The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the release of the Presidential Climate Commission’s (PCC) Five-Year Legacy Report, presented at the closing session of the Commission’s first term. The report provides a comprehensive and candid account of South Africa’s progress in building a fair, inclusive, and people centred Just Transition.

COSATU commends the PCC for its commitment to redistributive justice, restorative justice, procedural justice, and for upholding social dialogue, evidence based policy, and robust community engagement. The Commission’s work has ensured that workers, vulnerable communities, women, and young people remain at the centre of national climate planning.

We also wish to thank the PCC Secretariat, the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) for hosting the PCC, the Minister and Director General of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) for their leadership, and colleagues in DFFE as well as across Constituencies for their dedication and technical expertise. COSATU acknowledges the role of Organised Labour in the PCC, ensuring labour’s voice is heard in shaping South Africa’s Just Transition.

COSATU looks forward to the next Cohort of Commissioners as they continue working towards achieving a just and equitable transition. As the PCC moves into its next term, COSATU calls for:

• Prioritising of Skills, Reskilling and Upskilling which must be led by workers and alongside Commissioners who represent Organised Labour, Federations and Trade Unions with intention.
• Deepened gender, youth, and disability justice, ensuring no group is left behind. These must have dedicated workstreams that ventilate issues of the most marginalised.
• Meaningful and expanded worker and community participation in planning as well as implementation.
• Full and timely operationalisation of the JTFM and JET Funding Platform with adequate information and support to workers and communities to ensure beneficiation and access to funding for projects and initiatives.
• Stronger investment in public services, social protection, and green infrastructure
• Protection of jobs, livelihoods, and local economies, rejecting austerity led or market first transition models

COSATU remains committed to working with government, business, and civil society to build a transition that creates decent work, strengthens local economies, and delivers climate justice for all.

Issued by COSATU

Boitumelo Molete

Social Development Policy Coordinator | Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) Commissioner

Policy Unit

Mobile: 072 306 1994

Email: boitumelo@cosatu.org.za