How can trade unions act strategically in response to decarbonisation? Union strategic capacity and automotive transition policies in Germany, Spain and the UK

Climate policy measures and the energy transition present challenges for unions beyond the traditional scope of collective bargaining and social dialogue. Union responses to policies to phase out internal combustion engines must simultaneously address climate, environmental and industrial policy issues, and influence decision-making within multinational corporations and the web of supply chain firms that participate in production. Studies point to the need for capacity building to enable unions to respond to these complex challenges. Nevertheless, the nature of the union ‘capacity’ to be mobilised in climate responses, and how this is developing in diverse institutional contexts, remains unclear. Building on Richard Hyman’s concept of ‘strategic capacity’, the article explores how different dimensions of union capacity are mobilised to respond to challenges posed by internal combustion engine phase-out policies. This article draws on a study that maps trade unions’ responses to such policies in the United Kingdom and two EU countries.