Trade unions at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC - COP16

Transcription

1 ITUC INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION CSI CONFÉDÉRATION SYNDICALE INTERNATIONALE CSI CONFEDERACIÓN SINDICAL INTERNACIONAL IGB INTERNATIONALER GEWERKSCHAFTSBUND Bd. du Roi Albert II, 5, Bte 1, B 1210 Bruxelles Belgique Tel. +32 (0) Fax +32 (0) info@ituc-csi.org Trade unions at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC - COP16 29th November 10th December 2010 Cancun, Mexico This report of activities is available at: Summary Assessment Cancun delivered an outcome that for the first time in the UNFCCC process confirms commitment to workers' rights, just transition and decent work, but leaves a long way to go for the UN to agree on a framework that can save workers and communities from climate change s negative impacts. Unions must remain active and committed if we want to achieve a legallybinding and ambitious treaty by the time in Durban in 2011 that the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties will resume again. 173 trade unionists participated in activities related to the 16 th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, held from the 29 th November to the 10 th December 2010 in Cancun, Mexico. More information on trade union participation can be found on pages 5-6. While expectations for the Cancun conference were downplayed several times during the year in order to avoid another disappointment after Copenhagen, the risk of an absence of decision was real, the differences between developed and developing countries remained huge and the atmosphere of preparatory sessions was more than worrying. Nonetheless, Cancun concluded with decisions that can be considered as a step in the right direction. These decisions have the merit of maintaining climate discussions under the UN umbrella, even if the journey ahead to reach a binding, ambitious and fair agreement is still very long. The decision on a post 2012 agreement was postponed. Cancun decisions confirmed governments agreement that global temperature increase must be limited to below 2 C and reinforced key UNFCCC principles. Governments agreed the procedure for creating a Green Climate fund and set up an Adaptation framework and a Committee which will follow this issue throughout the year, as well as a Technology Mechanism to facilitate technology transfer. A commitment to more detailed reporting also emerged from Cancun decisions. However it is important to note that the level of ambition in terms of finance and emission reductions from developed countries remained worryingly low. These two issues will remain the backbone of the negotiations. An in-depth analysis on the outcomes of Cancun can be found on pages On a positive note, COP16 scored high in terms of recognising the linkage between climate change and social issues, notably employment. For the first time in the history of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA), the UNFCCC adopted a decision calling on governments to ensure a just transition for workers when moving towards a low emission and climate-resilient economy, and specifically emphasised the importance of this transition as a driver for decent work and good quality jobs. Trade unions were in a very difficult position at the start of the meeting in Cancun. Governments argued that they needed to 'focus' their decisions and therefore leave aside language related to social issues or other principles. An intense lobbying effort by our trade union delegation at COP16, based on the support our

