Trade Union debates at the COP14 in Poznan. Balance and presentations.

Around 40 trade union representatives participated in the training sessions organized by Sustainlabour on December 3rd and 4th, in the context of the COP 14 on Climate Change.
Participants could enjoy the presentations of leading experts from all over the world on key issues related to climate change scientific aspects and negotiations, in a highly qualified space of debate and reflection before entering international negotiations.
Presentations are available in Sustainlabour's website (click here) or you can also take a look in our documents at "COP14 in Poznan. Presentations" in this site.

Leer más...

Regional conference on Labour and Environment: What’s been said? A constructive balance

35 participants from 19 different countries participated in the conference on labour and environment organized by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) - Asia Pacific and Sustainlabour from 26 to 28 November in Jakarta (Indonesia), in an area called to play a key role in the future world order, and, at the same time, particularly vulnerable to climate change. During the meeting trade union representatives showed their interest in learning how to integrate environmental issues into its trade union’s agenda, as well as better understand the causes and effects of climate change and better discern what should understand as "green jobs." In addition, there was time to discuss the way to work on chemical risk and on occupational health.

The participants exchanged their trade unions experiences , from coalitions with environmental groups to sue jointly improvements in environmental protection, projects for the identification of chemicals in the workplace, sustainable construction, renewable energy or agriculture. The seminar also included the experiences of the International Federation of Building on deforestation and a presentation about the role that framework agreements could play in advancing more sustainable policies at enterprise level.

To learn more on the Conference, here you can download some of the contents.

To see the photographs of the conference click here

To see ITUC video on Labour and Environment click here.

Leer más...

Compilation of good practices

By visiting our website you can access a database which collects good trade union’s practices and successful experiences on environmental and sustainable development. There you can tell us your own experience. Leer más...

Regional Conference on Labour and Environment: presentations available!

Sustainlabour gives you the opportunity to donwload all the presentations of Regional Conference on Labour and Environment, that tool place in Jakarta (Indonesia) from 26 to 28 November. All the material on the Sustainlabour’s website clicking here. Interesting presentations and information to learn more about trade unions action on Labour and Environment!

Leer más...

UNEP Regional Consultation for Latin America and the Caribbean

Sustainlabour was present at the meeting held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 24th and 25th of November 2008.
At the Regional Consultation trade Unions were also represented by the person in charge of international and environmental issues at CGT-RA, who participated in the Climate Change Working Group, while Sustainlabour was part of the Chemicals Working Group.
Trade unions concerns were integrated to the conclusions of the working groups, such as giving
more relevance to just transition issues at the international environmental agenda, and
establishing social and labour criteria as, for example, compliance with ILO standards. Leer más...

A manual on chemical risk: "Sound and Sustainable Management on chemicals"

The United Nations Environment Program and the International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development have worked on the chemical area too. The result, “Sound and Sustainable Management for Chemicals”, a training manual for workers and trade unions that you can download from our website. Leer más...

UNEP Regional Consultative Meeting for Europe

Prior to each Global Civil Society Forum and GC/GMEF there specific Civil Society Meetings in
each of the UNEP regions.
Sustainlabour was present for the meeting held in Geneva, 17-18 November 2008 and made an introductory presentation on the Global Civil Society Forum Cycle to all participants present. Sustainlabour also followed the working group on climate change related to the Work Program (2010-2011), and made contributions to three different parts of the European Regional statement to what relates to (i) Globalization and the Environment: Global Crises or National Chaos?; (ii) IEG and UN reform: Help or Hindrance? And the Work Program (2010-2011). Leer más...

Climate change, a training manual for workers and trade unions

The training manual on "Climate Change, its Consequences on Employment and Trade Union Action" was developed under the framework of the project "Strengthening trade union participation in international environmental processes" with UNEP.
It can be downloaded from our website. Leer más...

Regional Conference on Labour and Environment for Asia Pacific

A Regional Conference on “Labour and the Environment” for Asia Pacific it will take place from 26th to 28th november in Jakarta (Indonesia). The conference will count with the participation of more than 30 trade union organizations of 30 countries approximately.

A good occasion to address a number of issues. To look into the climate change effects in the region and its consequences on employment, to discus on the major environmental, health and labour challenges in the area, to focus on the key elements for a sound and sustainable chemical management. And of course, to present successful Trade Union action on these issues that can be seen as good example to encourage others action.

