Ecological transition and transnational social dialogue: the role of international framework agreements

Abstract

Of the various "transitions" we are currently facing, all of which are crucial, the ecological transition is undoubtedly the one that can be delayed the least, since it affects the very viability of life on our planet, and the deterioration inflicted on the environment (particularly that resulting from global warming) must be halted as a matter of urgency before the situation becomes totally irreversible. The challenge posed by the firm commitment to environmental protection, within the framework of the Objectives of Sustainable Development, imposes major economic transformations that affect traditional models of production and consumption. In the context of a globalized economy, however, multinational companies have based their hegemony on the design of organizational and productive strategies, such as global value chains, whose main objective has been to save costs, whether labor or environmental, and which are the main "vectors of business competitiveness". Given the need to prioritize other parameters for measuring economic and social progress, the effectiveness of sustainable development policies inevitably depends on mechanisms, such as due diligence obligations, that will ensure effective accountability on the part of companies in the event of non-compliance with international social and environmental protection standards. Within the framework of such initiatives, however, the potentialities inherent in transnational social dialogue, whose contribution has so far been somewhat marginal, have not been sufficiently explored. Based on this premise, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of international framework agreements, a conventional instrument of proven practical functionality in the transnational sphere, in the effective implementation of environmental and social and labor policies adjusted to the sectoral and geographical particularities existing in each case.