Supporting informal workers and economies for an inclusive transition

Clean energy transitions can significantly improve the livelihoods of people, generating many more jobs than will be lost. However, new jobs will not always be created in the same places, suit the same workers or skillsets, or be of the same quality or remuneration. As governments and international stakeholders work together to implement inclusive energy transitions, they need to consider the diversity of working conditions and status to ensure they minimise negative employment disruptions in a way that protects the most vulnerable in society.

In some parts of the world, informal workers make up a significant segment of the workforce, in which migrant workers and women are overly represented. This webinar, organised as part of the IEA’s people-centred clean energy transitions work programme, will look at key issues associated with informal workers and economies at the heart of inclusive energy transitions. With a focus on the Global South context, it will specifically discuss challenges and opportunities in designing clean energy policies that do not disproportionally impact on the informal labour force. The event will explore the following questions:

• What are the key informal labour issues policymakers need to consider when designing energy transition policies?
• Given that many informal workers are women or belong to marginalised groups, how can a people-centred clean energy transition be inclusive and considerate of these populations?
• How can skills and other transition programmes ensure that the most vulnerable have opportunities?
• How can governments effectively monitor the impact of clean energy transitions on informal economies?

Agenda

Moderator: Dr Brian Motherway, Head of Energy Efficiency and Inclusive Transitions, IEA 

Speakers

Keynote by Reema Nanavaty, General Secretary, Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA)

• Mrinalika Dhapola, Chief Executive Officer, Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA)  
• Sree Harica, PhD scholar, School of Public Policy, IIT Delhi
• Elly Rosita Silaban, President, Confederation of All Indonesian Trade Unions (KSBSI)
• Elize Hattingh, Sustainable Growth Researcher, TIPS (Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies)