- Conference
- 2019 Energy Service Group Conference
- Date
- 25 February 2019
- Decision
- Carried
Conference notes that ambitious targets for moving to a low carbon industry are essential in the context of climate change and our country’s commitments to the Paris agreement. Taking responsibility to limit temperature increases and avoid catastrophic global warming will require significant transformations across our economy and industry.
Conference believes that Just Transition must take into account the fair treatment of workers and communities most affected by change as we move to a lower carbon world. Just transition requires that action to reduce emissions must not be at the expense of the workforce and communities which currently extract or depend on the use of fossil fuels. A just transition means moving to a modern day low-carbon economy in a way that protects workers’ livelihoods creates a new industrial base, and delivers a fairer society.
The concept of a just transition is central to a successful response to climate change, and to build popular support for action to cut emissions. A just transition must:
1) Put protecting workers’ livelihoods, creating new jobs which provide training and re-skilling of its current energy workforce at the centre of a move to a low carbon economy;
2) Involve trade unions, communities and environmentalists at the heart of the process.
Therefore Conference instructs the Energy Service Group Executive to:
a) Raise awareness of the work being done by UNISON on Just Transition among Energy Branches;
b) Hold a session on Just Transition at the 2019 Energy Seminar which will help to raise the awareness and begin a conversation on just Transition throughout the service group.