Showing posts with label One Million Climate Jobs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label One Million Climate Jobs. Show all posts

Monday 15 September 2014

Campaign Against Climate Change Conference Saturday September 20th at London Met



Saturday 20th September 2014 12.00-17.00
 Tower Building, London Metropolitan University, Holloway Road, London, N7 8DB (directly across the road from Holloway Road tube station)

During a weekend of international climate change protest, the Campaign against Climate Change Trade Union Group will be launching the new edition of the influential "One Million Climate Jobs" booklet, and making links with activists in other countries.

Key speakers include Kjersti Bartos, Vice-President of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, Fernando Losado from the US Nursing Union, and Philip Pearson, the TUC's senior officer for energy and climate change. Speakers from NUS and People & Planet will lead a workshop on "Students, Environment and Climate Jobs". There will also be Skype links with representatives of the Climate Jobs movement in South Africa and some of the US and British trade unionists who will be on the New York "People's Climate March" on September 21st.

Book your place online

Join the Facebook event

Conference Timetable

12.00 – 12.30: Registration

12.30 – 12.40: Conference opening

12.40 – 2.00: Opening plenary: "The International Fight for Climate Jobs"

Speakers:

Kjersti Barsok, Vice-President, Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Oslo)
Fernando Losada, National Nurses United trade union, USA (by Skype)
Philip Pearson, TUC Senior Policy Officer for Climate Change and Energy
Dipti Bhatnagar, Friends of the Earth International, Mozambique (by Skype)
Jonathan Neale, Editor, “One Million Climate Jobs” Report

2.00 – 2.15 Break

2.15 – 3.45 Workshops:

a) "Unpacking Climate Jobs"

Lead speakers: contributors to “One Million Climate Jobs” report

b) "Building a Better Future by Campaigning for Climate Jobs"
Lead speakers:
Clara Paillard, PCS Green Rep and NW TUC
Ken Montague, Secretary, CACCTU

c) "Students, Environment, and Climate jobs"
Lead speakers:
Laura Williams, Project Officer – Green Impact, NUS
Andrew Taylor, People & Planet

3.45 - 4.00 Break

4.00 - 5.30 Closing Plenary: "Time to Act on Climate Change!"

Speakers:
Chris Baugh (Assistant General Secretary, PCS) on the New York “People’s Climate March” (by Skype)
Maxime Coombes (ATTAC, France) on mobilising for the Paris 2015 COP
Suzanne Jeffery (Chair, CACCTU) on the UK “Time to Act!” campaign.

Friday 21 February 2014

Rise up against the Coalition on Climate Change and Fuel Poverty

Left to Right: Sophie Neuborg, Suzanne Jeffery, Martin Francis (Chair) Ruth London, Murad Qureshi
There were stirring calls for action on climate change and energy when Brent residents met together at an urgent meeting on 'Energy Crisis, Climate Crisis - What is the solution?' at Chalkhill Primary School, Wembley.

Suzanne Jeffery, from One Million Climate Jobs, said that the Coalition Government had been exposed by the recent floods. The recognition of the connection between extreme weather events and climate change revealed Cameron's dismissal of 'green crap' as particularly ill-timed. In fact the government had locked the country into rising emissions that accelerated climate change through the 'dash for gas' and fracking, and Osborn's collusion with the oil and energy industries in his budget statement. Deregulation of planning regulations and cuts to the Environment Agency had worsened the impact of the highest ever rainfall last month.

With scientists predicting devastating consequences of a failure to act, campaigners had to use this period of heightened awareness to press home the message that there is still, just, time to act. There needed to be investment in renewable energy and a massive programme of insulation and other green measures through the creation of one million climate change jobs. As well as contributing to reducing energy usage and thus carbon emissions, they would also boost the economy.

Ruth London, from Fuel Poverty Action, said that 'climate change is poverty' as people unable to heat their homes or cook their food because of the high costs of energy were impacted by cold and damp and resulting ill-health and strain on relationships. Education was affected when children did not have a comfortable place to do their homework.  Fossil energy is subsidised and renewables are actually cheaper. The London Pensioners' Association had recognised this when they had passed a resolution calling for safe, clean energy.

Government policy meant that Housing Associations were scrapping insulation schemes and that some attempts at market solutions to the problem had been abandoned.  She said that the probloems was built into the nature of the market where the primary purpose was acculumation. The market was the opposite of caring:: 'what's good for thje market has nothing to do with what's good for people'.

Sophie Neuborg of Friends of the Earth said that there was a major crisis with 7 million people paying over 10% of their income to keep their houses warm and this would be 9m by 2016. FoE believed that energy saving measures should be supported from general taxation rather than levies on fuel bills. More incentives were needed to persuade landlords to make their properties energy efficient and hypothecated carbon taxes needed. She called for a revolution in the way energy was produced through community production of renewable energy.

Link to FoE actions including petition on fracking HERE

Murad Qureshi, London Assembly Member and chair of its Environment Committee, spoke about the highest rainfall levelo for 250 years, record river flows and rising ground water levels. The Thames Barrier, which had saved London from major flooding, and built by the GLC, would not have been built in current times.