2 proposals had gained in the last two years of campaigning, managed to bring our proposals back into the text at the eleventh hour. A special word of congratulations and thanks must go to the trade union delegation in Cancun, who worked intensively to achieve such a positive outcome. For the second successive COP, trade unions organised a World of Work (WoW) pavilion, which ensured a space for trade unions to share ideas, challenges and best practices. Despite the long distances between the official and non-official conference sites which made it difficult for trade unionists to have a real exchange between themselves, they organised activities and ensured a lively discussion at both sites. While the roadmap for Durban (28 th November - 9 th December 2011) is still unclear, the labour movement must nonetheless maintain the momentum and enhance its capacity on climate change in order to make our movement more influential and effective in this process in the years to come. In 2011, we must continue to work to secure the operationalisation of Just Transition and Decent Work in the new agreement. But the level of ambition on finance and emission reductions from developed countries remains worryingly low. The ITUC must therefore develop strong policies and lobbying on these and other wider issues in the year ahead. Our initial proposals for further work are to be found in section 4. Contents 1. Background to COP16, trade union priorities and trade union participation (including gender and geographical distribution) Pages Trade union activities at COP16 Pages Evaluation of progress Pages 9-11 Evaluation of progress on climate change policies Evaluation of progress on labour/climate linkages in the negotiations 4. Follow up and planning for 2011 pages Background to COP16, trade union priorities and trade union participation (including gender and geographical distribution) Background to COP16 The 16th Session of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP16) was mandated to deliver an initial set of decisions on climate change which would restore some confidence to the process and at the same time end the procedural difficulties generated by the non-adoption of the Copenhagen Accord. Scenarios for the meeting varied between having a low-hanging fruit agreement, which would harm the UN process as 'core' issues would start to be handled outside the UN, and a second, more optimistic one, which implied a slightly more ambitious set of decisions that, while not ensuring an adequately ambitious final agreement, would still revitalise the process. Throughout the year and starting right after COP15 in Copenhagen, a series of preparatory negotiations took place. These meetings delivered very few outcomes. In fact, they deepened the atmosphere of mistrust among delegations. This negative background for the Cancun discussions might be one reason why delegations behaved differently in COP16, as the risk of a non-outcome and the political pressure on delegations both increased. The ITUC and its ad-hoc working group on climate change closely followed all the preparatory meetings and reported in detail on progress regarding substantive issues in the negotiations. Intense lobbying efforts were undertaken in these meetings, aimed at explaining and promoting trade union priorities in the negotiating texts. The ITUC view before the COP in Cancun was that the meeting could deliver a balanced outcome if governments were to put aside the theatrical way in which negotiations were taking place, and start building agreements on issues on which common ground was already being found. While the possibility of a final agreement being signed in Cancun was not considered feasible, the need for Cancun to build the foundations for a new final agreement in Durban was explicitly expressed. Trade union priorities 2

3 The international trade union movement in Cancun shared two key objectives: on the one hand, to support efforts leading to a balanced package of decisions, including on emission reductions in developed countries, finance and adaptation, and on the other hand, to ensure that key labour issues were included in these decisions. In terms of substance, the ITUC adopted a substantive statement in 2009: Trade unions and climate change: Equity, justice and solidarity in the fight against climate change which covered the most essential aspects of climate change, its relationship with the world of work and the role of trade unions. This statement established the key priorities for the trade union movement in the negotiations and in its relationships with other significant climate change actors. The statement is available on the web at the address below. Printed copies are available upon demand. The contents of this statement were reconfirmed at the ITUC Congress in Vancouver (June 2010) and served as the basis for our general inputs in the process leading to Cancun. Key elements of this framework are the following: - Addressing climate change is critical to the economic, social and environmental interest of all peoples of the world; therefore unions call on all governments to decide as soon as possible on a new binding, fair and ambitious agreement for the post 2012-framework which limits temperature increases to no more than 2 C and paves the way for a global emission reduction of 85% by The statement refers to the commitment of trade unions to call on developed countries governments to commit to medium-term emission reduction targets which enable the general objectives described above, which are of an estimated 25-40% reduction from 1990 levels. It calls on developing countries with the capacity to do so, in particular emerging economies, to take the necessary steps for transition to a low-carbon economy, through the promotion of renewable energies, energy efficiency and avoided deforestation, among others. - It is time for climate change policy-makers to understand that we need a Just Transition and that because of this, the economic transformation cannot be left to the invisible hand of the market. Government-driven investments, innovation and skills development, social protection and consultation with social partners (unions and employers) are essential if we want to make change happen. Climate policies must provide an opportunity for restoring hope, repairing and rebuilding national economies on a sustainable basis and creating jobs at the same time as reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and this will only happen if public policies are put in place in order to stimulate green investment in a way which creates decent work and transform traditional jobs into decent, climate-friendly ones. - Sufficient public funding needs to be allocated by developed countries to adaptation in developing countries. Social protection schemes, decent work promotion and quality public services as a means for reducing poverty and thus vulnerability to climate change are fundamental. - Major investments are needed to develop sustainable long-term industrial policies, aimed at retaining and creating decent and green /sustainable jobs, greening all workplaces and developing and deploying technology. - Workplace actions are crucial in order to achieve change. Workers and workplaces need pro-active and preventive policies to be put in place regarding adaptation to climate change, as well as the potential impacts of mitigation policies. The priorities stated above were promoted through active lobbying in the negotiations, campaigning with other civil society organisations, and organising a public trade union space for debates on these topics at COP16 called the World of Work pavilion (WoW), among other actions. In terms of the negotiations, and as a consequence of the evolution of the negotiating texts throughout the year, the trade union priorities translated into eleven proposals, sent by affiliates to their governments before the meeting. These elements consisted in asking governments to: 3

