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Unions Call For Solidarity Over Climate Change Action
(COP 12 – MOP 2, Nairobi, Kenya, 6-17 November 2006)

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Wafula Musamia of the Kenyan Confederation of Trade Unions (COTU) spoke of wide ranging action, training and education programmes within the forestry sector consistent with the expectations of art 6 and the New Delhi work programme and that these extended to many African countries. These and many other trade union programmes were presented to UNFCCC and collectively these have a mayor role to play in educating and training their members on the twin challenges of mitigation and adaptation strategies as well as engaging their young members.

Sophi Dupressoir of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) addressed the major knowledge gap on the employment impacts of climate change policies and how ETUC conducted an 11 EU-nation study together with the Wuppertal institute, Syndex, ISTAS and Sindnova. Preliminary results show that ambitious climate change policies could be implemented with overall positive employment benefits. This long awaited, European Commission and Member State funded study will be published in February 2007.

Trade Unions call for a Nairobi Climate Action Plan for Africa At the conclusion of the Nairobi seminar the Kenyan Confederation of Trade Unions called for an Action Plan in which the idea of solidarity is a cornerstone.

-The experience of African Trade unionist confirms what the Stern Report stated on developing countries and its communities suffering disproportional harmful effects of climate change. “Africa will be under severe pressure from climate change”. Therefore it is vital that governments integrate climate change into the Millennium Development policies. A Nairobi Action Plan for Africa needs to contain rapid action towards a sustainable solution, engaging workers and their communities in the development of adaptation strategies.

The ITUC called on industrialised economies to respect the Kyoto Protocol and agree on new and stronger commitments. European trade unions set a good example by supporting the adaptation of ambitious targets to reduce European greenhouse gas emissions of about 25% by 2020 and with 75% by 2050 compared with 1990 levels.

During the COP-12, elected trade union officials from Kenya, representing workers from all concerned economic sectors, met with representatives from South Africa, Nigeria and the international trade union delegation in Nairobi for a capacity building day. With a focus on the African continent, the attendants agreed for long term visions and action on adaptation for the region and the inadequacies of the present climate change agenda.

An international trade union delegation at the UNFCCC COP12 today continues its work for recognition of elements of the world of work to be integrated within world mitigation and adaptation efforts to deal with climate change.