The decarbonisation process and the challenges of social protection. The role of retirement

Abstract

The starting point is the idea that the path to climate neutrality will inevitably lead to the loss of many jobs, as well as the permanent exclusion of certain low-skilled, who cannot be expected to undergo professional retraining for which they lack the minimum knowledge base, nor do they have the capacity to do so. In this context, social protection systems can function as accompaniments to these policies, encouraging or discouraging business decisions. To this end, the paper will specifically address the functionality of retirement pensions, in their various forms, as a dignified exit for these workers. At the same time, it will analyse the various public protection measures that, in contexts of restructuring or workforce adjustments, as well as adverse crises of various kinds, have been implemented in order to prevent the vulnerability and neglect of those who, directly affected by these events, may have been excluded from their requirements on the grounds of age.