Just transition and workers’ rights in the global south: The recent argentine and chilean nationally determined contributions

Abstract

Just transition tackles the consequences of a transition to a zero-carbon economy while addressing the issues of equity and justice so that nobody is left behind. It is a roadmap that informs the action of states towards sustainable development. The paper focuses on how Argentina and Chile, with a high percentage of informality in their economies and their labour markets, have embedded just transition into their legal orders through the submission of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The analysis of both experiences to protect workers is based upon three aspects: the Global South perspective; the 2015 ILO guidelines; the historical step that Argentina and Chile have reached in the submission of their second NDCs since these are the first Latin American countries to have expressly included just transition and work in their NDCs. After a thorough analysis, the paper concludes that this seems to be a promising first step that requires, nonetheless, a global approach in order to protect the environment and ensure that no one is left behind.