Towards a Green, Just and Competitive Future? 

Governing the Labour and Climate Transitions through Democratization

 

Monday 26 May 2025

 Conseil Central de l'Economie-Centraal Raad voor Bedrijfsleven / Conseil National du Travail-Nationaal Arbeidsraad

Av. de la Joyeuse Entrée 17, 1040 Bruxelles

Conference topic

 

Achieving sustainability within planetary boundaries requires substantial changes in how we produce and consume, and this transformation will affect labour relations.

Over the past decade, Belgian federal and regional authorities have developed targets, scenarios, and plans to transition towards a low-carbon economy, aligned with European strategies and international agreements. Simultaneously, a core aim has been to increase employment rates and foster labour market opportunities. Integrating climate goals with work, employment, and broader social objectives is a key aspect of the concept of a just transition.

In this context, the LAMARTRA team aimed to explore the potential futures that could emerge from the low-carbon and labour transitions. It also sought to understand how these transitions can be governed to achieve both climate objectives and just work and employment opportunities.

A successful transition will have to navigate the redistribution of risks and opportunities in the labour market arising from labour shortages, working conditions, and labour market transitions among different economic sectors and socio-demographic groups. Deepening the practice of democracy at the various levels (firm, industry, societal…) appears to be a critical avenue toward a better future. This conference will discuss research results coming out of the Lamatra project which speak to the various ways through which the labour and ecological transitions are conducted and how democratisation in its various forms (social dialogue, consultation, workers’ participation, etc.) contribute to the successful governance of the double transition.

 

Registration:

Preliminary Conference programme 

 

8.30 – 9.10 Welcome and coffee

9.10 – 9.20 Presentation of LAMARTRA project by Tom Bauler (SONYA - ULB)

9.20 - 9.30  Opening address by Rudi Delarue, President of the Belgian National Labour Council

9.30 – 10.30 Plenary session: The Green Transition and the Labour Market: Risks and Opportunities

Coordinators: Mikkel Barslund (HIVA - KULeuven) and Karolien Lenaerts (HIVA - KULeuven)

  • Presentation: Employment risks and opportunities linked to decarbonization (KULeuven) 15’
  • Panel discussion (25’) with:
    • Ann Coenen, FPS Employment, Labour and Social Dialogue
    • Kristine van Herck, Economic Policy Officer, DG ECFIN, European Commission
  • Audience discussion (20’)

10.30 – 10.50 Coffee break

10.50 – 11.50 Plenary session democratisation 1: The Key Role of Workers Participation

Coordinators: Isabelle Ferreras (FNRS & UCLouvain-CriDIS), Sebastián Perez Sepulveda (UCLouvain-CriDIS)

  • Presentation: Workers participation at firm level for the transition (UCLouvain) 15’
  • Panel discussion (25’) with:
    • Isabelle Schömann, Deputy General Secretary,  European Trade Union Confederation
    • Joanne Caddy, Co-Chair of the Working Group on “Towards a Regenerative Democracy” of the International Panel on Social Progress (IPSP)
    • Philippe Roman, Economics professor at ICHEC-Brussels
  • Audience discussion (20’)

11.50 – 13.00 Lunch break

13.00 – 14:00 Plenary session democratisation 2: The Integrating role of social dialogue

Coordinators: Louis Florin (SONYA - ULB) and Tom Bauler (SONYA - ULB)

  • Presentation: Institutional integration of decarbonization, employment and social policies (ULB) (10’)
  • Presentation: Integration of environmental considerations at the Central Economic Council, Luc Denayer, Secretary General (10')
  • Panel discussion (25’) with:
    • Arnaud Collignon, Policy Officer at Canopea
  • Audience discussion (15’)

14.00 - 14.20 Coffee break

14.20 – 15:20 Plenary session democratisation 3: The Framing Role of Visions about the Future

Coordinators: Pierre Delvenne (Spiral - ULiège) and Sarah Delvaux (Spiral - ULiège)

  • Presentation: Uncertain and contested futures and transitions (ULiège) 15’
  • Panel discussion (25’) with:
    • Antoine Cahen, Special Advisor to the Director for Impact Assessment & Foresight at the European Parliament Research Service (EPRS)
    • Jacques Teller, Professor of urban planning and Director of the Local Environment Management and Analysis (LEMA) research group,University of Liège.
  • Audience discussion (20’)

15.20 – 16.20 Keynote and concluding remarks

  • Keynote by Teresa Ribera, European Commission Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition (TBC)