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Trade unions join world demands for an ambitious climate agreement
Brussels/Paris 27 November 2008 - A week before the launch of international climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland, trade unions has clearly reaffirmed their commitment towards reaching a socially-fair and climate-engaged agreement by the end of 2009.

27/11/2008

  • Déclaration syndicale pour la COP 14pdf
  • Trade Union statement to COP14 pdf

Brussels/Paris, 27 November 2008 - A week before the launch of international climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), in a new groundbreaking policy statement, has clearly reaffirmed its commitment towards reaching a socially-fair and climate-engaged agreement by the end of 2009. ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder explained the movement’s main reasons for its strong position: “Accelerating climate change, financial disorder and food & oil price instability share the same origins: a lack of commitment to regulation, a push towards “small government” and free market economics, and an international system that has underperformed in terms of its governance of globalisation. All these crises always end up affecting the most vulnerable among us, those who did little to cause these problems”.

 
The Trade Union Advisory Committee to the OECD (TUAC) strongly supports the ITUC Climate Change statement and will use all our opportunitites to ensure that the key proposals are taken on board by OECD governments.  Commenting on the release of the report OECD General Secretary John Evans said " the union proposals are about how to link the agenda for creating jobs in an economic crisis with the agenda for combatting climate change.This can be done, now is the time to move forward with a "Green New Deal" to create  jobs through alternative energy development and energy saving and conservation."   

 

“The very same activities that have been proposed to address the global financial crisis, such as fiscal stimulus packages and investment encouraged into strategic areas, could reap a double benefit if they are oriented toward investment in new technologies, in green jobs, and in helping the world cope with the changes that are already inevitable due to climate change,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, the UN’s top climate change official.

“However, this must happen in context of international cooperation and not in a piecemeal way. Therefore, we must use the time available in Poznan wisely to make significant progress on the way to designing an ambitious new international climate change deal,” he added.

 

For the full trade union statement for COP14

Concrete proposals for the negotiations can be found at: http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/COP14_NegotiatorsBrief_Final.pdf

If you have any questions or remarks, please do not hesitate to contact us at rosemberg@tuac.org