INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION (ITUC)
ITUC OnLine
207/031209
Copenhagen Summit: Decisions Should Be Taken Now
Brussels, 4 December (ITUC OnLine): On the eve of the UN Climate Conference (7-18 December, Copenhagen), the
International Trade Union Confederation has called again on governments to take urgent and necessary measures to reach
without delay a low-carbon future.
The ITUC will submit its Statement “Trade unions and climate change – Equity, justice and solidarity in the fight
against climate change” to the Summit to pressure decision-makers to move in the right direction. The ITUC statement
sets out the international trade union movement’s position in detail, emphasising the need for urgent emission
reductions in developed countries, finance for developing countries’ adaptation, creation of green and decent jobs and
the implementation of “just transition” policies, through investment in new low-carbon technologies to reduce the carbon
footprints of existing industries.
“Solidarity is definitely a key point in the road to success for this critically-important summit,” said ITUC General
Secretary Guy Ryder. “The world can simply not wait any longer. Decisions should be made at Copenhagen and action has to
start immediately. The human, environmental and economic costs will otherwise be massive.”
Hundreds of trade unionists will be in Copenhagen for the UN climate change conference, and will keep pressing world
leaders to commit themselves to ensure social justice in the transition towards low carbon and climate-resilient
economies.
Just as large sums of money have been allocated to saving major financial institutions from bankruptcy, "the world's
governments should not think twice about allocating large sums of money to saving the planet," added Ryder. "Trade
unions are committed to the fight against global warming, and governments need to recognise the role of trade unions in
the UN Climate Convention’s decisions and in the common global effort to avoid catastrophic climate change in the
future.
To read the ITUC Statement on climate change: http://climate.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/COP15_TUstatement_Final_EN.pdf
See videos on climate change produced by Sustainlabour with the assistance of the ITUC:
You can watch the videos on youtube at the following links:
A call for action http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvTrg1nkjdA
Union of Green - Climate Change http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajT4NzMhNYI
Making it Happen - Climate Change http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvsZwfasPrY
The Way Forward - Climate Change http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1ipyS1bZhA
ends