Comment

New Ground 69
Autumn 2005

Unions Shift to Climate Change

This year, a huge coalition of organisations including trade unions, major aid agencies and hundreds of other campaigning organisations united to call for trade justice, more and better aid, and dropping the debt. The TUC was at the heart of the coalition, mobilising thousands for the pre-summit rally and making the fight against global poverty a key issue of debate within our movement. Make Poverty History is living proof of how the trade union movement can contribute towards shared global aims.

Before Gleneagles, a fourth anti-poverty demand was emerging - tackling climate change. Tony Blair's decision to focus the G8 on both Africa and climate change wasn't understood by some and was greeted with cynicism by others. But, if nothing else, George Bush's resistance to further action to tackle poverty and protect the environment served to highlight the links between the two - and galvanise campaigners to work together to effect real change.

Coalitions of green organisations such as the newly launched Climate Movement (CM) argue that "the world's poorest and most vulnerable will be put at severe risk of drought, floods and starvation without urgent action to tackle climate change" and, as Governments gather in Montreal to write the next chapter of the Kyoto Treaty, the Campaign Against Climate Change is planning a national demonstration. Make Poverty History has also made the link - without doubt, the world's poorest pay the highest price for climate change. So what can unions contribute to this new politics?

Greening the workplace

Unions are uniquely placed to help combine the drive to tackle climate change with that of ending poverty, through developing the campaign for decent, sustainable jobs. A recent TUC report, Greening the workplace, maps out a strategy for developing sustainable workplaces, both through union action in the workplace and by influencing Government policy.

One key area is renewable energy. The Government's climate change programme aims to generate 10 per cent of UK electricity from renewables by 2010, and to double that by 2020. Scottish Executive targets are higher: 18 per cent by 2010, and 40 per cent by 2020. Yet, as has been widely reported, the UK is struggling to meet its 10% renewables target. In 2003, about 3% of electricity generated in the UK was sourced from wind and solar power, a 26% increase on 2002, but still well below expectations.

With UK manufacturing continuing to haemorrhage jobs - around 80,000 lost in the past 12 months - unions have seized on the employment creation opportunities behind the drive towards low carbon energy - that is, energy generated without consuming fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and natural gas.

Backed by Amicus and the Scottish TUC, the Scottish Executive provided financial support for Vestas Wind Technology in Campbell Town. Amicus, which recently won union recognition at the plant, has consistently argued the case for creating manufacturing jobs from renewables. The union also supports the adaptation of oil fabrication yards in the north of Scotland, once used to manufacture offshore oil rigs, for the manufacture of wind turbines. Forecasts suggest these initiatives could generate up to 1,000 skilled jobs. The union vision is to establish wind turbine production as a core to our manufacturing industry and the UK as a global manufacturing base.

The T&G is also working with British Sugar to help kick start a UK biofuels industry. The Government's Transport White Paper suggested that biofuels could account for some 5 percent of road transport fuels by 2020. If 5% of biofuels were added to standard fuels, it would save an estimated 2.3 million tonnes of CO2 a year, the equivalent of taking one million cars off the road.

The TUC is seeking to use its influence with Government to promote support for these new technologies through a joint committee with DEFRA, the Trades Unions Sustainable Development Advisory Committee. TUSDAC is co-chaired by Environment Minster Elliott Morley, and TUC General Council member and professional workers union, Prospect, leader Paul Noon.

These examples demonstrate the real, practical potential of union engagement in climate change. But to succeed there must be certainty and real support in Government policy. That is why British Sugar and the T&G are campaigning for a Renewable Fuel Obligation rising in stages to 6% of biofuels by 2010. The industry has significant employment potential, both in agriculture and rural processing factories. Further employment would develop in the petrochemical industry for conversion and mixing processes. These are potentially significant sources of sustainable employment.

Greening the workplace sets out the wide range of options for unions to engage with climate change. Case studies range from significant energy savings in greening university estates involving Prospect and the AUT, to a multi-union programme of environment risk management at United Utilities. Here, UNISON, Amicus, GMB, Prospect and the T&G have established a network of safety, health and environment reps because of the breadth of issues they are now taking forward.

Union principles

In shaping our strategy, the TUC is applying tried and tested trade union principles - principles that governments would do well to learn from too. First, international solidarity is fundamental to tackling climate change. Greenhouse gases don't respect national boundaries. The UK is responsible for only 2% of global emissions of greenhouse gases, the EU about 15%, G8 nations just over half.

Secondly, equality is key. Global inequality in patterns of production and consumption are no longer sustainable. Seventy per cent of Africa's population relies on rain-fed agriculture for its livelihood. As the developed nations continue to use the atmosphere as an un-priced waste dump, so even the small shifts in temperature and rainfall that result from global warming deliver a disproportionate impact on less developed countries.

Thirdly, people have the right to a voice - and the right to call government and business to account. We have only one planet on which to stake out our future. This means working together on a broad front, tackling the social, economic and environmental issues involved in climate change. The trade union movement is proud to be part of Make Poverty History and will play our part in ensuring that the call for intergovernmental action on climate change grows stronger by the day.

Greening the Workplace, published by unions on the Trade Union Sustainable Development Advisory Committee, is available from the TUC at: www.tuc.org.uk - go to economy/environment

Frances O'Grady is Deputy General Secretary of the TUC