4 1. Incorporate references to the need for a «just transition which creates decent work and good quality jobs» in Cancun decisions. 2. Create an adaptation framework which considers social protection as a means for reducing vulnerability and enables stakeholders, including trade unions, to become adaptation actors. 3. Support a reference to the need to enhance engagement of stakeholders. 4. Recognise the gap between pledges being made by developed countries and the emission reduction commitments needed to remain below a 2 C increase in average global temperature; and maintain a topdown approach to agree on emission reduction targets, recognising the need for a 25-40% reduction in GHG emissions from developed countries by 2020, based on 1990 levels. 5. On Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV), establish a mechanism for measuring, reporting and verifying support from developed countries Parties to developing countries Parties. 6. Align mitigation MRV procedures for Annex I countries under the Kyoto Protocol (KP) with those for developed countries under Long-Term Cooperative Action (LCA). 7. Establish a better mechanism for measuring, reporting and verifying supported national mitigation actions in developing countries, including through the identification of core aspects to be reported in between national communications, which should become more regular. 8. Recognise the role of trade unions and workers rights in the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) readiness phase 9. Focus work on consequences of response measures on vulnerable communities 10. Create a new fund to facilitate provision of sufficient funds to ensure climate justice between developed and developing countries, within countries and between generations. 11. Ensure this new fund contains provisions for guaranteeing transparency and civil society organisations involvement 12. Decide on a mechanism to implement innovative and traditional sources of public finance, including options identified by the UN Advisory Group on Climate Finance (AGF) 13. Ensure the representation of civil society and trade unions as experts in the Technology Executive Committee The lobbying document for Cancun is available here: The letter sent to all affiliates by the ITUC is available at: _COP16_MODEL_LETTER.doc Global Union Federations, regional organisations and ITUC affiliates that were present in Cancun adopted and released position papers in line with global trade union policy. Here are the links to some of them: ETUC English: Français: AFLCIO (US) TUC (United Kingdom) RENGO (Japan) Available on demand SOLIDARNOSC Poland: LIUNA, SEIU, TWU, and UWUA United States: Trade union participation (including gender and geographical distribution) After the chaotic experience many of our delegates experienced at COP15, the ITUC shared concerns with affiliates about security and access in and to COP16. Nonetheless, the organisation of COP16 was very satisfactory, even if we were asked to halve our number of delegates in comparison with Copenhagen. Trade Union delegation in Cancun: 4

5 From this list, it is possible to identify the gender and regional distribution of the trade union delegation. From our calculations, 70% of the trade union delegates were male and 30% female. Measures need to be considered and taken before the next conference in order to have a more gender-balanced delegation. Gender Distribution of ITUC delegation at COP16 Women, 52 Men, 121 In terms of regional distribution, we were satisfied to see the very balanced distribution of our delegation, in which usually under-represented regions, such as Latin America, Africa and Asia & the Pacific, accounted in Cancun for 57% of the delegation. The ITUC would especially like to thank YS Norway and Sustainlabour for their support in helping ITUC efforts to bring developing countries trade unions to climate change meetings. Regional Distribution 5

