Received from: Prospect
Congress recognises that the climate emergency is the gravest threat currently facing humanity. The UK’s plan to address the climate crisis still lacks real detail, especially in key areas like heat decarbonisation. Congress notes the disappointing lack of progress in securing the next generation of nuclear power stations that will be essential to achieving net-zero.
Congress notes the Green Jobs Task Force report and agrees that a detailed long-term plan for net-zero to support good quality green jobs in the UK is needed.
The upcoming COP26 meeting is a key opportunity to agree a viable strategy for addressing the climate emergency. But the success of such a strategy depends on having a skilled and diverse workforce to deliver it, and it must include a just transition for workers in high-carbon sectors. No worker should be left behind.
Workers and unions must also be at the heart of the broader fight for climate justice. Congress recognises the valuable role of workplace representatives in driving action to reduce employers’ carbon emissions and to press for changes to ensure the long-term sustainability of their organisations. Congress believes that the work of environmental representatives should be backed by legal rights.
Congress resolves to campaign for:
i. a comprehensive, publicly funded government plan to fully address the climate emergency
ii. a just transition for workers in high-carbon industries
iii. legal rights for trade union environment reps.
Prospect
Amendment
In paragraph 4, sentence 3, after “Congress believes that” insert “environmental representatives play an important part in highlighting the impact of the climate emergency within their trade union structures and help mobilise individual members and that”
Add to end of sub-paragraph iii:
“and reps to be provided with resources to help mobilise other members.”
FDA