CUPE National President Paul Moist and National Secretary-Treasurer Claude Généreux have written a letter to federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice calling on him to help negotiate a successful climate change agreement in Copenhagen next month.
The letter highlights what CUPE sees as the central goals of a successful new climate change accord. Specifically, it calls on the Canadian government to:
- Support an ambitious, binding and fair agreement in Copenhagen, which will set the basis for medium and long term greenhouse gas emission reductions and for a sustainable adaptation to the effects of climate change in developing countries.
- Ensure that the new agreement maintains the call for “Just Transition” for the workforce which creates decent work and quality jobs” as it appears in the current draft agreement.
- Add a definition of “stakeholders” or “civil society”, following agreed definitions, as a means for recognizing trade unions as relevant stakeholders in this discussion. In “Agenda 21”, trade unions are recognized as one among nine Major Groups which are key in sustainable development decision-making.
Moist and Généreux call on the federal government to show real leadership in Copenhagen to negotiate a successful binding agreement. CUPE members can likewise also write Minister Prentice to urge him to be a progressive force in Copenhagen.
This is a critical point for the planet as further delay on climate change mitigation will only worsen the health of the atmosphere. Many other countries will be pushing for a fair and bold deal in Copenhagen that will transform our societies and make them truly sustainable while cutting back greenhouse gas emissions. Canada needs to be a constructive part of this process.