6 Regional Distribution 12% 16% 8% 27% 25% North America Central & South America Mexico Europe Africa Asia & Pacific 12% 2. Trade union activities at COP16 Promoting the trade union position on climate change The trade union statement described in Section 1, Trade unions and climate change: equity, solidarity and justice in the fight against climate change was distributed at COP16 to all delegations. In addition, the ITUC distributed a leaflet explaining the concept of Just Transition, aimed at clarifying our proposals, providing examples of policies and making a strong link with the climate negotiations. This flyer is available is numerous languages on the ITUC website (languages other than Spanish and French are to be found in the English section) - English Français Español German Japanese Russian The way in which the conference was organised generated difficulties for our trade union delegation s access to meeting rooms and discussions. Most of the debates taking place during the two weeks were closed to observers. This made the bilateral meetings with governments an essential part of our activities during the COP. We would also like to note an innovation in terms of our lobbying strategy in COP meetings. A suggestion was made to delegates to organise their efforts by creating regional groupings. This idea was welcomed by the delegates, and thanks to the efforts made by regional organisations, these groupings were perceived as real drivers for our success. The ITUC thanks the ITUC Africa, the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas (TUCA) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) for their efforts. Bilateral meetings were organised between the ITUC and many government officials as a result of affiliates efforts: An international delegation led by national affiliates and the ITUC met the following government representatives: Argentina, Brazil, France, Guinea, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Nepal, Norway and United Kingdom. In addition, affiliates from the following countries met with their governments during the COP: Bangladesh, 6

7 Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Honduras, Japan, Malawi, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, South Africa, Tanzania, United States and Zimbabwe. UNFCCC Secretariat: ITUC delegates participated in a briefing for civil society organisations called by Cristiana Figueres, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, in a briefing organised by the COP President, Mrs. Patricia Espinosa, and in two briefings organised by the Chair of the AWG LCA, Margaret Mukahanana- Sangarwe. We further had the opportunity to have a bilateral meeting with the Chair of the AWG LCA, facilitated by Cecilia Alexander, from the Zimbabwean Civil Servants Union. The Confederación Revolucionaria de Obreros y Campesinos (CROC) organised a bilateral session with the UNFCCC Executive Secretary in order to make a presentation of a national agreement on climate change, signed by unions, companies and academia in Mexico. The agreement was also presented to the COP President. The agreement can be found at Other meetings: ITUC delegates had a meeting with Members of the European Parliament from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and with a Green MEP. Interventions in formal UNFCCC sessions Trade unions were invited to address several plenaries during the UNFCCC, as follows: - Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice Trade Union speaker: Brian Kohler (ICEM) Video: at 2h16min25sec - Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) Trade Union speaker: Dietmar Hexel (DGB-Germany) Video: around 1h47 min - High Level Segment Trade Union speaker: Sharan Burrow (ITUC General Secretary) Speech available at: - COP/MOP Closing Plenary Trade Union speaker: Anabella Rosemberg (ITUC Policy Officer) Video: 1h15min35sec Organising the 2 nd World of Work (WoW) pavilion The first WoW pavilion, in Copenhagen, received positive feedback from all our affiliates and most of the organising partners were keen to be involved in a similar activity in Cancun. With the support of our Mexican affiliates, the ITUC organised the second World of Work pavilion, held on the 2 nd and 7 th December Organised in the Universidad del Sur in Cancun, the WoW pavilion offered 13 events under the banner Unions have Solutions. The programme is available on the ITUC climate blog: World of Work (WoW) Pavilion programme (in English & Spanish) The World of Work (WoW) pavilion featured a wide range of events organised by trade unions from around the globe and from different sectors of work. Themes included climate strategies in Latin America, low carbon industrial policies in Europe; transport and industry sectoral approaches, union actions in the US, Canada and Japan, and many more. The presentations made in the WoW pavilion are in the process of being uploaded on the ITUC climate blog: The ITUC thanks the CMT, CROC and the UNT for their support in this initiative. The ITUC especially thanks 7

