Understanding the distributional impacts of the low-carbon transition on transport workers

Electrification, digitalization, and automation are three technological system changes anticipated to drive the transport sector decarbonization to meet the goals set in the Paris Agreement. Such sustainable transition pathways shape workers’ day-to-day experiences. It is essential for the feasibility of the transition, and for it to be just, to ensure that those impacted by these changes see them as acceptable and fair. To explore this in the context of transport transition, this analysis covers a broad set of categories on subjective and objective aspects of quality of working life. The authors present results from 20 semi-structured interviews with taxi and truck drivers, exploring perceived impacts from electrification, digitalization, and automation on their working life. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit a diverse set of participants and cover a broad range of experiences across gender, age, and geographies. Results indicate that transport workers can see health and safety benefits from electrification, digitalization, and automation. At the same time, they express concerns about how the transition will address their needs and professional aspirations. Findings also suggest some differences in perceived impacts related to the interviewees age, gender, and the geographies they operate in. This study gives insights into specific demands of transport workers in the context of transport sector decarbonization and can guide policies for a just transition for workers.