LTB 242/24 - Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 62 – July 2024
LTB 242/24
Dear Colleagues,
Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 62 – July 2024:
Introduction & History – The GJA:
The Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) came into existence as a result of funding from Battersea and Wandsworth TUC. The GJA was launched to promote skills training and job creation to meet the needs of Britain’s rapidly growing low carbon sectors and to green the whole economy. The transition to a low carbon and resource efficient economy can drive sustainable economic recovery and job creation in every part of the country as well as making existing jobs more secure. But this requires a more strategic national and local approach to deliver the workforce skills needed and to stimulate demand for clean energy and energy efficiency services.
The Greener Jobs Alliance liaises at a national and local level to build the broadest possible support for the policies, investment, partnerships and commitments needed to drive the transition to a low carbon economy.
The Greener Jobs Alliance liaises with training bodies, colleges, universities, employers, local and national Government, trade unions, housing associations, campaign and community groups – to build the policies, investment and partnerships needed to drive the transition to a low carbon economy.
GJA Founder Graham Petersen:
The founder GJA Secretary and Newsletter editor was Graham Petersen who is well known to the CWU and has a long-standing working relationship with the Union. He is a former TUC tutor and course designer who created safety reps training courses and the successful TUC Occupational Health & Safety Diploma Course. He was the head of the Trade Union Studies Centre at South Thames College before retirement from the post and has been a visitor and guest speaker at CWU events and meetings. After 30 editions, Graham stood down at the GJA AGM and handed over to Paul Atkin as newsletter editor and Tahir Latif as GJA Secretary. Graham remains a GJA Steering Group member and is now working part time for the Wales TUC is the author of a publication for them entitled ‘Greener workplaces for a just transition – a Wales TUC toolkit for trade unionists’ which was circulated by the CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department.
GJA ‘Free’ Courses:
The GJA runs a number of ‘free’ courses on the environment for Trade Union Reps in different parts of the UK which have been attended by a number of CWU Reps with details published in the newsletter.
The GJA now offers three ‘on-line’ courses as follows:
Climate Change Awareness
This short introductory course is aimed at trade unionists and anyone wishing to develop their understanding of the issues around climate change. The course is divided into 4 modules. The modules contain background information, short videos, graphs and illustrations.
Module 1: Climate Change Explained
Module 2: International Responses
Module 3: Trade Union Responses
Module 4: Getting Involved
At the end of each section, there are references and links to additional materials if you want to go further. There are no formal tests and you can work through the materials at your own pace but there are optional quizzes to check your understanding at the end of modules 1, 2 and 3.
A Trade Union Guide to Just Transition
Social justice must be at the heart of the development of a net-zero carbon economy. The course covers:
The meaning and history of the term just transition
Why it should be a priority issue
UK and international policies and case studies
Ideas for developing an action plan
It is aimed at trade unionists and anyone wishing to improve their understanding of why just transition should be central to climate change policy.
Air Quality – a trade union issue
The following issues will be explored in this free online course. It is made up of 3 modules,
Module 1: The Causes and Health Impacts of Air Pollution
Module 2: The Law and Government Policy
Module 3: Trade Union Responses and Campaigns
Link to GJA on-line Courses: https://greenerjobsalliance.co.uk/courses/
TUC green rep courses:
The TUC announced, earlier this year, a series of new ‘free’ to attend “green rep training courses for 2024 and these have been taking place in various locations since February as informed in previous LTBs.
All union reps and officers are welcome, new or experienced, and whether in any Union role. All trade unionists can benefit from understanding what the TU movement can do to protect and empower Union members during the climate crisis. Forthcoming face to face classroom courses are listed in the programme across the TUC Regions at:-
Paul Atkin Editorial GJA Newsletter Issue 62: “Three challenges for the new government”
Paul covers three areas. Firstly, following the UK Geneal Election outcome he calls on Labour to defend the UK’s climate consensus in the face of Tory/Reform opposition.
Secondly, he refers to the situation in the USA, where there is the forthcoming US Presidential Election to think about and if Trump wins re-election in November, he has pledged to dump both domestic just transition plans and global cooperation through the Paris acord. Thirdly, Paul supports the calls from several Union’s Conference Motions calling for the £28 billion investment pledge to be restored, for union and community engagement through Just Transition Commissions and coordination through a National Climate Service are a solid basis for doing this.
1 Face up to an attack from the Conservative/Reform rump.
2 Prepare to face up to the US going rogue.
3 Match investment to ambition and legal obligations.
Read the full Editorial & GJA Newsletter Edition 62 (attached)
Contents GJA Newsletter 62:
Editorial: Three challenges for the new government
IEA: Rapid rollout of clean technologies makes energy cheaper, not more costly
UN Survey shows strong global support for climate transition
Landmark Horse Hill Victory – a watershed moment on Fossil Fuel extraction.
