Industrial Relations in Europe 2012 - European Commission - Europa

Chapter 5: Greening the social dialogue
The role of the social partners in the transition to green and greener jobs has been gradually
increasing in recent years. However, more needs to be done to build a lasting and sustainable
social dialogue that can help to meet the challenges posed by the move to a competitive, lowcarbon
and resource efficient economy.
Based on a draft by Christine Aumayr-Pintar and Christian Welz, Eurofound
5.1 Introduction: European-level policy on greening and social partner positions
This chapter aims to bring together different strands of recent research in the field of industrial
relations and sustainability. It includes examples of social partner initiatives for managing the
transition, results from a new study on the quality of green jobs 41 , some incidence of
environmentally-related restructuring within the utilities sector 42 and reports the results of a
mapping exercise 43 on the level of representation in the newly emerging renewable energy industry
across Europe. Based on these pieces of research, conclusions on the importance and proposals for
the promotion of “greening” the social dialogue are drawn.
Within the framework of its Europe 2020 strategy, the European Union has re-confirmed its
commitment to move towards a competitive, low-carbon and resource-efficient economy. 44 In line
with this, a number of policies for coordinated Member State action have been advanced, the major
ones being the following:
- European climate and energy policy set the following key targets (the 20-20-20 targets): that
Member States jointly achieve a 20% energy reduction; source 20% of their energy from
renewables; and cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020, compared to 1990.
Binding legislation supporting implementation of these targets was contained in the EU
climate and energy package 2008, which includes aspects such as the Emission Trading
Scheme (EU ETS), an “effort sharing decision” for sectors not covered by the EU ETS,
binding national targets for the use of renewables and a legal framework for the promotion
of carbon capture storage 45 .
41 Eurofound 2012a
42 From the European Restructuring Monitor, ERM
43 Eurofound 2012b
44 See Commission Staff Working document: “Exploiting the employment potential of green growth” SWD(2012) 92
final.
45 European Commission, ‘The EU climate and energy package’, (consulted May 2012)
http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/package/index_en.htm
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