JOHANNESBURG –The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) participated in the International Workshop on Addressing Just Transition in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): Learning, Leading, and Looking Ahead, held from 1 to 2 October 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Representing the Institute was Mr. Bernard Paul M. Mangulabnan, Acting Chief Labor and Employment Officer of the Employment Research Division, who joined high-level delegates and experts from the ministries of labor and environment, workers’ and employers’ organizations, and other key stakeholders engaged in national climate and development planning. 

The workshop brought together representatives from Azerbaijan, Brazil, Cambodia, Iraq, Côte d’Ivoire, Jamaica, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, the Philippines, and South Africa, alongside experts from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other UN agencies. 

The two-day workshop provided a platform for countries to exchange experiences and challenges in integrating Just Transition principles into their NDCs, which are national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement. Discussions focused on lessons learned, the role of effective social dialogue, and the importance of inclusive and coordinated policies aligned with the ILO Guidelines for a Just Transition adopted in 2015. 

In line with these efforts, on 10 October 2025, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through the ILS and in partnership with the ILO Country Office for the Philippines, convened tripartite and other social partners in Quezon City for a pre-COP30 consultation on Just Transition. The consultation formed part of DOLE’s preparations to develop a coherent, tripartite-informed Philippine position ahead of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), bringing together representatives from government, workers, employers, and civil society to discuss how climate change and the shift to a low-carbon economy may affect jobs, enterprises, and communities. 

As part of the Philippine delegation, the ILS will represent DOLE in the upcoming COP30 in Belém, Brazil, scheduled from 10 to 21 November 2025. 

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