The current international response to climate change is in a deep crisis. CUPE is joining labour, social justice and environmental organizations from around the world in calling for fundamental changes to the international climate change negotiations process.
The latest step, the 19th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP), is currently underway in Warsaw, Poland. The process, however, has been stalled since COP 15 in Copenhagen when expectations were high that meaningful action on climate change was imminent. COP 15 delivered weak, non-binding aspirational targets for holding global warming to no more than 2°C. Meanwhile, greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change continue to rise year after year, despite the COP negotiations.
“The world deserves results that only an international forum can deliver. But we have serious concerns about how the UN-COP process seems unable to deliver those results,” said Paul Moist, national president of CUPE. “We need results to tackle climate change, and we need a new process, because this one isn’t working.”
Local and national efforts to cut emissions must be stepped up.
“We need to crank up our efforts in our workplaces, and put more pressure on our municipal and provincial governments,” said Moist. “Most of all, we need a federal government that cares more about the environment and clean energy than it does about satisfying the interests of big oil.”
CUPE is represented at Warsaw through its membership in the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC). ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow urged the world’s governments to act immediately.
“Science is telling us that all sectors of the economy will be heavily impacted by climate change if we do not succeed to maintain temperature increase below 2°C,” said Burrow “Governments have a small window of opportunity to show they have a vision for workers and their children … the time for transitioning peacefully and fairly to sustainability is starting to run out.”
CUPE recently adopted an environmental policy calling for immediate action on climate change. Order a copy of the policy by email to: enviro@cupe.ca.