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Home, International Program for Labor, Climate and Environment

COP21: Dispatch #2 – Unions and Allies Stage Sit-In

From Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, 12/9/15, 1700 hrs, Central European Time:

Unions and allies are staging a sit-in at COP 21 following the release of the  DRAFT PARIS OUTCOME 

Short video of the action — Watch this space!

Trade unions and social movement allies have been pushing hard to have their concerns reflected in the operational articles of the agreement, but at this time these concerns are part of a preamble that “takes into account,” “recognizes” or “notes” these fundamental concerns. 

The ITUC delegation’s main goal at COP 21 is to have “the imperatives of a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities” situated in Article 2, paragraph 2, and thus a central part of agreement.

However, the ITUC is concerned that the new draft leaves all the key issues unresolved; it lacks an ambitious long term goal, a solid review mechanism, and solid financial commitments to and beyond 2020.

The protest urged ministers to go back to the negotiating table.

Photo by thierry ehrmann via flickr (CC-BY).

Home, International Program for Labor, Climate and Environment

COP21: Dispatch #1

From Murphy Prof. Sean Sweeney, 12/5/15:

I am here at COP 21 in Paris, where the first week of the two-week UN climate change conference has just concluded. Unions are fighting for a reference in the final agreement to “a just transition of the workforce” and are getting support from Argentina, Canada and one or two others.  The US negotiators are not blocking this, but neither are they willing to support it openly. Meanwhile, the JSMI is represented through Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, which has organized a number of workshops on the issue of asserting democratic control over the energy system in order to meet climate targets. Here’s an article in YES! that reports on one of these sessions.