World Economic Forum OpEd: Climate justice must start with living wages

 

I recently wrote an article for the World Economic Forum exploring a question that is often missing from climate discussions: what happens to workers as the green transition accelerates?

Across sectors, companies are announcing increasingly ambitious climate commitments. Yet there is a critical gap. Many firms are moving quickly on emissions targets, but far fewer are ensuring that workers in their operations and supply chains earn a living wage. This disconnect risks embedding social inequality into the transition itself.

The article argues that climate ambition cannot be separated from economic security. If decarbonisation coincides with stagnant incomes, rising living costs and job insecurity, the transition may face resistance from the very communities it is supposed to benefit. A green transition that ignores workers’ livelihoods is unlikely to be politically or socially sustainable.

Climate justice is not only about reducing emissions. It is about ensuring that the transition to a low-carbon economy improves people’s lives rather than deepening inequality.

You can read the full article here: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/02/why-climate-justice-must-start-with-living-wages/