(Blog Action Day 09) Just Transition: The union plan for a low carbon economy
If you’re involved in trade unions, you’re likely hearing a new buzzword right now: “Just Transition”. My guess is that if you’re like me, the frequent repetition of this neologism doesn’t help clarify anything whatsoever, but it’s worth sticking with, as it’s an interesting concept, and one where unions may really be able to make a contribution.
Climate change is the biggest issue facing the entire population of the planet right now, and if we’re to have any effect at all in tackling it, our actions will need to result in a fundamental shift in the ways we live and work.
Previous times we’ve had these kinds of periods of economic restructuring, they’ve not been planned through, and the burden of change has fallen hardest on people and communities already at a disadvantage. Many areas of the UK are still suffering the effects of the move from manufacturing in the 80’s.
If we wanted a “Just Transition” to the new, low carbon economy, we’d seek to minimise the social costs of the change – within our own national economies and internationally.
This could be done through a stronger focus on consultation with those affected by change, through work in building green skills, so people could move more easily to the new opportunities, and active investment in green and decent jobs – not just creating jobs in low carbon industry, but ensuring they’re good, safe jobs that people will value.
There’s a moral case for this, which doesn’t really need to be pointed out to trade unionists, but if the transition isn’t “Just”, then it’ll be that much less likely to work. We need to accomplish this shift quickly and comprehensively. It needs everyone’s active buy-in for it to work in the short time frame we have available to us.
And, not to jinx anything, but it looks like it might have a shot at working. Unions around the world have been working together on this, lobbying their own governments in the run up to the crucial Copenhagen climate conference, where we’ll get an agreement on action on climate change – good or bad.
The concept of “Just Transition” has been lobbied, cajoled and coaxed over the course of this year, right into the very negotiating texts that are up for discussion at Copenhagen. Our leaders will be discussing a serious plan for making this change in the fairest and most effective way, and it will be thanks to unions that it got there.
For more reading on Just Transition from a UK perspective, check out Hazards Magazine and the TUC ToUChstone pamphlet “A Green and Fair Future“.
BTW… Blog Action Day today on the theme of climate change, hence this post. In the UK, we have another 2 whole hours of it left, so if you have a blog, join in at www.blogactionday.org, and if you’re on Twitter, check out the hashtag #BAD09
Tags: Blog Action Day, economy, Environment, green, just transition, Unions
