Policy Pathways for Equity, Welfare, and Just Transitions

Workshop on Climate Change and the Social Contract

This online co-creation workshop, held as part of the EXPRESS2 project and organized by the Centre for Climate Change Law and Governance at the University of Copenhagen, aims to explore preliminary research findings on how global environmental imperatives—specifically climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation—disrupt the social contract. The event will bring together academics and key stakeholders to discuss the transnational scene, strategies, and policy approaches to address these challenges. The workshop’s results will serve as a baseline for a policy brief that will guide future policy recommendations.

The session will begin with an introduction by Prof. Beatriz Martinez Romera, who will provide an overview of the event’s objectives and situate it within the EXPRESS2 project’s broader goals. This will be followed by a presentation by Dr. Alberto Barrio on the main climate-related stressors for the social contract identified through research conducted in the framework of the project, analysing key areas of friction and proposing potential approaches to address these challenges.

Following this, three expert speakers will present their perspectives. Prof. Bea Cantillon from the University of Antwerp will discuss equity-driven eco-social policies, using Belgium’s Just Transition Framework as a case study. Diego Marin from the European Environment Bureau (EBB) will explore the role of environmental justice in the eco-social contract. Lastly, Dr. Kalina Arabadjieva from the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) will focus on safeguarding workers’ rights in the face of climate change and the green transition.

The event will conclude with a roundtable discussion featuring all speakers, reflecting on the tentative results of the project on this topic and exploring synergies between equity, welfare, and labour protections in addressing climate-related stressors. The roundtable will also encourage input from stakeholders attending the workshop to refine proposed approaches further.

Registration

Register for the seminar. A Zoom link is provided upon registration.

Workshop Timetable