Employment in the circular economy4 December, 2025Between 121 and 142 million people worldwide are employed in sectors that contribute to the circular economy, such as repair, recycling, second-hand trade and waste management. This represents roughly between 5 and 5.8 percent of total global employment (excluding agriculture), according to a new joint report by Circle Economy, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank Group, in partnership with the UN Partnership for Action on Green Economy (UN-PAGE).
COP30 in Belém: a more open COP delivers a new step on Just Transition26 November, 2025COP30 closed in Belém with a tone and atmosphere unlike recent years. Under the Brazilian Presidency, the summit was marked by more transparency, easier access to delegates and more open civic participation, including peaceful demonstrations inside the venue. For trade unions and civil society, this shift represented a meaningful change after several restrictive and difficult COPs.
African trade unions push for HRDD in green minerals surge17 September, 2025As Africa’s critical minerals power the global energy transition, trade unions are pressing for human rights due diligence (HRDD) to ensure that workers benefit from the continent’s rich mineral resources. At a conference in Accra, Ghana, on 2-3 September 2025, hosted by IndustriALL Global Union Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) regional office, 90 delegates from 15 countries including trade union leaders, partners and other stakeholders gathered to align global HRDD standards with African realities.
Southern Africa: textile workers call for a Just Transition that safeguards jobs21 August, 2025Textile, garment, shoe and leather (TGSL) workers in Eswatini and South Africa are calling for a Just Transition from carbon-intensive industries to low-carbon renewable energy economies that protects jobs and ensures economic equity.
What are South Africa’s green jobs?17 July, 2025With South Africa at a critical moment in its pursuit of a greener economy, the findings of a research report titled Mapping of Green Jobs, Skills Development and the Just Energy Transition, underscore the transformative potential of green jobs. The report highlights the need for targeted upskilling, international cooperation and policies to ensure a Just Transition that protects workers’ rights and livelihoods.
Just Transition manifesto: garment workers demand a fair, worker-led shift10 July, 2025Workers must not be forced to bear the costs of the green transition. That was the resounding message from the third workshop on decent jobs and social protection for a Just Transition in the textile and garment supply chain, held on 7 July, by the ITUC’s Just Transition and Climate department, IndustriALL Global Union and industriAll European Trade Union.
Unions promote labour in energy transition at Global Energy Efficiency Conference18 June, 2025On 12 and 13 June, IndustriALL Global Union took part in the 10th Global Conference on Energy Efficiency organized by the International Energy Agency (IEA), and in the meeting of the Clean Energy Labour Council held during the conference in Brussels.
New research probes how workers in Southern Africa are reclaiming the Just Transition in critical minerals12 June, 2025Is the Just Transition in critical minerals industries veering towards greenwashing and how are workers mobilizing to redefine it? These questions anchor a pioneering study by IndustriALL Global Union’s Sub-Saharan Africa research team, in collaboration with the University of the Witwatersrand’s Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS).
ILO sets decent work standards for recycling through tripartite deal4 June, 2025After years of union advocacy and an intense week of negotiations held from 5-9 May, in Geneva, the ILO published the policy guidelines for the promotion of decent work in recycling. The document, adopted by representatives of governments, employers and trade unions, will be submitted for consideration to the ILO Governing Body at its 355th session in November 2025.
Glencore faces global scrutiny over ESG failures3 June, 2025On 28 May a delegation comprising trade union representatives, NGOs, Indigenous leaders and affected community members from Colombia, Canada, South Africa and Switzerland convened at Glencore's annual general meeting (AGM) in Zug, Switzerland. Their unified demand: Glencore must address its persistent environmental, social and governance (ESG) shortcomings and engage in meaningful global social dialogue.