He called for work envisaged for the future on flood defences to be brought forward. The Thames should be seen as an extension of the sea into London to bring home the issue. River restoration was needed in terms of London's hidden culverted rivers to protect the 24,000 London homes at high risk of flooding and there needed to be a stop to the concreting over of gardens that had removed the equivalent of 18 Hyde Parks from the capital.* We have to learn with live with water through adaptation and mitigations. Surveys had shown that 80% of the population were concerned not with housing or transport but with the high costs of gas, electricity and water. 68% had reduced their energy consumption because of the cost and half a million were depednent on food backs.

Boris Johnson had failed to take on the energy companies with EDF failing to deliver on their Olympic promises. The Mayor's retrofitting scheme had failed to meet its target with only 99,000 properties tackled amongst the millions in London.

In the discussion that followed there were calls for mass demonstrations on climate change, re-nationalisation of the energy and water companies on a more participative and response model that previously, action against British Gas in particular, campaigns against pre-payment meters and how they make the poor pay more - including Can't Pay-Won't Pay, pickets of the BBC over their insistence on 'balancing' discussion over climate change giving equal time to the sceptics, demand new housing incorporates solar ppwer roof tiles, and the need to reach out to faith groups about the issue.

Videos of the event can be found here:


Introduction and Suzanne Jefferies http://youtu.be/MbzDUNHynxQ
Questions and discussion 1  http://youtu.be/qWBtR2xGn0Y
Questions and discussion 2  http://youtu.be/JlzAru-abnc

* I am disappointed that so much of the Quintain development around the Civic Centre and Wembley Stadium is hard landscaping with potted shrubs. We were promised new parks which I imagined would include grassed areas and flower beds - as well as children's play faciltities.. A question of maintenance costs?

Tuesday 22 March 2011

Sign the Petition for One Million Climate Jobs


 The national petition for "One Million Climate Jobs" has now been launched ahead of Saturday's TUC demonstration.
The petition is endorsed by John McDonnell MP, Caroline Lucas MP, Linda Riordan MP, Kelvin Hopkins MP and Sally Hunt, General Secretary UCU.

We aim to increase the pressure on the government to solve the economic and environmental crises through the urgent creation of One Million Climate Jobs.

Please sign the petition and encourage your friends, colleagues, fellow trade unionists and other campaigners to add their name. There is a PDF version available for download from the site which you can use on transport to the demonstration on Saturday.

This is what the petition says:
We the undersigned call on the Government to give urgent and serious consideration to the recommendations of the One Million Climate Jobs report including:
  1. We face a global climate crisis. If we do not halt the increase in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 the “prospects for the people on the planet are looking pretty bleak” (The Secretary of State for the Environment, reported 24.11.10)
  2. Britain faces a global economic crisis, with rising youth unemployment and the predicted loss of over a million jobs due to austerity measures.
  3. We need the Government to take urgent steps to address both these crises through the creation of a million climate jobs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing energy efficiency, developing renewable and environmentally friendly sources of energy, and training workers in the “green skills” necessary for a sustainable low carbon economy.
  4. Given the urgency and enormity of this task, we want the Government to employ staff directly in secure jobs, to do the necessary work through a National Climate Service.
  5. We call for an immediate, fully government-funded programme to promote energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in existing and new buildings.
  6. We call for Government funding for free or low fare public transport services and the expansion and integration of public transport networks to reduce the use of private cars; for major investment in extending the rail network and introducing faster and more efficient trains; and the phasing-out of domestic airline flights as soon as practicable
  7. We call for direct intervention by the proposed Climate Service to create new industries, and convert existing and declining industries, to conduct the research, development, manufacture and installation of alternative technologies for generating electricity from renewable sources.
  8. We call on the Government to finance free programmes of “Green Skills” training through Further Education.
  9. Such proposals can be met at a net cost well within the scale of recent Government spending on the financial sector and would be far less costly than the possible alternative – catastrophic climate change.
  10. By adopting such a programme Britain would set a standard for the rest of the world, especially the developed world responsible for the crisis, in taking the decisive action necessary to limit global warming and ensure that future generations are left an inhabitable planet.

You can sign the petition HERE

Friday 4 February 2011

Trade Unions and Climate Change Meeting on Thursday



Trade Unionists in the Fight against Climate Change



An evening conference for north London trade unionists and climate activists organised by BRENT TRADE UNION COUNCIL and BRENT CAMPAIGN AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE. Supported by BRENT UNISON.

Thursday 10 February 7.30pm, Willesden Green Library Centre, 95 High Road, NW10 2SF 

Nearest tube: Willesden Green, Jubilee line. Buses: 52, 98, 260, 266, 302, 460 Free parking behind the library centre, disabled access to all parts.

Agenda

Keynote address
John Stewart (Campaign against Climate Change)

Session 1 – The fight for climate jobs
Speakers: Chris Baugh (Assistant General Secretary PCS)
Nick Grant (National Executive NUT)

Session 2 – The fight for green workplaces
Speaker: Sarah Pearce (TUC Greenworkplaces Project Leader)

Chair: Pete Firmin (CWU, President
Brent Trades Union Council)


Time for questions and discussion after each session. All welcome.

Further information: go to contact@brentcacc.com.