Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 58 – March 2024

Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 58 – March 2024

Introduction & History – The GJA:

The Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) came into existence as a result of funding from Battersea and Wandsworth TUC. The GJA was launched to promote skills training and job creation to meet the needs of Britain’s rapidly growing low carbon sectors and to green the whole economy. The transition to a low carbon and resource efficient economy can drive sustainable economic recovery and job creation in every part of the country as well as making existing jobs more secure. But this requires a more strategic national and local approach to deliver the workforce skills needed and to stimulate demand for clean energy and energy efficiency services.

The Greener Jobs Alliance liaises at a national and local level to build the broadest possible support for the policies, investment, partnerships and commitments needed to drive the transition to a low carbon economy.

The Greener Jobs Alliance liaises with training bodies, colleges, universities, employers, local and national Government, trade unions, housing associations, campaign and community groups – to build the policies, investment and partnerships needed to drive the transition to a low carbon economy.

GJA Founder Graham Petersen: The founder GJA Secretary and Newsletter editor was Graham Petersen who is well known to the CWU and has a long standing working relationship with the Union. He is a former TUC tutor and course designer who created safety reps training courses and the successful TUC Occupational Health & Safety Diploma Course. He was the head of the Trade Union Studies Centre at South Thames College before retirement from the post and has been a visitor and guest speaker at CWU events and meetings. After 30 editions, Graham stood down at the GJA AGM and handed over to Paul Atkin as newsletter editor and Tahir Latif as GJA Secretary. Graham remains a GJA Steering Group member and is now working part time for the Wales TUC having recently written a publication for them ‘Greener workplaces for a just transition – a Wales TUC toolkit for trade unionists’ which was circulated by the CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department.

GJA ‘Free’ Courses:

The GJA runs a number of ‘free’ courses on the environment for Trade Union Reps in different parts of the UK which have been attended by a number of CWU Reps with details published in the newsletter.

The GJA now offer three ‘on-line’ courses as follows:

1. Climate Change Awareness

This short introductory course is aimed at trade unionists and anyone wishing to develop their understanding of the issues around climate change.  The course is divided into 4 modules.  The modules contain background information, short videos, graphs and illustrations.

• Module 1: Climate Change Explained
• Module 2: International Responses
• Module 3: Trade Union Responses
• Module 4: Getting Involved

At the end of each section, there are references and links to additional materials if you want to go further. There are no formal tests and you can work through the materials at your own pace but there are optional quizzes to check your understanding at the end of modules 1, 2 and 3.

2. A Trade Union Guide to Just Transition

Social justice must be at the heart of the development of a net-zero carbon economy. The course covers:

• The meaning and history of the term just transition
• Why it should be a priority issue
• UK and international policies and case studies
• Ideas for developing an action plan

It is aimed at trade unionists and anyone wishing to improve their understanding of why just transition should be central to climate change policy.

3. Air Quality – a trade union issue

The following issues will be explored in this free online course. It is made up of 3 modules,

• Module 1: The Causes and Health Impacts of Air Pollution
• Module 2: The Law and Government Policy
• Module 3:  Trade Union Responses and Campaigns

Link to GJA on-line Courses:https://greenerjobsalliance.co.uk/courses/

TUC green rep courses:

The TUC has announced a series of new ‘free’ to attend “green rep training courses for 2024 as follows:

All union reps and officers are welcome, new or experienced, and whether in any Union role. All trade unionists can benefit from understanding what the TU movement can do to protect and empower Union members during the climate crisis.

• Stockport College Online 5, 12,19 Feb ‘24
• City of Bristol College In-person 11,18, 25 Jun ‘24
• Newcastle College In-person 11,18, 25 Jun ‘24

Link to the TUC ‘Green Rep’ Courses:-https://www.tuc.org.uk/training/TUCcourses

Paul Atkin Editorial GJA Newsletter Issue 57 –  

Paul opens this issue’s editorial pointing out that despite February 2024 being the ninth consecutive month that set an all-time high temperature record, reports are emerging that Tory Government Ministers are seeking to exploit a “loophole” in the Climate Change Act to “carry over” reductions in carbon emissions resulting from ‘Covid lockdowns’ in order to relax targets for the next carbon budget and this exposes their detachment from reality. They miss the fundamental point that the 7% emissions decline during the pandemic is the number that’s needed every year to be on track for the level of carbon reductions that are needed to stave off catastrophe! Paul strongly points out that climate breakdown cannot be kicked down the road, or bargained with. It’s a reality that has to be grappled with; and dealt with NOW!

Read The Full Editorial & Newsletter Edition 58 Attached.

