Posted: Friday, 18 December 2009
As we begin the final hours of COP 15 in Copenhagen, our goal as an international trade union movement is to ensure that social and economic concerns are included in what had once been solely an environmental discussion. In simple terms, we want a fair, ambitious and legally binding global climate deal. We want a cleaner planet and good jobs.
Over the past year, the CLC and its international partners have promoted reference to just transition in a climate agreement, which remains in the draft text today.
A just transition to a greener economy requires an aggressive, sustained commitment of national resources to create and retain good jobs, increase per capita income, modernize industry, develop and deploy technology, as well as educating and training current and future workers.
We require assistance for workers, families or communities that may be adversely affected by economic transition, and a democratic voice for workers in their workplaces and communities. We also require an international commitment to financing adaptation, mitigation and technology transfer.
Dispatches from Copenhagen - Labour movement pushes just transition in climate agreement