Coming together for a Just Transition

Read the Valladolid ‘Call to action‘ for a new social contract for wellbeing of people and planet

The Spanish and Belgian Presidencies of the Council of the EU in 2023 and 2024, under the leaderships of Teresa Ribera, Spain’s Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, and Zakia Khattabi, Belgium’s Minister of Climate, Environment, Sustainable Development and the Green Deal, have the potential to give a significant impulse to a “Just Transition” in Europe and beyond, ensuring that people and social justice are at the heart of climate and environmental action.

Now is the time for all forces willing to achieve a livable and sustainable future to come together, put Just Transition at the centre of the political debate and make it a political priority for the coming years. This includes setting up ambitious and transformative European and national Just Transition strategies, developing participatory plans and designing the necessary legislation and investments for a Just Transition.

With the aim of emphasising the importance of an ambitious and truly Just Transition, especially in the framework of the two upcoming Presidencies of the Council of the EU, FEPS, SOLIDAR, Movimiento por la Paz, el Desarme y la Libertad (MPDL) and Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz (ACPP) hosted an invitation only event on 11 July 2023 in Valladolid, Spain. This event, which took place between 16:00 and 21:30 CEST at NH Hotel Ciudad de Valladolid (Avenida Ramón Pradera 10-12), gathered stakeholders from Spain, other EU Member States and the European level for a timely exchange of views on acting together for a Just Transition.

Taking advantage of the Informal Meeting of European Environment & Energy Ministers that took place in Valladolid on the same day, European progressive Ministers, including Teresa Ribera (Spain) and Zakia Khattabi (Belgium), joined us in the second part of the event and showcased the perspectives of their countries.

Participants in the event included representatives of civil society organisations, trade unions, think tanks and foundations. At the event, a call to action by civil society organisations and other stakeholders was presented to the Ministers and hopefully will give impulse for further actions to advance a Just Transition, especially in the framework of the Spanish and Belgian Presidencies of the Council of the EU in 2023 and 2024.

Among the speakers:

• László Andor, FEPS Secretary General
• Zakia Khattabi, Federal Minister for Climate, Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal of Belgium
• Teresa Ribera, Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge
• Frank Siebern-Thomas, Head of Fair, Green, and Digital Transitions, Research Unit, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, European Commission
• Manuel de la Rocha Rubí, President of MPDL
• Mikael Leyi, Secretary General of SOLIDAR
• Laura Martín Murillo, Director of Spain’s Just Transition Institute
• Anaïs De Munck, Advisor Green Deal Unit, Cabinet of Belgian Federal Minister Zakia Khattabi
• Miguel Costa Matos, Member of the Portuguese Parliament
• Eva Saldaña Buenache, Executive Director of Greenpeace Spain
• Laura de Bonfils, Secretary General of Social Platform
• Pepe Postigo, Board member of La Coordinadora, The Spanish Development NGO Platform
• Ludovic Voet, Confederal Secretary at European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
• Marta Iglesias, International Action Director of MPDL

For questions or further information, please contact Thainá Leite, FEPS Project Officer, at thaina.leite@ feps-europe.eu.