Global launch of the World Social Protection Report 2024-26: Universal Social Protection for Climate Action and a Just Transition.
This high-level event will explore the themes and policy recommendations of the World Social Protection Report 2024-26, providing a forum fo
This high-level event will explore the themes and policy recommendations of the World Social Protection Report 2024-26, providing a forum for reflection on key policy messages related to universal social protection and climate action.
The panel discussions will discuss and reflect upon the policy messages of the report:
Universal social protection is a pivotal policy lever to prevent and address the adverse consequences of the climate crisis and enable a just transition. Decisive policy action is required to reinforce and extend social protection systems and adapt them to new realities.
Social protection reduces vulnerability and increases the resilience of people, economies and societies by providing a systematic policy response to mutually reinforcing lifecycle risks and climate-related shocks. Thus, it is a key component of adaptation strategies and part of the solution for addressing climate-related loss and damage.
Social protection policies can also facilitate structural transformations that are necessary to support climate change mitigation efforts. It fosters innovation and productive risk-taking. This dynamism enables workers and enterprises to transition towards more sustainable sectors and modes of production. It thereby enables societies to seize the opportunities that a greener economy will afford.
The capacity of social protection systems to contribute to a just transition is held back by persistent gaps in social protection coverage, adequacy and financing, which hinders the achievement of the SDGs. Investing in reinforcing social protection systems is indispensable for a successful just transition. The design and implementation of social protection policies can be more effective, equitable and sustainable when it is reached through social dialogue.
The case for strengthening social protection systems is as compelling as it is urgent. Without universal social protection systems, the climate crisis and structural transformation will exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and inequalities, when precisely the opposite is needed. Moreover, for ambitious mitigation and environmental policies to be feasible and just, social protection will be needed to protect those who would otherwise be adversely impacted and to garner public support. Human rights instruments and international social security standards provide essential guidance for building universal social protection systems capable of responding to these challenges and realizing the human right to social security for all.
