In Ankara's Ministry of Labour and Social Security, two days in May 2026 brought together an unlikely coalition: government officials, trade unions, business leaders, and climate experts. Their mission: to ensure that Türkiye's shift toward a low-carbon economy doesn't leave workers behind.
Türkiye is building a National Just Transition Strategy at a pivotal moment. The country will host COP31, the UN's annual climate conference, later this year—a symbolic deadline that underscores the urgency of the work. More fundamentally, the transition toward green energy and digital technologies will reshape labor markets, production systems, and the skills workers need. Without careful planning, some communities and sectors could be devastated by the shift.
The May 21–22 training programme, convened by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), gathered representatives from government institutions, workers' and employers' organizations, academia, and civil society. Yasser Hassan, Director of the ILO Office for Türkiye, and Oğuz Tuncay, Director General of Labour at MoLSS, emphasized the stakes: an inclusive and effective just transition requires more than climate policy—it demands institutional capacity and genuine coordination across sectors.
The sessions mapped both international experience and Türkiye's specific context. Experts from the Presidency of Climate Change, the European Commission, Spain's Just Transition Institute, and the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat shared lessons. Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Director of the ILO Action Programme on Just Transitions, presented international frameworks showing how environmental sustainability can be pursued alongside social justice and decent work. Crucially, Türkiye's largest workers' confederations—TÜRK-İŞ, HAK-İŞ, and DİSK—and employers' confederation TİSK shared perspectives on the opportunities and challenges of digital and green transitions, discussing priorities around employment, social protection, industrial transformation, and workers' rights.
The work being done follows years of preparation. Since 2022, the Just Transition Policies Specialised Working Group (AGEP) has brought together public institutions, workers, employers, research centers, and NGOs to coordinate policy. The strategy development has included sectoral consultations, thematic workshops, and analytical studies focused on skills adaptation, social protection, vulnerable groups, financing mechanisms, and women's empowerment. These aren't abstract exercises—they're laying the foundation for policies that will touch the lives of millions.
Türkiye has already made formal commitments to this vision. In 2025, the country adopted a Climate Law that formally recognizes just transition as a guiding principle in achieving its 2053 net-zero emissions target. The National Employment Strategy 2025–2028, the 12th Development Plan, and the 2024–2030 Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies all now integrate just transition considerations.
What emerges from Ankara is a recognition that climate action and worker protections are not competing interests—they're interdependent. A successful transition requires strong social dialogue, targeted skills policies, and inclusive labor market measures that ensure no one is left behind. As Türkiye prepares to lead global climate conversations at COP31, it's building the infrastructure to prove that environmental transformation and social justice can advance together.