Round 50 per cent of us do have entry to a minimum of one social safety profit – however 3.8 billion folks lack any form of security internet, together with 1.8 billion youngsters worldwide, in line with the World Social Protection Report 2024-26: Universal social protection for climate action and a just transition.
“Local weather change doesn’t recognise borders, and we can’t construct a wall to maintain the disaster out,” stated Gilbert Houngbo, ILO Director-Basic. “The local weather disaster impacts us all and represents the one, gravest menace to social justice as we speak.”
Findings confirmed that governments are failing to make full use of the highly effective potential of social safety to counter the results of the local weather disaster and assist a simply transition to a greener future.
Displays ‘deeply divided world’
For the primary time, greater than half of the worldwide inhabitants (52.4 per cent) has some type of social safety, climbing from 42.8 per cent in 2015, the yr when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) had been adopted, in line with the report.
However, within the 20 international locations most climate-vulnerable, 91.3 per cent of individuals – or 364 million – nonetheless go with out. Extra broadly, within the 50 most climate-vulnerable international locations, 75 per cent of the inhabitants – or 2.1 billion folks – are missing safety.
“The stark disparity in the appropriate to social safety is a mirrored image of our deeply divided world,” stated Mia Seppo, ILO Assistant Director-Basic. “Probably the most pressing problem is defending these on the frontline of the local weather disaster.”
Globally, most kids (76.1 per cent) nonetheless don’t have any efficient social safety protection, and a considerable gender hole persists, with girls’s efficient protection lagging behind males by 50.1 and 54.6 per cent, respectively.
These gaps are particularly important, given the potential position of social safety in softening the affect of local weather change, serving to folks and societies adapt to a brand new climate-volatile actuality and facilitating a simply transition to a sustainable future.
The ILO chief cautioned that most of the international locations experiencing probably the most brutal penalties of this disaster are notably ill-equipped to deal with its environmental and livelihood penalties.
“We should recognise that what occurs to impacted communities will have an effect on us all,” he stated.
How social safety helps
Social safety can assist folks adapt to and address climate-related shocks by offering social safety advantages, similar to earnings safety and entry to healthcare, and cushion households, employees and enterprises in the course of the inexperienced transition.
It may additionally allow extra sustainable financial practices, together with supporting staff with coaching and upskilling for employment in inexperienced and low carbon sectors.
“Social safety is crucial to make sure that the continuing inexperienced and low-carbon power transition leaves nobody behind,” ILO chief Houngbo stated. “The crucial to make social safety common will not be solely moral; additionally it is sensible.
“By supporting and defending employees all over the place, we can assist to alleviate fears concerning the transition, which is crucial to mobilise fashionable assist for a sustainable and simply transition.”
Jonalyn Millana, a well being monitor within the ILO’s money for work exercise Rebuilding Higher Coconut Economic system undertaking with the federal government of Japan, defined how social safety helps.
“In relation to social security, like a medical health insurance, we don’t know when a storm will hit,” she stated. “I’m extra protected now as a result of if something occurs, I’ll have one thing to obtain like for instance insurances like PhilHealth [health insurance], SSS [social security]. I really feel safer as a result of I’ve social safety.”
Governments should step in
Regardless of its position as a catalyst and an enabler of constructive local weather motion, governments are failing to take advantage of social safety’s potential, largely due to persistent protection gaps and important underinvestment, the brand new report discovered.
On common, international locations spend 12.9 per cent of their gross home product (GDP) on social safety, excluding well being. Nevertheless, whereas high-income international locations spend a mean of 16.2 per cent, low-income international locations allocate solely 0.8 per cent of their GDP to social safety.
Low-income international locations, together with probably the most climate-vulnerable States, want a further $308.5 billion a yr, or 52.3 per cent of their GDP, to ensure a minimum of primary protection and worldwide assist can be wanted to achieve this aim.
‘Time to up the ante’
The ILO report requires decisive and built-in coverage motion to shut safety gaps, arguing that, “it’s time to up the ante” and make investments considerably in social safety.
Suggestions to assist information coverage and guarantee efficient and sustainable outcomes embrace getting ready for each “routine” life cycle dangers and climate-related shocks with social safety methods and utilizing social safety to assist local weather change mitigation and adaptation efforts whereas securing public acceptance of these measures.
The report additionally recommends prioritising funding in social safety, together with exterior assist for international locations with restricted fiscal area.
Learn the total report here.
