Towards a Just Green Transformation in Transport: Lessons learnt from maritime

The availability of skilled labour and the right education will be a condition for the transport sector’s green transformation - including the global maritime industry. This side event will convene seafarers’ unions, shipowners, and governments. Speakers will share learnings on collaboration and unpack the conditions required for successful tripartite engagement – “social dialogue” – on sectoral decarbonization – a condition for a ‘Just Transition’ in global transport.

Focusing on the role of government, experts will discuss emerging best practice and critical policy measures when it comes to national maritime skills development, as future alternative fuel technologies, such as hydrogen and ammonia, will result in new training requirements and skillsets for seafarers. Speakers will discuss the role governments can play in establishing or supporting national advisory bodies for training and skills. Lastly, experts will consider measures which enable and support effective coherence between skills, education, transport and environmental policies – an essential component for a well-managed and just transformation.

The event will draw on experience from the Maritime Just Transition Task Force - the first global sectoral task force dedicated to a ‘Just Transition’. The Task Force was set up during COP 26 in Glasgow, by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), the United Nations Global Compact, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to ensure that shipping’s response to the climate emergency puts seafarers at the heart of the solution.