2009 will be remembered as the year the world was gripped by unprecedented financial turmoil. But it could also be remembered as the year the world faced up to its greatest environmental challenge by reaching an international agreement at Copenhagen to limit climate change.
This may seem pie in the increasingly stormy sky. The road to Copenhagen was not without its potholes. Email leaks questioning the scientific evidence for climate change, gave the deniers more fodder for their arguments that the scientific basis for climate change is alarmist. A so-called alternative agreement – the Danish text – doing the rounds in the early days, further threatened to derail the talks.
This was even before the politically delicate question of getting developed and developing countries into a binding agreement. For a meaningful deal, it was clear we needed to overcome the American issue. For some in the United States, Kyoto remains a dirty word. At the same time, a meaningful deal needed to get concessions from rich countries, as well as providing substantial financial and technical help to developing countries to enable them to cut carbon emissions and adapt to climate change. This was never going to be easy, as the bankers have wrecked the economy.
But now that all major governments have accepted the science, one thing is certain. I write at the start of the second week and, if an international agreement can be reached to take action to keep global warming below two degrees, it will be a landmark moment.
These international agreements will have huge significance for this country. And it was only right that people from all walks of life were represented at the talks. This is where Unison comes in. We were at the heart of the talks, making sure the voices of working people were heard at the negotiating table.
Unison added its voice to the call for a “just transition”. This means governments, trade unions and employers working together to map out a route to a low carbon economy that guarantees decent, green jobs and training. We need an agreement that takes into account the impact of climate change on jobs, and a green new deal for the economy.
So far, there has been some success. The draft agreement that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is discussing recognises the need for the active participation of all stakeholders in bringing about a “just transition” for the workforce. Unison wants this to be strengthened, with
the unique role of trade unions being fully recognised.
For Britain’s leading public sector union, public services are another important part of the “just transition”. A fair deal at Copenhagen must protect the poorest – the countries which have contributed the least to global warming, but stand to be hit the hardest – by putting some money on the table in order to make sure they can cope with the effects of climate change.
Essential public services for them include disaster prevention and planning facilities, healthcare and water management. Poor countries also need help to improve their energy efficiency – they will not be allowed to rely on using massive amounts of non-renewable energy to fuel their development.
However, even with these international commitments, the hard work will start after the 10-day talks end. Key to getting results will be getting people at work to change their behaviour. Unions are well placed to take this message into the workplace. There is clear evidence that many people are still sceptical about the reality of climate change. They will need convincing before they take action to green their behaviour.
Unison has been focusing on getting its own house in order for some time. Our union has a number of green workplace pilot projects running, including one underway at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital. Workers, employers and Unison are joining together to make Great Ormond Street more environmentally friendly. This is an opportunity for the public sector to be the standard bearer for good practice. Eventually, the pilot project will develop a code of good practice that can be adapted and rolled out across the public sector and beyond.
As a union, we have a network of green champions, working to help our branches take the message forward. Our new head office is being built to the highest environmental specifications. And Unison’s regions are also making their contribution – with the East Midlands cutting its energy consumption by 13 per cent in the past year.
It is these green messages that we took to our meetings in Copenhagen. We know that our country has been one of those most responsible for carbon emissions. But credit where credit is due. We entered these negotiations from a position of strength, as the only nation at the negotiating table to have a legally binding agreement to reduce carbon emissions.
Through the tough times at the talks, in the middle of late-night negotiations or in disputes over differing levels of commitment, the world’s leaders need to remember that doing nothing is unthinkable. A six-degree rise in temperature would lead to nearly half the planet being uninhabitable for humans, and nearly half of life on Earth becoming extinct by 2100.
This is truly our moment to choose our future, our 12 days to save the world.
Dave Prentis is general secretary of Unison
