CAKE’s at the AdJUST final conference in Brussels, 12.05.2026

CAKE’s at the AdJUST final conference in Brussels, 12.05.2026

CAKE’s at the AdJUST final conference in Brussels, 12.05.2026

On 12 May 2026, CAKE representatives participated in the final conference of the AdJUST project, entitled “Advancing just transition: Tackling distributive impacts and building societal support”, held at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels. The event focused on the social and distributional impacts of the climate transition, as well as support instruments for households, workers, businesses and regions particularly exposed to the costs of change.

The final conference presented the key findings of the AdJUST project on just transition, including the impact of climate policies on the labor market, businesses, institutional capacities and broader aspects of social justice. Discussions focused, among other things, on the need for better mapping of the groups and sectors affected by the transition, the importance of social dialogue, the need to invest in reskilling workers and the role of financing mechanisms such as the Social Climate Fund.

CAKE was responsible for developing and applying the labour market module within the ADJUST project, using available CAKE modelling tools to analyse the impacts of decarbonisation on employment structures, wage dynamics, and sectoral labour reallocation. In particular, CAKE extended the d-PLACE CGE model by incorporating frictional labour flows and endogenous educational choices, enabling a more realistic assessment of transition costs and distributional effects of climate policies across sectors and skill groups.

During the meeting, it was emphasized that the transition must be designed with regional and social differences in mind. Particular attention was paid to the quality of new jobs, the risk of deepening inequalities, the need to provide real alternatives in mobility, energy and employment, and the importance of transparent communication with citizens. The debate also highlighted that public support for ambitious climate policy depends on whether citizens perceive the transition as an opportunity rather than an additional burden.

Participation in the conference provided an opportunity to exchange knowledge with representatives of EU institutions, expert communities, trade unions and regional administrations. The conclusions from the event provide an important context for CAKE’s further analyses of the impacts of climate policy, just transition and mechanisms supporting the achievement of climate goals while maintaining social acceptance.