TUC heatwave media campaign
Adaptation Strategies: Labour Education, Climate Crisis and the UK Trade Union Movement.
Stronger Australian TUC transition stance
Teaching our way to climate justice: UCU’s work on a fair transition for workers
Key demand from UCU
NEU Launches Green Reps and Environment Officers Training Course
Union conference round up. PCS. UNISON
New Rules. UK Supreme Court. EU Nature Restoration. Canada Greenwash Rules show bums on fire
Events. Communicating Climate Change. Fare Free London Meeting. Climate Militarism week of action.
Peoples Climate Vote 2024.
The 2024 UN Survey shows strong global support for transition the biggest ever standalone public opinion survey on climate change, “the Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024”, shows;
80 percent of people globally want their governments to take stronger action to tackle the climate crisis.
86 percent – want to see their countries set aside geopolitical differences and work together on climate change.
72 percent in favour of a quick transition away from fossil fuels, and only 7 percent of people globally said their country should not transition at all.
53 percent said they were more worried than last year about climate change (59% in Least Developed countries).
69 percent of people globally said their big decisions like where to live or work were being impacted by climate change. This is higher in LDCs (74%) than Europe (52%) or North America (42%).
[Link to full UN Report in the GJA Newsletter attached].
Green Bites – Stats of The Month
50%+ of Europe’s energy generated by renewables so far this year. (Eurelectric).
49 km a week reduced distance driven through an e-bikes incentive scheme in Victoria, British Columbia. This made the e-bike incentive more cost effective in terms of CO2 reduction per dollar invested than provincial car incentives. (The Energy Mix. Canada).
$4.6 Trillion – Cost of energy wasted every year through the structural inefficiencies of fossil fuels. That’s 40% of global energy costs. Another reason that the writing is on the wall for fossil fuels. (RMI – Rocky Mountain Institute).
100% – The proportion of the increase in peak demand that U.S. power grids are projecting through 2035 that could be absorbed by distributed energy resources (DERs) like batteries and electric vehicles if utilities seize the opportunity and engage more closely with customers. (Deloitte).
£35.8 billion – HMRC’s estimate of underpaid tax in 2023, up from £30.8 billion in 2022. Collecting this would pay for Labour’s former pledge of £28 billion a year for the energy transition, with quite a bit left over (and not trouble any interpretation of ”fiscal rules”).
1,301 – The number of people who died from excessive heat during Hajj in Mecca this year, when temperatures rose above 50C. (HRMC).
What is a just transition?
A just transition seeks to ensure that the substantial benefits of a green economy transition are shared widely, while also supporting those who stand to lose economically – be they countries, regions, industries, communities, workers or consumers.
A rapid increase in the speed and scale of actions required to reduce the risks of climate change will create new economic opportunities.
Whilst a just transition is mainly based on environmental considerations, it is also shaped by other structural changes affecting labour markets, such as globalisation, labour-saving technologies and the shift to services.
A just transition is an integral part of many of the global commitments adopted by countries. The Paris Agreement acknowledges “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” and highlights the importance of workers in responding to climate change.
Furthermore, the just transition concept links to 14 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, explicitly drawing together SDGs No 12 – climate action, No 10 – reduced inequalities, No 8 – decent work and economic growth, and No 7 – affordable and clean energy.
Many countries have recognised the challenge that this transformation entails and are taking measures to protect those that are most vulnerable and affected by the changes, including across the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) regions.
The European Union’s Just Transition Mechanism is integral to the EU’s Green Deal, targeted at ensuring “a fair transition to a climate-neutral economy, leaving no one behind” and aims to mobilise at least €150 billion over the period 2021-2027;
The Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration signed by 50 countries at COP24, which states that: “a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs are crucial to ensure an effective and inclusive transition”;
Climate Action for Jobs Initiative, co-led by the International Labour Organisation, Spain and Peru, with 46 countries committing to develop “national plans for a just transition and create decent green jobs”.
The UNFCCC Gender Action plan, whereby parties to the UNFCCC have recognized the importance of involving women and men equally in the development and implementation of national climate policies that are gender-responsive.
Quote of the Month.
“The only question is, how much longer are we going to let sociopath executives destroy life
on Earth and increasingly threaten billions of lives for their profit. Every increment of heating
is worth fighting to stop, because every increment of heating will further damage
habitability and kill more humans and other beings.”
Climate Scientist Peter Kalmu
Much more in the GJA Newsletter No 62, July 2024 attached.
Attachment:
GJA Newsletter No.62 for July 2024.
Yours sincerely,
Dave JoyceNational
Health, Safety & Environment Officer
Comments