8 the CMT Quintana Roo office and the Universidad del Sur for their help in the organization of the event. The ITUC also conveys thanks to LO Norway and Sustainlabour for their financial support for these activities as well as to all the organisations which organised events in the WoW pavilion. The ITUC looks forward to repeating this experience in Durban. ITUC Official Side Event: A call to action The ITUC organised the traditional official side event of the trade union delegation at the UNFCCC on Thursday 9 th December. The side event presented the documentary Time to tackle climate change, produced by the ITUC and Sustainlabour. The video was followed by a panel featuring Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary and Kumi Naidoo, Director of Greenpeace International, in which the audience was invited to engage on innovative means to increase mobilisation around climate change in the year to come. The video is available in three languages upon demand, or here: The poster for the event is available at: The video features the following union experiences: GERMANY (Confederation of German Trade Unions, DGB) - Trade unions retrofit buildings through the implementation of energy saving and energy efficient measures in a programme that could lead to the creation of up to 200,000 jobs. USA (US United Steelworkers Union and many others) - Only a month after Obama is sworn in as President, over 2,700 labour, business and environmental representatives gather at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to demand Green Jobs and to call for a green economy. UK (Trade Union Congress, TUC) - GreenWorkplace project - Training for Union Environmental Representatives in reducing emissions and energy use in the workplace. SPAIN Unions promote sustainable public transport solutions, car pooling, bicycle lane construction and rentals, and bus shelter solar panel installation; and Establishment of a tripartite social dialogue platform between unions, governments and employers on climate change. KENYA (Building and Woodworkers Union, BWI) - Trade union assists workers who have lost their jobs at a paper mill to become reforestation workers. ARGENTINA (UOCRA) - New skills for a new future Unions provide training for over 500 workers on use and application of renewable energy technologies. INDIA (Self-Employed Women s Association, SEWA) - Bringing energy to rural women and reducing rates of deforestation through the use of biogas stoves. Espacio Mexicano /Diálogo Climático In parallel to the negotiations, civil society groups organised a forum for exchanging views and alternative proposals related to climate change and social justice. ITUC, TUCA and Sustainlabour organised an event there on Thursday 9 th December. Members of the trade union delegation also participated in other events at the forum, such as the one organised by Cornell ILR. Webtools and press coverage The conference in Cancun was less covered by international media than the one in Copenhagen. Nonetheless, efforts were made to increase the media coverage of our activities. A full page interview of Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, was published in French journal Liberation: Several members of the trade union delegation wrote their own blogs or participated in the ITUC ones. Here are a few links ITUC (in English, Spanish and French) TUCA AFL CIO CCOO 8

9 TUC ACTU YS ACV / CSC ABVV FGTB /article/53640/;jsessionid=0qhmzekbx_y5yvfdz6ztikm&p_l_id=10624 CGT France CUPE Photos Photos by our delegation can be found on the following Picasa albums: TUCA: Bob Baugh: Lisa Bauch: 3. Evaluation of progress Evaluation of progress on climate change policies in the negotiations The Cancun official outcome provided for postponement of the decision on a post-2012 legally binding framework for climate change, at least until the next meeting of the Parties in Durban, South Africa in However, they agreed on a certain number of substantive and institutional elements that will be part of the post-2012 framework. On substance, the Cancun decisions confirm governments' intention to limit the global temperature increase to below 2 C and to proceed to a review of the possible need for reducing this objective to 1.5 C. Principles such as equity, right to development, historical responsibility of developed countries, ensuring Just Transition and decent work, and the respect of human rights including indigenous peoples' rights are explicitly mentioned in the text. A further substantive decision concerns the initiatives related to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) where a 'readiness' phase has been launched, including a certain number of social safeguards. On the institutional/procedural front, Cancun decisions prolonged the mandate of the AWG KP and the AWG LCA for one more year. They agreed the procedure for creating a Green Climate fund, an Adaptation framework and a Committee which will follow this issue throughout the year, as well as a Technology Mechanism to facilitate technology transfer. A commitment toward more detailed reporting also emerged from Cancun decisions. If this non-exhaustive list might seem impressive considering the low expectations for Cancun, it is important to clarify that two aspects are seriously deficient. One is the level and type of commitment to be made by developed countries indicating the problem of how the level of ambition of developed countries, historically responsible for climate change, can be raised, and how we can ensure that those targets are part of a legally binding structure. The second issue relates to funding. Although the procedure for creating a Green Climate fund was launched, there is no indication of the sources of funding or of a target that would be sufficient to address climate needs in developing countries. These two issues will remain the backbone of the negotiations. In addition, it is important to highlight that if the process has been 'saved', it is because developing countries showed a high level of commitment towards the process, agreeing to accept stronger measuring, verification 9