If you want to see the complete programme of the Regional Conference on Work and Environment for Asia Pacific, please click here.

Leer más...

Poznan COP 14. Climate change training sessions for trade union delegation

In the context of COP 14, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Sustainlabour is organising some training and debating sessions in Poznan (Poland).

Seminar on climate change and implications for trade union action. The seminar will provide a good space for understanding the last scientific finding, the consequences for development, economics and labour market, the impacts of mitigation and adaptation policies on employment, and to understand how to mainstream equity and just transitions.

Seminar on process and negotiations. Key information on where the negotiations are, the way to Copenhagen, different bloc positions, and building blocks discussions. It aimsto facilitate better comprehension and information of the difficult process of international negotiations on climate change. As well, as proving a room for discussion on major challenges and potentials for action.

Leer más...

Interesting to follow up! A global programme on Labour and the Environment

Sustainlabour jointly with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is running a biannual programme on “Labour and the Environment”. It was initiated a few months ago in April 2007, and it will go up to June 2009. This is the first programme of such a kind, which aims at improving engagement of workers and trade unions in the development and implementation of environmental policies. Now more than ever, workers involvement in a new and more sustainable development is needed.

This programme addresses two working areas -Climate change and Sound and Sustainable Management of Chemicals- and it has three main objectives: increasing awareness of environmental issues among workers and trade unions; increasing capacities of workers and trade unions to develop actions and projects with an environmental dimension at the workplaces and increasing participation of workers and trade unions in international environmental meetings.

The programme is funded by the Government of Spain.

The project develops activities in four regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe and Central Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. What are the main actions? Activities will focus on public awareness, capacity building and implementation of key projects based on already existing good and successful trade union experiences.

This programme aims also at reinforcing dialogue with other civil society groups to build partnerships and synergies to address better environmental challenges and eradicating poverty.

Urging and shaping a different development! Socially fair, environmentally friendly

Leer más...

Trade Unions' projects on climate change and chemical risk

Sustainlabour has identified more than 133 Trade Union’s experiences throughout the world related on the promotion of environmental issues. Who said that labour and environment are at odds?
Out of all these experiences, four of them have been used as the basis to develop concrete projects in other countries. Learning from good examples! Leer más...

Preparing for ICCM2 in Rome

Meeting of the Open-ended Legal and Technical Working Group (OELTWG) of the Strategic
Approach to International Chemical Management (SAICM) and Informal Discussions.

Adopted by the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) on 6 February
2006 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) is a policy framework to foster the sound management of chemicals whose overarching objective is “to achieve a sound management of chemicals throughout their life-cycle so that, by 2020, chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to minimization of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment”.
The second ICCM2 takes place in Geneva, from 11 to 15 May 2009. In the meantime it was agreed to have an “open-ended legal and technical working group”, which would meet a few months prior to the second session to advance on the rules of procedure.
This meeting took place in Rome in October 21 to 24 October 2008. Sustainlabour participated as part of the Trade Union Delegation. At the OELTWG, two working groups were established for two agenda issues (i) the decision making, and (ii) the composition of the bureau and the subsidiary bodies.
The results of the meeting were unfortunately less ambitious than needed. Decision making and the composition of the bureau became two unresolved pitfalls, which might compromise the outcomes of the ICCM2. Leer más...

Intergovernemental Forum on Chemical Safety

Sustainlabour participated as part of the Trade Union Delegation at the Forum VI of the IFCS.
The theme of these forums was “Global Partnerships for Chemical Safety– Contributing to the 2020 Goal”.
This forum is unique not only for integrating different dimensions or problems caused by chemical substances, such as public health, occupational health, environment, but also for its way of working which allows the active participation of any interested party in equal conditions and its decision making process by consensus. Despite their decisions are not binding, it has served to place in the international agenda problems caused by management of dangerous chemicals and initiate political processes in order to reduce the exposition to hazardous substances at a global level.

Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies is a subject growing importance and concerns within Trade Unions as hundreds of nanotechnology applications are already in commercial production despite a huge health and safety lack of information of the potential hazards. Leer más...

