Clean Energy Labour Council
Fostering dialogue between the IEA, stakeholders and the labour sector
A growing number of countries are setting increasingly ambitious goals to shift to clean energy, with significant implications for labour. IEA analysis estimates that the energy transition needed to reach net zero emissions will create 14 million new jobs in the realm of clean energy technologies, shift around 5 million workers away from fossil fuel sectors, and require additional skills and training for an estimated 30 million workers. However, these new jobs will not always be in the same places, suit the same workers or skillsets, or be of the same quality or remuneration.
In this context, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol in 2022 convened the IEA Clean Energy Labour Council to bring together representatives of the world’s most important national trade unions and trade union confederations, as well as prominent thinkers on the topic, to foster stronger dialogue between the IEA, its stakeholders and the labour sector.
The initiative aims to give a greater voice to the labour perspective in energy and climate policy discussions.
Co-chaired by Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, and Zingiswa Losi, President of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the Council aims to meet three to four times a year. As well as providing an informal platform of exchange between the IEA and trade union leaders, other key international stakeholders may be invited including in relation to G20 and COP activities.
Members of the Labour Council met for the first time in March 2022. Since then, various meetings have been held in both in Paris at the IEA Headquarters and in the sidelines of COP28 and COP29. Meeting, including technical workshops have also taken place online. The next Labour Council meeting will take place on 13 June 2025 as part of the 10th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency.
Membership
IEA Clean Energy Labour Council Membership List:
- Co-Chair: Luc Triangle, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
- Co-Chair: Zingiswa Losi, President, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
- Atle Høie, General Secretary, IndustriALL Global Union
- Joel Odigie, General Secretary, ITUC Africa
- Shoya Yoshida, General Secretary, ITUC Asia Pacific
- Rafael Freire Neto, General Secretary, Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA)
- Joe Ajaero, President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
- Elly Rosita Silaban, President, Confederation of All Indonesian Trade Unions (KSBSI)
- Reema Nanavaty, Executive Director, Self-Employed Women's Association India (SEWA)
- Judith Kirton-Darling, General Secretary, industriAll European Trade Union
- Bea Bruske, President, Canadian Labour Congress (CLC)
- Peggy Følsvik, First Deputy Leader, Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO Norway)
- Plamen Dimitrov, President, Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB)
- Carmen Foro, General Secretary, Unified Workers' Central (CUT Brazil)
- Frederick Moch, Head of Department, German Trade Union Confederation (DGB)
- Laurence Tubiana, CEO, European Climate Foundation (ECF)