TRADE UNIONS’ COLLECTIVE POWER IN DECARBONIZATION FOR ENSURING A JUST ENERGY TRANSITION SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24076/rsyv1y53Keywords:
Just transition; Trade union strategies; Worker empowerment; Energy policy; Socio-ecological justiceAbstract
A just energy transition requires not only technological shifts toward clean energy but also social inclusion and fairness in the world of work. Trade unions play a dual role—protecting workers while shaping energy policy and advancing social justice—yet their strategic contributions remain understudied, especially in comparisons between developed and developing countries. This study conducts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) using the PRISMA protocol on 25 peer-reviewed publications (2015–2025). Trade union strategies are interpreted using Kalt’s (2022) typology—oppositional, reactive, affirmative, transformational—and analyzed through six empowerment dimensions: structural, organizational, advocacy/negotiation, socio-cultural, economic, and ideological. Findings show unions in developed countries predominantly adopt affirmative and transformational strategies, engaging in reskilling initiatives, climate negotiations, and institutionalized social dialogue. Conversely, unions in developing countries rely more on oppositional or reactive strategies due to limited institutional capacity and weaker bargaining positions amid rapid transition policies. The study underscores the need for multidimensional empowerment to strengthen unions’ ability to influence policy and safeguard workers during decarbonization. These insights offer practical implications for policymakers and labor organizations committed to equity, sustainability, and socio-ecological justice in energy transitions.
References
Baker, L., & Phillips, J. (2019). Tensions in the transition: The politics of electricity distribution in South Africa. SOAS Research Repository. https://soas-repository.worktribe.com/output/358465
Bobner, S., et al. (2024). Just energy transitions and coal in Indonesia: Policy recommendations to move forward. Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Report. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/just-transitions-coal-indonesia-policy-recommendations-sei2024-037.pdf
Bonvin, J.-M. (2021). Advocacy from below and above: Multilevel governance and trade union strategies. Policy and Society, 40(3), 345–360. https://doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2021.1934930
Borbély, S., Kovács, E., & Tóth, G. (2021). Trade union strategies towards platform workers: Exploration instead of action (The case of Hungarian trade unions). arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2102.04137
Burton, J., Caetano, T., & McCall, B. (2019). Coal transitions in South Africa: Understanding the implications of a 2°C-compatible coal phase-out for jobs and planning. Climate Transparency Report. https://www.climate-transparency.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CT-Just-Transition-in-South-Africa.pdf
Clarke, L., & Sahin-Dikmen, M. (2020). Social dialogue and trade unions in the European construction sector’s green transition. European Journal of Industrial Relations, 26(4), 391–408. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959680120929384
Evans, G., & Phelan, L. (2016). Transition to a post-carbon society: Linking environmental justice and just transition discourses. Energy Policy, 99, 329–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.05.003
Faliana, C. (2025, May 17). Inter-ministeral collaboration essential in actualising Indonesia’s green jobs potential [Op-Ed]. Energy Tracker Asia. https://energytracker.asia/indonesias-green-jobs-potential/
Ford, M. (2009). Workers and intellectuals: NGOs, trade unions and the Indonesian labour movement. NUS Press.
Hadiz, V. R. (1997). Workers and the state in new order Indonesia. Routledge.
Institute for Essential Services Reform. (2024). Indonesia’s workforce in the energy transition: Government needs to map and act. IESR. https://iesr.or.id/en/indonesias-workforce-in-the-energy-transition-government-needs-to-map-and-act
International Labour Organization. (2015). Guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all. ILO. https://www.ilo.org/publications/guidelines-just-transition-towards-environmentally-sustainable-economies
International Labour Organization (2018). World employment and social outlook 2018: Greening with jobs. ILO. https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_628654
International Labour Organization (2023). Just energy transition in Indonesia: The role of social protection in facilitating the process. ILO. https://www.ilo.org/publications/just-energy-transition-indonesia-role-social-protection-facilitating
Kabeer, N. (1999). Resources, agency, achievements: Reflections on the measurement of women’s empowerment. Development and Change, 30(3), 435–464. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-7660.00125
Kalt, T. (2022). Agents of transition or defenders of the status quo? Trade union strategies in green transitions. Journal of Industrial Relations, 64(2), 131–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221856211051794
Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral. (2023, April). Miliki potensi EBT 3.686 GW, Sekjen Rida: Modal utama jalankan transisi energi Indonesia [Siaran Pers No. 060.Pers/04/SJI/2023]. https://www.esdm.go.id/id/media-center/arsip-berita/miliki-potensi-ebt-3686-gw-sekjen-rida-modal-utama-jalankan-transisi-energi-indonesia
Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral. (2024). Laporan kinerja 2024 Direktorat Jenderal Energi Baru, Terbarukan, dan Konservasi Energi (EBTKE). https://www.esdm.go.id/assets/media/content/content-laporan-kinerja-ditjen-ebtke-tahun-2024.pdf
Kuitto, K., & Sovacool, B. K. (2025). Institutional power and fossil phase-out: Comparative perspectives from Finland and the U.S. Energy Policy, 179, 113456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113456
Lee, S., & Baumgartner, L. (2022). How just transition can help deliver the Paris Agreement. UNDP. https://climatepromise.undp.org/sites/default/files/research_report_document/UNDP-Just-Transition-Report.pdf
Mangang, N. N., et al. (2024). Perspectives of Indian coal unions on achieving a just transition. Energy Research & Social Science, 112, 103158. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214629624004031
Matzat, J., & Schmeißer, A. (2022). Do unions shape political ideologies at work? AWI Discussion Paper Series (No. 719). University of Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.11588/heidok.00032162
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & The PRISMA Group. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097
Newell, P., & Mulvaney, D. (2013). The political economy of the “just transition”. The Geographical Journal, 179(2), 132–140. https://doi.org/10.1111/geoj.12008
Patiroi, A. D., et al. (2024). Riset transisi energi berkeadilan di Jawa Barat: Studi kasus PLTU Cirebon I bagi aspek sosial dan aspek ketenagakerjaan. LBH Bandung, ICEL, & Salam Institute. https://cms.transisienergiberkeadilan.id/storage/service/6QsTauNyhB9sx9vu6HP8SyHKaOxX4PjXDHnkgHNu.pdf
Peraturan Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral Republik Indonesia Nomor 10 Tahun 2025 tentang Peta Jalan (Road Map) Transisi Energi Sektor Ketenagalistrikan.
Peraturan Presiden Republik Indonesia Nomor 112 Tahun 2022 tentang Percepatan Pengembangan Energi Terbarukan untuk Penyediaan Tenaga Listrik.
Petreski, M., & Tanevski, D. (2023). Bargain your share: The role of workers’ bargaining power for labor share, with reference to transition economies. arXiv preprint. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2310.04904
Putra, A., & Nurdianto, D. (2024). The politics of Indonesia’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP): A policy regime analysis. Global Policy, 15(2), 55–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13357
Rosemberg, A. (2025). Unions, fossil fuel workers, and the energy transition. Climate Policy. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2025.2460665
Rowlands, J. (1997). Questioning empowerment: Working with women. Oxfam.
Saleh, M., & Andri, F. (2023). Percepatan transisi energi berkeadilan: Tantangan dan peluang untuk daerah. CELIOS & Yayasan Indonesia Cerah. https://celios.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CELIOS_Percepatan_Transisi_Energi_di_Daerah_Dampak_dan_Peluang_Daerah_7c5f87fd4f.pdf
Santoso, W., & Lestari, F. (2024). Revisiting just energy transition in Indonesia: A normative legal perspective. Journal of World Energy Law & Business, 17(1), 89–104. https://doi.org/10.1093/jwelb/jwae005
Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.
Silviana, S., et al. (2025). Early retirement policy of power plant in Pelabuhan Ratu: A multi-level governance analysis to support the energy transition in Indonesia. Asian Journal of Social Analysis, 3(5). https://doi.org/10.59888/ajosh.v3i5.503
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Stevis, D., & Felli, R. (2020). Planetary just transition? How inclusive and how just? Earth System Governance, 6, 100065. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2020.100065
Sweeney, S., & Treat, J. (2018). Trade unions and just transition: The search for a transformative politics. Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED) Working Paper. https://www.tuedglobal.org/working-papers/trade-unions-and-just-transition-the-search-for-a-transformative-politics
Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8, 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-8-45
Tigre, M. A. (2021). Climate change litigation in Latin America and the Caribbean: The status and role of the courts. Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Report.
Tjandra, S. (2016). Labour law and development in Indonesia. In T. Lindsey & P. Nicholson (Eds.), Drugs, law, and legal practice in Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam (pp. 223–242). Routledge.
Tranggono, A. (2023). Just energy transition in Indonesia: Scoping study. Humanis Foundation. https://humanis.foundation/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/lores_spread-JET-Indonesia-Scoping-Study_Final.pdf
Zimmerman, M. A. (2000). Empowerment theory: Psychological, organizational, and community levels of analysis. In J. Rappaport & E. Seidman (Eds.), Handbook of community psychology (pp. 43–63). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4193-6_2.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Eko Sulistyo, Ravik Karsidi, Drajat Tri Kartono, Akbarudin Arif
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish articles in this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the Journal of Social Politics and Governance journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or edit it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
