Teresa Ribera confirms the Government of Spain's commitment to a just transition that puts the focus on people

In "this unprecedented emergency that must be resolved very quickly", Teresa Ribera urged people to be active, to "learn from the past" and to open up a social and inclusive dialogue that allows a consensus to be forged.

Within the framework of the 25th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 25), the acting minister took part in the opening of the event presenting the results of the Climate Action for Jobs initiative together with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, and the Secretary-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder.

This initiative has been promoted by Spain and Peru under the auspices of the United Nations. It has so far achieved a commitment from 46 countries to implement fair transition plans through social dialogue, the creation of decent work and green jobs. Teresa Ribera welcomed the level of commitment reached and hoped that soon "there will be many more countries joining".

The Acting Minister for Ecological Transition stressed that these plans translate into specific tools that can ensure climate action results in a just transition by determining where the job opportunities are and what skills and competencies are needed by workers if they are to be an active part of this change.

Putting people first

She explained that as soon as a government was formed, the Ministry for Ecological Transition had to act quickly to address the urgent social challenges linked to the closures of private mines and production units. "No-one has thought about the people who have contributed to Spain's development for decades", she noted.

At the same time, and with the aim of developing an ecological transition that puts people first, the Ministry for Ecological Transition has developed an Energy and Climate Framework. As Teresa Ribera explained, this put the draft bill to address this transformation, the planned decarbonisation of Spain over the next decade (the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan) and the National Strategy for a Just Transition "at the same level". These three documents are supplemented by the Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty.

Non official translation