People in vulnerable situations – due to factors such as socio-economic status, geography, age and gender – are relatively more exposed to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. At the same time, socio-economic inequalities are among the root causes of the climate crisis: richer segments of the population pollute far more than poorer, for example.

Therefore, the ecological transition must address environmental, economic and social issues simultaneously. At SOLIDAR, we define a “socially just green transition” as placing people and social justice at the heart of climate and environmental policies. In the Social Rights Monitor we aim to assess the extent to which national measures to enact the green transition also foster social justice, equality and inclusivity.

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There are various social dimensions to the ecological transition. However, for the Social Rights Monitor, we have decided to focus on the following four areas, as their links to social rights are clear:

• Quality of jobs in the green transition
• Access to energy and energy poverty
• Access to sustainable mobility and transport poverty
• The social and solidarity economy

By quality of jobs, we mean what the ILO refers to as “decent jobs that contribute to preserve or restore the environment”. The social and solidarity economy is included in the just transition because of its key role in imagining and creating a new economic model that puts the wellbeing of people – especially the most marginalised – and the planet at its core