Trade Unions at the UN Convention on Climate Change

Four meetings were held in Bonn from 2-13 June, that were linked to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: AWG-KP-5 (Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex 1 Parties / Kyoto Protocol); AWG-LCA-2 (Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the UNFCCC); SBSTA-28 (Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice); and SBI-28 (Subsidiary Body for Implementation).

Trade unions participated as observers, speaking in the plenary sessions of the SBSTA and AWG-LCA-2. A meeting was also held with the Executive Director in which trade unionists expounded the need for a “fair transition”. One important outcome of the AWG-LCA meeting was the official call for trade organizations to make concrete proposals concerning the Bali Action Plan and other specific issues. The discussions and conclusions of these meetings showed interesting opportunities for trade unions to reinforce the inclusion of social and labour dimensions at future meetings as well as in the international negotiation process on climate change. Leer más...

Training of Trainers on Climate Change and Sound Management of Chemicals

The seminar, held in Geneva from 26th to 30th May, was the first activity under the Sustainlabour- UNEP program. We had participants from Trade Unions from Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The Seminar addressed the following purposes:

1. Establishing a working group for the region, who could provide input to subsequent activities and disseminate knowledge to unions of the region.
2. Providing this "working group" with the necessary technical knowledge on issues.
3. Giving the opportunity to representatives from different regions to get to know each other and exchange experiences.
4. Brief on the following activities of the program. This will help to prepare the regional conferences to be hold bwtween 2008 and 2009.

Download presentations on the list below

Session 2: Labour and the Environment
El papel del sindicalismo como actor del desarrollo sostenible, by Joaquin Nieto, Sustainlabour (Spanish only)

Session 3: Climate change mitigation and adaptation, consequences on employment, trade union action
Introduction to Climate Change, by Joaquin Nieto, Sustainlabour
Climate Change and Employment, by Anabella Rosemberg (ITUC)
ITUC Papers on Trade Union Action on Energy, Transportation, Building/Construction and Agriculture
Mitigation of climate change and its relation to employment (in Spanish), Ana Belen Sanchez -CC-OO (Spanish)
Trade Union Action on Climate Change, by Laura Martin Maurillo (Sustainlabour)

Session 4: Sound and sustainable management of chemicals
Introduction to Chemicals Management, by Judith Garcia Carreras (Sustainlabour)
Uso Seguro de Químicos en los Puestos de Trabajo, by Carmen Mancheno, CCOO (Spanish only)
Use of Chemicals in the Workplace – Exposure Reduction Strategies, by Yahya Msangi (Tanzania Plantation Agriculture Workers Union)
Effects of Human Health and Environment by Peter Orris (Occupational Health Service Institute – University of Illinois)
Stakeholder Involvement - Global Chemical Agenda - Evolution andChallenges, by Kaj Madsen (UNEP DTIE Chemicals)
Overview of the Strategic Approach to International Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) , by Hamoudi Shubber (UNEP DTIE Chemicals)

Session 5: Presentation by UNEP DTIE Energy Branch
Energy and Climate change: UNEP and Trade Unions’Role, by Emanuela Menichetti

Session 6: Presentation on Green Jobs
Sustainable Development and Green Jobs: an overview, by Peter Poschen (ILO)

Leer más...

Asia Pacific Regional Conference

The International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific (ITUC-Asia Pacific) organized the First Regional Conference on Environmental Protection, Sustainable Development and Employment.
This first round of United Nations climate change talks got underway in Bangkok at the end of March, with the tough but successful negotiations in Bali still fresh in everyone’s memory. Parties had agreed at Bali to jointly step up international efforts to combat climate change and get to an agreed outcome in Copenhagen in 2009.

Sustainlabour participated in the Conference, held on 25 and 26 March 2008, which counted with the participation of 41 trade unionists from 18 countries from the region.

More information here. Leer más...

UNEP 9th Global Civil Society Forum (GCSF – 9)

The Ninth Session of the Global Civil Society Forum has been held from 19-22 February 2008. The objective of this meeting is to provide a platform for exchange and consultation on key environmental issue between Major Groups and Civil Society Organization to better address and participate at the UNEP Governing Council.
We welcome the election of Lucien Royer as Chair of the Major Groups Facilitating Committee of the Global Civil Society Forum. Sustainlabour also participated as part of the Facilitating Committee.

More information here.

Click here to download the final report. Leer más...