10 and reporting standards without obtaining higher commitments in terms of emission reductions or finance from the developed world. They wanted to ensure that their position would not be used as an excuse for failure. The ball is now in developed countries' court, and the process needs to orient its efforts towards solving the two major gaps mentioned above. Evaluation of progress on labour/climate linkages in the negotiations COP16 scored high in terms of realising the linkage between climate change and social issues, notably employment. For the first time in the history of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA), the UNFCCC adopted a decision calling on governments to ensure a just transition for workers when moving towards a low emission and climate-resilient economy, and specifically emphasised the importance of this transition as a driver for the creation of decent work and good quality jobs. Trade unions were in a very difficult position at the start of the meeting in Cancun. Governments argued that they needed to 'focus' their decisions and therefore leave aside language related to social issues or other principles. An intense lobbying effort by our trade union delegation at COP16, based on the support our proposals had gained in the last two years of campaigning, managed to bring our proposals back into the text at the eleventh hour. References to Just Transition and decent work thereby appeared in the Shared Vision section, which functions as a summary of the agreement and applies to all sections, as well as in the 'potential consequences ' section which, for the first time, was a solid step towards facing the real challenges of our time, and no longer the oil-exporting countries' chapter. Decision 1/CP16, under section I, A shared vision for long-term cooperative action, paragraph 10, governments (document available at: Realizes that addressing climate change requires a paradigm shift towards building a low-carbon society that offers substantial opportunities and ensures continues high growth and sustainable development, based on innovative technologies and more sustainable production and consumption and lifestyles, while ensuring a just transition of the workforce that creates decent work and quality jobs. Decision 1/CP16, under section E, Economic and social consequences of response measures, in its preamble, makes a clear point about the importance of ensuring a just transition in all economic sectors: Recognizing the importance of avoiding or minimising negative impacts of response measures on social and economic sectors, promoting a just transition of the workforce, the creating of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities and strategies and contributing to building new capacity for both production and service-related jobs in all sectors, promoting economic growth and sustainable development. The adoption of these two proposals presents two challenges for the trade union movement: on the one hand, we have to operationalise these decisions, notably by ensuring a mandate is given to the ILO to indicate the responsibilities and establish the means to guarantee a just transition towards a climate-sound society. On the other hand, we need to use all our strength to ensure a deal is reached on mitigation and finance, which are ultimately the only means through which a just transition will be possible, as our societies cannot survive in climate chaos. Other aspects of our trade union proposals, such as the need for incorporating social protection schemes as part of adaptation plans, and the need for ensuring workers' training related to technology transfer, among others, will need to be updated in light of the new outcome. In addition to these substantive decisions, negotiations took place under the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) on the participation of civil society observers (including trade unions) in UNFCCC discussions. This negotiation recognised the importance of enhancing civil society participation, and decided to organise a workshop to explore the ways in which this could be done in an efficient, cost-effective and fair manner. 10

