers, and youth in climate action must be fully recognized and supported.

It must not be forgotten that the current environmental crisis has its historical roots in the disproportionate greenhouse gas emissions of wealthy, industrialized countries over centuries. Yet, those bearing the least historical responsibility—workers and poor communities—are paying the highest price today. For this reason, a just transition must be understood as not only a national, but also a global responsibility. Climate finance, technology transfer, and international accountability mechanisms must be implemented on the basis of justice, in order to repay the climate debt and address global inequalities. 

As the International Labour Confederation (ILC), we are proud to be part of this global struggle.

On this occasion, we call upon all governments, international institutions, and private sector actors to place labour rights at the heart of climate policy. Environmental sustainability can only be achieved through an economic transformation that is democratic, socially just, and grounded in equality.

There can be no social justice without environmental justice.

A green future will be built through the organized struggle of workers, women, and peoples.