Climate Aid Ignores Workers: Only 3% Supports Just Transition

A shocking new report reveals that international climate funding is failing the very people most affected by the shift away from fossil fuels. According to ActionAid’s latest analysis, less than 3% of global climate aid actually supports workers and communities transitioning away from polluting industries—a finding that has sparked outrage among climate justice advocates.

The report, released just one week before crucial UN climate negotiations begin in Belém, Brazil, exposes a critical gap in how the world is responding to the climate crisis. While billions flow toward emissions reduction projects, the human cost of this transition is being largely ignored. Coal miners, oil rig workers, and entire communities built around fossil fuel industries are being left behind without adequate support for retraining, job creation, or economic diversification.

This oversight threatens to undermine global climate goals by creating resistance to necessary changes. When workers fear losing their livelihoods without viable alternatives, they’re more likely to oppose climate policies—no matter how urgent the environmental need. ActionAid warns that this approach risks “deepening inequality rather than addressing it,” potentially creating social unrest in regions dependent on fossil fuel industries.

The timing of this report is particularly significant, as it highlights a major blind spot just as world leaders prepare for high-stakes climate negotiations. Without addressing the human dimension of climate action through “just transition” funding—which helps communities adapt economically while reducing emissions—the world’s climate response may prove both socially devastating and ultimately unsuccessful.