11 4. Follow up and planning for next year With the adoption of the Cancun agreements, the UNFCCC process faces new challenges. Will an incremental scenario (one in which small decisions are taken to implement Cancun agreements) suffice to maintain momentum in the process? This seems to be the view of numerous negotiators. However, there are reasons to believe that this approach will not only leave us dangerously further from a binding agreement, but also lead to a decrease in public pressure and expectations. An effort must be made to raise the level of ambition for Durban. It is true that huge divergences among countries remain, but on the other hand governments and influential civil society actors now have a much better comprehension of the size of the challenge. In 2009, Copenhagen left many questions unanswered: Was the UNFCCC process going to survive increasing pressures to move the discussion to smaller G20-style negotiations? Could it manage the divisions between developing countries? What was going to be the role of the BASIC countries? Cancun has shown some initial answers: the UN can deliver if there is sufficient political will; BASIC countries, in this case India, can play a critical role in raising the level of ambition in the discussion. However, the biggest challenges are still ahead, and are related to the questions of increasing countries emission reduction targets and creating reliable mechanisms for climate finance. With the UNFCCC adoption of Just Transition and Decent Work, the challenge for trade unions will be to maintain support for ambitious climate action and finance for climate change policies in a context in which unemployment is expected to remain high, and to identify the best means for translating the Just Transition language into implementation at the national level. ITUC priorities for actions at the UNFCCC level for 2011: - Provide sufficient preparation for and follow-up to UNFCCC meetings. In addition to COP17 in Durban, South Africa, at least three other preparatory meetings are anticipated this year. The first has been scheduled for April 3-8 in Bangkok, Thailand. The second is going to take place in Bonn (6-17 June); the rest are yet to be decided, and will be announced in due course by the UNFCCC Secretariat. - Explore how a mandate could be given by the UNFCCC to the ILO to report at each COP on the on state of progress with regard to anticipating changes in the labour market related to climate policies. - Organise meetings (high-level as well as expert-level) with the UNFCCC secretariat, key governments and other key actors in the climate process (UNEP, key NGOs, etc) in order to improve the visibility of and support for trade union demands. In this context, provide information and analysis to UNFCCC, as expected from the Cancun agreement, and/or to Parties, based on the ITUC Congress and General Council Resolutions. - Strengthen the ITUC position on issues that have become key in the negotiations, such as Finance (including a Financial Transactions Tax). A transparent financial, economic and social system working to the benefit of all and enabling the development of poor countries should be created. ITUC priorities for other actions on climate change: - Explore the possibilities for organising a World of Work (WoW) pavilion at COP17 in Durban, South Africa. - Maintain active cooperation with Global Unions, provide follow up to activities undertaken with civil society organisations (i.e. GCCA) and engage in dialogue with other coalitions. - Consider possibilities for cooperation with academia and provide follow up to the GURN/ITUC workshop on the employment aspects of climate change organised in Prepare a new in-depth statement on climate change, based on the mandate provided by the ITUC Congress in Vancouver, and develop more detailed policies on different aspects of the negotiation (i.e. how to operationalise JT and Decent Work, emission reductions, finance, adaptation, green jobs, measuring and reporting mechanisms, technology, deforestation and workplace action). This would provide affiliates with a platform to lobby governments with, in particular in those countries where unions have an effective relationship with government officials, in order to insist on the need for governments to incorporate ITUC demands in national mandates for negotiation. 11

12 - Enhance coherence between ITUC positions and proposals on climate change and others linked to the current economic crisis or other policy issues dealt in other fora, such as G20, and strongly encourage the insertion of Just Transition/Decent Work wording in climate-related documents. This is of high importance in the context of the RIO+20 process, which could provide a useful link between the climate change agenda, the opportunities arising from green policies and the need for an active role of governments in the promotion of more sustainable development. - Raise the media visibility of trade union action on climate change, inter alia through improved contacts between national trade unions and journalists. - Undertake capacity building and awareness raising activities for trade unionists, and strengthen cooperation with Sustainlabour, in particular in their trade unions training programmes in developing countries. 12