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COP21: Dispatch #3 – A Bad Deal & A Call to Action

From Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, 12/11/15:

The Paris climate summit (Cop 21) is nearly over, and the deal that’s presently on the table falls short in terms of commitments on emissions, financing, human rights, and just transition.  The core concerns of unions and social movements remain in the preamble to the Paris Agreement and not the operative articles of the text.

On December 7th, these shortcomings were acknowledged by a capacity crowd of 700 people from the trade unions and their allies at a meeting organized by Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung–New York Office, Global Climate Jobs and the Global Labour Institute Network.

The audience heard inspiring messages from writer and activist Naomi Klein and UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, as well as trade unions involved in TUED in different regions.

The power of these messages is captured in this 17-minute video, produced by ReelNews for TUED.  The speakers addressed energy democracy, climate jobs, and the need for a transition that is both just and transformative. 

A segment of Naomi Klein’s full presentation can also be viewed here.  She urged unions and their allies not to accept a “highly dangerous” deal, and to take to the streets in Paris on December 12.

A video of Jeremy Corbyn’s presentation is here.  His remarks on how the failure to address climate has contributed to recent flooding throughout Northern England, Scotland and Wales have been broadly distributed by the media. He urged unions and the climate movement to “unleash the hope” for a truly sustainable future.

Photo Credit: Chris Bentley/flickr/cc

 

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

Trade Unions and Climate Change: A Conversation with Naomi Klein and Jeremy Corbyn

On December 7th, Trade Unions for Energy Democracy, Global Climate Jobs Campaign, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung—New York and the Global Labour Institute Network presented an important discussion between Naomi Klein and Jeremy Corbyn about trade unions and climate change.

Naomi Klein, supported by UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, called for mass civil disobedience to break the ban on demonstrations on December 12.

Trade unionists and others discussed real solutions to climate change: an end to fossil fuels, energy democracy, and a just transition to millions of climate jobs. Catch some of this important discussion below.

Home, International Program for Labor, Climate and Environment, Labor Studies

Unprecedented? Unions and Community Unite to Halt Plans to Build Coal Export Terminal in Oakland, California

By Elena Mora for Trade Unions for Energy Democracy

A short but well-organized campaign to stop plans to build a coal export terminal in the Oakland Port resulted in a packed Oakland City Council meeting on September 21, and a vote requiring a public health impact study to guide the Council’s action, up to and including a moratorium on coal.

Screenshot 2015-09-26 10.47.56

The campaign, “Coal Free Oakland,” led by the Sierra Club and others, brought together a very broad coalition (more than 80 organizations), with significant union participation, including the Alameda Labor Council, which passed a resolution calling on the city to reject the coal export plan. Continue reading Unprecedented? Unions and Community Unite to Halt Plans to Build Coal Export Terminal in Oakland, California →

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Greece Today: Sean Sweeney on the Future of Greece’s Energy System

Murphy Institute Professor Sean Sweeney just returned from Athens, where he delivered a presentation entitled Third Memorandum or Grexit: What are the implications for the Future of Greece’s Energy System? at the Democracy Rising conference. In his talk, Sweeney explained:

…[E]nergy will be at the heart of the struggles in Greece in the years ahead, Memorandum or Grexit. Energy poverty has grown with austerity and recession, and Syriza has taken measures to protect the poorest and most vulnerable from, for example, electricity disconnections.

But it is clear that the structure of Greece’s energy system also needs to change. The “Institutions”, through the Memorandum, have a clear sense of what restructuring energy means for them—full-on privatization. However, a left restructuring would seek to address two major challenges: firstly, Greece’s dependence on fossil fuel imports and, secondly, how to take advantage of its potential to generate large amounts of renewable energy.

Sweeney presents a thorough analysis of Greece’s choices given the country’s uncertain future and the real, pressing need for “a new economy and a new society.”

Access the full presentation at Trade Unions for Energy Democracy.

Photo by Martin Abegglen via flickr (CC-BY-SA).

Home, International Program for Labor, Climate and Environment, Labor Studies

Power to the People: Toward Democratic Control of Electricity Generation

A new working paper from Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED) titled Power to the People: Toward Democratic Control of Electricity Generation shows how “another energy is possible, and absolutely necessary.” The paper documents how and where energy democracy is expressing itself — and argues that public renewable power can drive the energy revolution the world needs. Union leaders from different sectors have welcomed the report.

Check it out.

Trade Unions for Energy Democracy is a multi-partner initiative coordinated by the International Program for Labor, Climate and Environment (IPLCE), based out of the Murphy Institute, in cooperation with the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung – New York Office. 

Photo by Bert Kaufmann via flickr (CC-BY).