The move to net zero must not have the 'devastating impact' on Glasgow and its citizens that the shift away from coal had, council bosses have warned.
The city council confirmed it will support the setup of a “just transition” working group, which will look at how the council can best support the move to more eco friendly working environments.
And councillors highlighted how moving away from the use of coal in the past had “devastated the city” and the employability of a generation of people and their livelihoods.
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“Just transition” is a framework designed by trade unions to protect workers’ rights and livelihoods when it comes to shifting to sustainable production, combating climate change and protecting biodiversity.
The working group will look at to what extent the private sector is preparing for transition, what roles Glasgow’s citizens and trade unions are playing in the transition to net zero and how this move to a low carbon economy will impact the council workforce.
The proposal was discussed at a recent Scrutiny Committe meeting, and councillor Imram Alam asked for some more information on the aims and objectives of the working group.
Bailie Gallagher said: “The aims of the group are basically to find ways to make sure that the transition to net zero, which the council is committed to meeting by 2030, doesn’t disadvantage the people of Glasgow.
“If you look historically, the transition away from coal and heavy industry effectively devastated the city and the employability of an entire generation of people, their lives and livelihoods.
“What we want to be doing is finding the status of “Just Transition” as a concept. We had a meeting with the international labour organisation and with officers from the Scottish Government.
“We are looking at the opinion of commercial organisations and will be talking to Scottish Power energy networks. We will be looking at the opinion of the chamber of commerce and we have researchers seconded to us from Glasgow Caledonian University.
“We will also be looking at what the council has already done and what we plan to do [in the future]. We will be putting this together in a report in May or June.”
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