Just Transition Webinar series: Governance & Integration

Just Transition Webinar: Governance & Integration
7 March 2023 - 14:00-15:00 CET - Online

What about the jobs?

Automation and digitalisation are challenging transport companies to revamp their services, and enabling new players to disrupt a highly regulated sector. These changes have several implications for the transport workforce. “Reskilling” isn’t a silver bullet. The challenges run deeper – change is also driven by the push for sustainable mobility, the change of mobility patterns caused by teleworking, and a volatile economic situation. 

Mobility services cannot operate without workers, regardless of how automated they become. They also cannot change without the support and active input of workers, particularly if we want them to change in the right direction, and as fast as possible. Discussing a Just Transition in the mobility sector necessarily requires understanding the labour dimension. So, what about the jobs? 

Speakers include:

• Nikolas Thomopoulos - Lead Researcher, University of Surrey 
• Chiara Notaro – Partner, Fabrique Avvocati Associati 
• Luís Roda, Project Manager – Technical Control, EMT València 
• Conor Farrell – Policy Officer for Urban Public Transport, European Transport Workers’ Federation

Agenda

14h00            Welcome – Manon Coyne (POLIS)                      

14h05            WE-TRANSFORM report on assessments of individual impacts of transport automation on the workforce by employers and employees - Nikolas Thomopoulos (University of Surrey)                

14h15            Opening statement: the perspective of the workers – Conor Farrell (European Transport Workers’ Federation)

14h20            Opening statement: the legal perspective – Chiara Notaro (Fabrique Avvocati Associati)

14h25            Opening statement: the reality from the field – Luis Roda (EMT Valencia)

14h30            Panel discussion

14h50            Open discussion

15h00            End

About the Just Transition Webinar Series

At the 2021 Annual POLIS Conference in Gothernburg, we launched the Just Transition Agenda. 

Urban mobility has to change substantively, to become cleaner and more resilient- this is no secret. However, affordability, safety, and inclusivity must be at the heart of this transition.

However, there is a long road (train track and bike lane) yet to travel.  

Therefore, we are delighted to announce our Just Transition webinar series. Across several online events from January to March 2023, we will traverse the multifaceted ways affordability, gender-related mobility patterns, age, cognitive capacities (and more), can guide the future of our cities and regions.  

A truly Just Transition is one which addresses imbalance and unfairness across the entire mobility spectrum. Thus, each webinar will launch an examination into mobility justice from a specific perspective, in accordance with POLIS’ different working groups.  

From freight to parking, traffic efficiency to active travel, electromobility to safety- and everything in between- we begin to discuss how each sector has its part to play, the challenges ahead, and how are cities and regions are treading new ground.