Education
NLC unveils climate manual, seeks energy sovereignty, fair finance ahead of COP31 – EnviroNews
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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has unveiled a 12-unit Climate Change, Green Jobs and Just Transition Training Manual to strengthen workers’ capacity for emerging green economy opportunities.
Prof. Magnus Onuoha, a Development Economist and Climate Change and Green Economy Expert, presented the manual at the Tripartite 2026 Pre-COP31 meeting on Saturday, November 7, in Abuja.
The meeting was organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in collaboration with the NLC.
Onuoha said that the manual was designed to equip workers, particularly those at the shop-floor level, with knowledge and skills to understand climate change, clean energy and emerging global realities.
“The global shift from climate negotiations to implementation requires workers, young people and climate champions to understand the emerging realities of climate change.
“Capacity building is important because it strengthens people’s knowledge, drive, resources and ability to act effectively on climate-related issues.
“We must ensure that workers understand the issues and language of climate change to achieve meaningful participation and positive outcomes,” he said.
He said that the manual followed discussions on the need to develop practical training materials that would deepen workers’ understanding and strengthen their participation in climate change initiatives.
Onuoha said that the programme would adopt a proactive approach to ensure that workers understood the implications of transitioning from carbon-intensive industries to cleaner and sustainable economic alternatives.
He proposed developing a project index and implementation index to monitor progress across the manual’s 12 units and assess their practical impact beyond producing training documents.
According to him, the proposed indices will provide measurable indicators for evaluating implementation and identifying progress, challenges and areas requiring further attention.
He recalled that organisations, including ATPS Kenya and PACJA, developed an African index for tracking Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), covering governance, adaptation, mitigation, climate-related issues and knowledge.
He said that the initiative, supported by the African Development Bank, involved 12 African countries, including Nigeria, providing useful experience for developing an implementation monitoring framework.
Onuoha said the manual’s objectives included developing worker-friendly materials through illustrations, practical case studies and storytelling, making complex climate change issues easier for participants to understand.
The economist said that it would also strengthen workers’ ability to communicate and engage effectively on climate issues within workplaces and the wider society.
“Other objectives include providing advocacy materials for engaging governments and stakeholders, complementing NLC educational programmes and promoting workers’ participation in accountable climate action, ‘’ he said.
He said that the manual’s 12 units covered just transition, green jobs, renewable energy, grid infrastructure, green construction, circular economy, sustainable transport, agriculture and ecosystem services.
He said other areas included reskilling carbon-intensive workers, collective bargaining for green deals, measurement, reporting and verification, climate politics, decent work and green industrialisation.
“The first unit will explain just transition, its global frameworks, guidelines and standards, while examining opportunities arising from digitalisation, emerging technologies and green economic activities.
“Participants will also examine barriers to just transition in Nigeria, including the responsibilities of government agencies, departments, institutions and other relevant stakeholders,” Onuoha said.
On the training methodology, Onuoha said the programme would adopt participatory learning through group discussions, presentations, case studies, charts and whiteboard exercises rather than conventional lectures.
He added that the groups would reflect gender balance and include persons with disabilities, ensuring that different categories of workers participated meaningfully in the learning process.
“The approach, described as knowledge appropriation, will encourage participants to exchange ideas, understand workplace concerns and apply acquired knowledge within their communities,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr. Bert De-Wel, Climate Policy Officer at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Global Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium, called for stronger workers’ representation in global climate negotiations.
De-Wel said the ITUC was working toward more diverse trade union representation at climate negotiations, with increased participation from Africa, Latin America and Pacific Island countries.
He said that the weakening of multilateralism, international cooperation and consensus-building posed challenges to global efforts to address climate change and secure meaningful negotiation outcomes.
De-Wel noted that Africa had suffered climate-related disasters, including droughts, storms and floods, adding that their impacts were increasingly becoming global concerns.
He stressed the need for countries to reduce fossil fuel consumption, strengthen adaptation measures and address loss and damage to protect vulnerable populations.
On COP31 negotiations, De-Wel recalled that the previous conference in Brazil recorded progress with the establishment of a Just Transition Mechanism.
He described the mechanism as an important achievement for the trade union movement, providing opportunities to advance workers’ interests within the global climate transition process.
“Mitigation remains a difficult issue in the negotiations. We need countries to take decisions that will significantly scale up efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
“Adaptation is another critical issue, particularly because it is closely connected to climate finance.
“Developing countries need the resources to invest in adaptation and protect their populations against the effects of climate change,” he said.
De-Wel urged developed countries to fulfil their responsibilities by providing adequate climate finance to support vulnerable nations, particularly across Africa and other developing regions.
He said that the first days of COP31 negotiations would be crucial in determining countries’ willingness to address climate finance and other outstanding climate commitments.
The ITUC official said trade that unions must now prioritise implementation of negotiated climate policies, including exploring ways to redirect resources from fossil fuel subsidies toward just transition financing.
