Stop Climate Chaos

Georgios Altinitzis from the ITUC spoke on this subject. His main thrust was that this is the one major issue facing us all over the next few years. As members of the human race it is imperative on us to act. As members of a Trade Union we have to represent workers rights so to this end the ITUC are working on proposing a “Just Transition” which will allow a move to ‘green’ jobs and aid developing the green economy. An example was given from the floor about cleaners who loose their jobs when recycling is made mandatory. Georgios was quick to point out that this was not a result of trying to implement climate change but work practice change. Recycling is different to cutting carbon emissions and it is being used as a way of implementing cuts, hence the need for a Just Transition. Patricia McKeon from Unite spoke about how their union have been evaluating all they do from a carbon emissions point of view and encouraged other unions to set up working groups that will detail ways of reducing their carbon footprint.
Internationally: ITUC recently passed a resolution on combating climate change where it calls for a reduction of emissions of 40% by developed countries by 2020.
Nationally: ICTU are setting up a working group to look at the Climate Change issue
Colin Roche from Stop Climate Chaos gave a talk on their work to date. 25 million climate refugees anticipated over the next decade due to rising sea levels. There will be a bill going to Govt soon on climate law that the group have been actively pursuing. They have also been busy lobbying politicians to their cause and have received 70 signatories across the political spectrum to a climate commitment. Stop Climate Chaos is a conglomeration of 30 organisations from Civil Society with no union endorsement. This meeting was a first step towards changing that and it was mooted that if the Just Transition was put on to the agenda that unions could then be persuaded to join in.