L-R: Peter Poschen, International Labour Organisation; Philip Pearson, Trades Union Congress, UK; Chabo Ching, ITUC-Asia Pacific; and Joël Decaillon, European Trade Union Confederation.
Peter Poschen, International Labour Organization, provided an overview of the Green Jobs Initiative.
Joël Decaillon, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), presented on an ETUC study on climate change, and said a carbon energy tax must consider low-income households.
Chabo Ching, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), highlighted that the diversity within Asia’s growth levels poses unique challenges to labor, and noted that technology transfer must be accompanied by training.
Arturo Gonzalo Aizpiri, Secretary-General of Environment, Spain, underscored the key role that labor unions have to play in de-carbonizing the economy.
Hilary Benn, Minister of Environment, UK, underlined that future economic prosperity can only come about by a green economic revolution supported by trade unions.
Brice Lalonde, Climate Ambassador, France, called for taxing environmentally-damaging goods and “shaming” excessive consumption.
Kirsty Hamilton, UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy, outlined the employment needs of the new “green” economy and stressed that a strong international agreement on climate change is needed to provide investment certainty.
Nick Nuttall, UNEP, noted that there will be growth in employment linked to natural resources management and renewable energy.
Neth Dano, Third World Network, stressed that trade unions need to be involved in climate change discussions at both the national and international levels.
Carl Pope, Sierra Club, emphasized that the new economy will be shaped first by policy decisions and not market forces, and called for trade unions to support renewable energy.
More information
http://www.sustainableworkplace.co.ok
http://www.global-unions.org
Contacts
Joël Decaillon <etuc@etuc.org>
Chabo Ching <ching@icftu-apro.org>
Nick Nuttall <nick.nuttall@unep.org>
Neth Dano <nethdano@pacific.net>
Carl Pope <carl.pope@sierraclub.org>
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