Publication details
Labor freed up from fossil fuel industries may help degrowth
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | Transitioning away from fossil fuels is freeing up a significant amount of labor globally. Just transition literature often implicitly assumes that the freed-up labor will be mobilized in green industries. However, this may be at odds with the actual skills of workers in the fossil fuel industries, and may also face a geographical mismatch between labor demand and supply. At the same time, socio-ecological transformation in the understanding of degrowth means a much greater focus on more labor-intensive (e.g., craft) and geographically flexible, more localized production for own or community consumption. Shifting away from fossil fuels is particularly urgent for countries whose economies are still largely structurally dependent on them, such as those in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). A debate has recently emerged about how degrowth can fit into the context of these countries, for example in the light of a stronger tradition of subsistence activities than in the core economies of the Global North. Widespread traditions of allotment gardening, forest fruits gathering, do-it-yourself or repair activities prevalent in the CEE countries fit very well the degrowth principle of conviviality (meaningful and friendly interactions with others to, among others, meet one’s needs). To explore the option space for such a socio-ecological transformation in the CEE context in terms of labor as a key production factor, we investigate whether the skills that will be freed up by the phasing out of fossil fuels match the labor requirements in line with the economic activities envisaged by degrowth. As an illustrative example, we take the coal phase-out as a key part of the post-carbon transition in the Czech Republic, which has committed to end coal mining by 2033. After examining the number of jobs currently at risk by sector (in coal mining and in the most closely related downstream and upstream sectors) and occupational categories, we compare their skill requirements with the skill requirements of other jobs and work activities that do not necessarily take the form of paid employment. Finally, we classify the identified skill-near alternatives according to their correspondence to the work activities envisaged in degrowth. We conclude that a number of alternative work activities exist that can be used to encourage local development in line with degrowth and convivial principles, such as in agriculture, forestry, construction, cultural and recreational activities, health and social care. |