‘Just Transition’: More than Buzz Words
 |
||||
|
||||
Lauren Asplen, assistant to the president for IUE-CWA, is among union delegates taking part in the 12-day United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) in Poznan, Poland. The meeting is building upon the framework negotiated last year in Bali, Indonesia. Of the nearly 100 union delegates, Asplen is among the more than 20 from North America and sends us this report.
The tug of war in the climate change debate is between how and how fast to mitigate the impact of global warming—i.e., between potential energy sources and emission reduction targets. However, within that overarching question, there are a myriad of issues that brought some 8,000 delegates and observers to the United Nations climate meeting in Poznan, Poland. One stands out as critical to union members, yet it has not received much attention. That issue is what’s termed a “just transition” for workers.
In trade union policy meetings and in the U.N. conference, it is clear that few agree on what a just transition encompasses. Among those who even discuss the concept, the debate often focuses on how much money should go into a fund to help workers in developing countries achieve a sustainable economy and adapt to the impact of climate change.
What’s the Timeline for Reducing Greenhouse Emissions?
 |
||||
|
||||
Roxanne D. Brown, assistant legislative director of the United Steelworkers (USW), is among union delegates taking part in the 12-day United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) in Poznan, Poland. The meeting is building upon the framework negotiated last year in Bali, Indonesia. Of the nearly 100 union delegates, Brown is among the more than 20 from North America and sends us this report.
What Comes First?
That’s the question everyone is asking in Poznan, Poland. Does the United States take actions to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by passing legislation in 2009, or do we wait for a new international agreement on climate change to be finalized in Copenhagen, Denmark, at the end of 2009? It’s the classic chicken and egg question. Which should precede the other? Which is most necessary to occur first? Like the chicken and egg question, no one has an answer (or at least a real good one), but one thing is clear: All eyes are on the United States.
Climate Change Targets or Climate Change Actions?
 |
||||
|
||||
Jim Hunter, Utility Division director at the Electrical Workers (IBEW), is among union delegates taking part in the 12-day United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) in Poznan, Poland. The meeting is building upon the framework negotiated last year in Bali, Indonesia. Of the nearly 100 union delegates, Hunter is among the more than 20 from North America and sends us this report.
This is my first climate change conference and it is truly overwhelming. The labor delegation started with training sessions Dec. 3–4, with the conference opening the afternoon of Dec. 4. The first thing that hits you is the enormous size of the buildings for the meetings. You need a map to find your way around the complex. The daily program is 37 two-sided pages long. There are meetings, press briefings, briefings of ministers and heads of the delegations and side events every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Massive amounts of information are presented, and we need to work hard to convey labor’s point of view.
U.N. Climate Change Conference: Union Activists Key to Greening the Globe
 |
||||
|
||||
David Foster, executive director of the Blue Green Alliance (BGA), sends us an update from the 12-day U.N. Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) in Poznan, Poland. Some 8,000 delegates and observers from around the world are meeting to build upon the framework negotiated last year in Bali, Indonesia. The Blue Green Alliance is a strategic partnership of U.S. labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the green economy. The BGA is composed of the United Steelworkers, Sierra Club, Communications Workers of America, Natural Resources Defense Council and SEIU.
Walking a gauntlet of young civil society delegates to the UNCCC meeting in this ancient city, I couldn’t help but feel a profound disconnect between the plunging expectations of working people around the world at the end of 2008 and the tepid rhetoric of government delegates at the official “Shared Vision” workshop. This workshop was designed specifically to provide a public opportunity to government representatives to inspire us to embrace change.
