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Environment and Global Competitiveness - TUAC submission to the Meeting of the Environment Policy Committe
A trade union view on: the OECD Environmental Outlook; competitiveness, eco-innovation and climate change; Cooperation for ambitious climate change policies.

23/04/2008

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Summary of comments on the OECD outlook

  • It important to recognize the synergies and trade-offs that can arise between the integrity of eco-systems and human well-being when developing management options on biodiversity. The activities of OECD countries must be linked to global efforts to integrate such synergies and trade offs within concrete sustainable development frameworks.
  • Biodiversity promotion must be backed by better regulations and compliance at the national level, with measures to strengthen ratification and implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, in tandem with stronger measures to meet the World Summit on Sustainable Development and Millennium Development Goals.
  • The current OECD Environment Strategy should be strengthened and expanded to better identify social, environment and human well-being synergies and trade-offs for creating environmental measures that promote decent work.

Summary comments on Climate Change

  • There is a need to undertake ambitious measures on combat climate change through cooperation and solidarity among and within countries.
  • Competitiveness, employment and income distribution concerns have generally been ignored by international climate change negotiators but these will be a key to guaranteeing the success of any agreement. “Green Jobs” creation, through eco-innovation and deployment of clean technologies and processes are part of an ‘opportunities’ package that Ministers should consider.
  • Fine-tuned design of socially-friendly climate change policies requires that ambitious climate change objectives be made to reinforce cooperation within and across governments, as well as with trade unions.
  • The strengthening of linkages between climate, and social or economic policies, is essential for achieving an ambitious post-2012 regime, capable of protecting the climate in a sustainable and fair manner and to ensure fair transition towards a low-carbon society.

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