Climate change and work

Climate change is happening rapidly, and the consequences are both extensive and dramatic. With increasing global warming, the likelihood of more frequent, intense, and unpredictable extreme weather events also increases. Such events can include floods, droughts, extreme temperatures, wildfires, and landslides. Other consequences may involve more fundamental and long-term changes in natural conditions, such as changes in sea level and temperature.

Although we have seen outlines of how extreme weather events increasingly affect workplaces globally, there is little research on the topic both globally and in Norway. In LO's shop steward panel on the green shift, conducted by Fafo, 1/3 of the 1048 respondents reported that their workplace had been affected by extreme weather in the past two years. Of these, 27 percent said that the extreme weather events posed health and safety risks for employees. This indicates that extreme weather events already have a significant impact on workplaces in general, and on employees' health and safety in particular.

The purpose of this project is to explore the concrete experiences of employees and representatives with climate change in the workplace and assess how climate change may impact the workforce going forward, including what it will mean for workplace representatives. This may include the impact of extreme weather events on wages and working conditions, as well as health, environment, and safety, with a focus on different sectors.

The research project will consist of two parts:

Part 1: Literature Review: Climate Change and Work
Based on two key questions, we will conduct a literature study to provide an overview and context:

• What do we know about climate change in Norway: What have we already experienced, and what can we expect in the future?
• What do we know about how climate change affects the workforce?

Part 2: Qualitative Survey: Employee Experiences
We will conduct interviews with shop stewards at workplaces from different parts of the country and across various sectors that have been affected by climate change and extreme weather, about their experiences.