He also identified electrification as an emerging priority, noting that it could reduce dependence on fossil fuels and improve economic efficiency.
De Wel urged trade unions to actively monitor climate negotiations and organise engagements showcasing practical solutions and workers’ contributions to climate action.
“Our position is clear: workers and their representatives must be consulted on climate policies and decisions concerning the impact of fossil fuels and the transition process.
“We must ensure that workers’ interests are properly represented in the discussions and outcomes,” he said.
He said the ITUC would continue advancing workers’ interests through global engagement, while ensuring that Africa’s concerns received adequate attention in climate negotiations.
Similarly, the NLC has identified energy sovereignty, equitable climate financing and workers’ protection as major priorities ahead of 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31).
NLC National Coordinator, Climate Change and Just Transition, Eche Asuzu, said this at the 2026 Tripartite Pre-COP31 meeting on Saturday in Abuja.
COP31 starts on Monday, Nov. 9 and ends on Friday, Nov. 20, 2026.
Asuzu said that Africa must pursue an energy transition that guaranteed affordable electricity, sustainable development and economic independence, while ensuring that climate financing does not deepen the continent’s debt burden.
“We need energy sufficiency, sovereignty and independence. Energy must also be affordable, accessible and sustainable for communities, workers and businesses.
“Although many African countries have political sovereignty, their energy policies and financing arrangements are still influenced by external interests.
“We must avoid a situation where Africa simply replaces dependence on fossil fuels with dependence on foreign technologies and external financing,” he said.
The coordinator said that energy access remained a critical development challenge, noting that approximately 600 million people across Africa lacked access to electricity.
According to him, unreliable electricity supply undermines productivity, weakens businesses and limits employment opportunities, making energy access an economic and social development issue.
Asuzu said that climate finance was another major priority, stressing the need to mobilise adequate investments for energy infrastructure, technological innovation and renewable energy development.
He identified hydrogen, geothermal, wind, solar and biomass as emerging energy options, but said African countries must develop technological independence.
The NLC coordinator said mitigation negotiations must recognise differences between developed and developing countries, particularly their varying levels of industrialisation and development.
He said that developing countries required opportunities to address poverty, unemployment and inadequate infrastructure while pursuing climate action and environmental sustainability.
Asuzu said that the Dubai Consensus adopted at COP28 emphasised that the transition away from fossil fuels must be just, orderly and equitable.
He urged African countries to ensure that their vulnerabilities and development priorities were adequately reflected in discussions on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA).
“COP31 should advance the GGA framework, particularly the development of indicators for measuring progress in climate change adaptation,” he said.
On loss and damage, Asuzu called for adequate resources and effective implementation of the fund to support countries suffering the consequences of climate change.
He also urged developed countries to demonstrate commitment to the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance, including the proposed mobilisation of $1.3 trillion annually.
“We must distinguish between promises and guaranteed financial commitments.
“We want to know where the money will come from, how it will be mobilised and how developing countries will access it,” he said.
He warned that climate financing through excessively high-interest loans could worsen the sovereign debt crisis confronting developing countries, particularly across Africa.
“Our position is that climate finance should be provided mainly through grants or concessional loans with affordable interest rates,” Asuzu said.
He also called for the operationalisation of the Just Transition Mechanism, adopted at COP30, to ensure effective implementation within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Asuzu stressed that organised labour must be represented in the mechanism, noting that workers’ participation in climate decision-making should not be taken for granted.
He said that climate financing should also address workplace emissions, improve working conditions and support workers affected by the transition to sustainable production.
The NLC coordinator urged labour unions to intensify advocacy to ensure that climate policies and financing mechanisms adequately protected workers and promoted decent employment.
“The congress will continue to advance workers’ interests and ensure that Africa’s development priorities received adequate attention during COP31 negotiations,” Asuzu said.
Also, ILO National Project Coordinator, Mr. Steve Agugua, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to workers’ participation, saying their involvement remained central to its mandate and activities in climate policy implementation too.
“Workers are an integral part of the International Labour Organisation, and our work will not be complete without their participation; their voices must shape ILO activities directly,” he said.
Ms. Rhoda Boateng, Climate Change Expert with the International Trade Union Confederation, said COP31 would feature thematic-led issues, including electrification and green industrialisation, alongside established negotiation tracks as key priorities.
Boateng said that African negotiators had faced resistance in advancing industrialisation, describing the new thematic approach as an opportunity to secure meaningful and consistent outcomes for Africa and African workers there.
She said that the Turkish Government was promoting a proposed target of increasing global electrification rates to 35 per cent by 2035, urging scrutiny to protect African interests across the continent.
She urged policymakers to reflect African trade union demands in COP31 resolutions, encouraged media engagement, and described NLC as an important partner in advancing workers’ priorities at the conference.
By Joan Nwagwu
