Trade Unions Step into Climate Action: From Training to Global Advocacy

For many years, climate change was not a priority issue for the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU). That has now changed. Following a training series organized by FES Ethiopia for trade union representatives from nine federations, the CETU leadership explored the intersections of climate change, Just Transition, and the future of work.

The training concluded with CETU leadership underlining their commitment and interest to actively contribute and shaping the national climate. They appointed three dedicated representatives on climate change and just transition and formaly submitted a request to the Ministry of Planning for trade union participation in Ethiopia’s NDC 3.0 process. Ethiopian Trade Unions now actively want to shape the national climate agenda, a point that was further amplified on the continental stage:

Social Dialogue for Climate and Jobs at the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2)

During the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa (8–10 September 2025), FES Ethiopia and CETU co-hosted a side event under the Green Jobs and Skills Pavilion: “Social Dialogue for Climate and Jobs: Unions, Employers, Government, and Civil Society in Just Transition.”

The session brought the training outcomes into a larger conversation, showing how social dialogue can ensure no worker is left behind in Africa’s green transition.

“The path to a low-carbon economy must not come at the expense of workers and vulnerable communities. Social dialogue is our most powerful tool for equitable, inclusive solutions.”
– Susanne Stollreiter, FES Ethiopia Resident Representative

CETU Vice-President Diribsa Legesse stressed the urgency: “Climate justice and social justice must go hand in hand.” He highlighted how workers are already experiencing climate impacts, from heat stress to disrupted agricultural livelihoods and called for Just Transition principles aligned with the SDGs and AU Agenda 2063.

Followed by the panel, which brought together trade unions, government, and employers to debate labour’s role in the national and continental green transition. The discussion highlighted the realities facing workers on the frontline, from climate hazards in horticulture to the need for union voices in shaping Ethiopia’s climate commitments and policies (like NDC 3.0). Government speakers pointed to efforts around green skills, advisory boards, and updated occupational health protections, while employers stressed the challenge of balancing competitiveness with sustainability, citing investments in renewables like GERD and wind farms.

The exchanges underscored a common thread: dialogue must translate into commitments. Participants called for just transition principles to be written into the ACS2 Addis Ababa Declaration and for stronger tripartite mechanisms to anchor Ethiopia’s climate governance. Comments from the floor pushed the conversation further, spotlighting the urgent need to protect informal workers, to support SMEs in transition planning, and to embed labour rights in due diligence frameworks.

By connecting local capacity building with global advocacy, FES Ethiopia and CETU have taken an important step toward ensuring that workers are not only impacted by climate change but also part of the solution.