Contents GJA Newsletter 58:

• Editorial: there are no “loopholes” in the laws of physics
• Climate bloc on Gaza demo and climate impact of the war
• FOE, Client Earth and Good Law Project take government to court on climate targets
• Major growth of clean energy limited 2023 global emissions rise
• The sorry state of Just Transition in the UK
• ITUC Definition of a Just Transition
• ITUC Resources for International Workers Memorial Day
• GJA AGM 2024
• A trade union bargaining guide on resource efficiency
• Unions For a Just Transition
• Campaign for Better Transport Budget Demands
• NEW RULES: Fares Freeze, Building energy standards, Parking requirements cuts
• Future Homes – Higher Standards Needed
• Costs of Gas
• GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS: Labour, UCU, GMB
• Subsidised Transport Works
• Fare Free London campaign launched
• EVENTS: London Environment and the Mayoral election meeting, CACCTU Conference
• Green Bites

Green Bites:

• 50% – Of the reduction in carbon emissions needed by 2030 that could be met by energy efficiency measures cutting demand. That means doubling the current rate of 2% a year to 4% with stronger building codes, energy retrofit initiatives, LED lighting, more efficient water heaters, more efficient building designs to use less steel and concrete in construction, scale up the adoption of electric vehicles, heat pumps, and other electric appliances that use far less energy than their fossil fuel-powered counterparts; e.g. EVs are two to four times more efficient than combustion engine cars and heat pumps are up to five times more efficient than oil and gas boilers.
• 27GW – The Amount of wave power required for UK to get to 100% renewable energy generation, while reaching this would save £100 billion and cut 20% more from UK carbon emissions than the current government plan.
• 20% – Increase in bus journeys across the country since the introduction of the £2 fare cap. This is due to be withdrawn in November. The campaign for better buses could use your support to keep it here.
• 800GW – The amount of power that could be produced by all of the renewable energy projects currently in the pipeline for approval and held up by the current capacity of the grid. This is 12 times the current UK consumption of 75GW and 6 times the 150GW projected as needed by 2050.
• 45% – Proportion of new single and double decker buses bought in the UK in 2023 that were zero emission (1,100 in total).

What is a just transition?

A just transition seeks to ensure that the substantial benefits of a green economy transition are shared widely, while also supporting those who stand to lose economically – be they countries, regions, industries, communities, workers or consumers.

A rapid increase in the speed and scale of actions required to reduce the risks of climate change will create new economic opportunities.

Whilst a just transition is mainly based on environmental considerations, it is also shaped by other structural changes affecting labour markets, such as globalisation, labour-saving technologies and the shift to services.

A just transition is an integral part of many of the global commitments adopted by countries. The Paris Agreement acknowledges “the imperatives of a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities” and highlights the importance of workers in responding to climate change.

Furthermore, the just transition concept links to 14 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, explicitly drawing together SDGs No 12 – climate action, No 10 – reduced inequalities, No 8 – decent work and economic growth, and No 7 – affordable and clean energy.

Many countries have recognised the challenge that this transformation entails and are taking measures to protect those that are most vulnerable and affected by the changes, including across the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) regions.

• The European Union’s Just Transition Mechanism is integral to the EU’s Green Deal, targeted at ensuring “a fair transition to a climate-neutral economy, leaving no one behind” and aims to mobilise at least €150 billion over the period 2021-2027;
• The Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration signed by 50 countries at COP24, which states that: “a just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs are crucial to ensure an effective and inclusive transition”;
• Climate Action for Jobs Initiative, co-led by the International Labour Organisation, Spain and Peru, with 46 countries committing to develop “national plans for a just transition and create decent green jobs”.
• The UNFCCC Gender Action plan, whereby parties to the UNFCCC have recognized the importance of involving women and men equally in the development and implementation of national climate policies that are gender-responsive.

Quote of the Month

‘I think 2023/24 is the year in which fossil fuel companies have woken up to the very real threat that their businesses now face. Already, electric vehicles are taking 1.5m barrels of oil off the road every day. That’s enough for oil companies to start noticing problems and you are beginning to see some scale back production forecasts. As a result, some are trying to foster a backlash against the [net-zero] transition. I think some of them are beginning to get very worried about what their future looks like.’

Greg Jackson of Octopus Energy in the Sunday Telegraph.

Much more in the GJA Newsletter No 58 March 2024 attached.

 Attachment: 

• GJA Newsletter No.58 for March 2024.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

24LTB111 Greener Jobs Alliance (GJA) Newsletter No. 58 – March 2024

GJA-Newsletter-58-March-2024

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