The ILO’s World Social Protection Report 2024-26: Universal social protection for climate action and a just transition, released last week states that around 50 per cent of the global population – which could be described as the privileged one, do have access to at least one social protection benefit – but 3.8 billion people globally lack any kind of safety net, including 1.8 billion children worldwide.

“Climate change does not recognise borders, and we cannot build a wall to keep the crisis out,” said Gilbert Houngbo, ILO Director-General. “The climate crisis affects us all and represents the single, gravest threat to social justice today.”

Findings showed that governments are failing to make full use of the powerful potential of social protection to counter the effects of the climate crisis and support a just transition to a greener future.

A ‘deeply divided world’

For the first time, more than half of the global population (52.4 per cent) has some form of social protection, climbing from 42.8 per cent in 2015, the year when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted, according to the report.

But, in the 20 most climate-vulnerable countries, 91.3 per cent of people – or 364 million – still go without any security net. More broadly, in the 50 most climate-vulnerable countries, 75 per cent of the population – or 2.1 billion people – lack any social or livelihood protection, provided by their governments.

“The stark disparity in the right to social protection is a reflection of our deeply divided world,” said Mia Seppo, ILO Assistant Director-General. “The most urgent challenge is protecting those at the frontline of the climate crisis.”

Globally, most children (76.1 per cent) still have no effective social protection coverage, and a substantial gender gap persists, with women’s effective coverage lagging behind men by 50.1 and 54.6 per cent, respectively.

These gaps are especially significant, given the potential........

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