LO’s Climate Strategy

LO’s climate strategy is an internal document that describes the challenges, sets the goals and describes fields in which it is important for the trade union movement to be involved in order to limit climate gas emissions in Norway and internationally.

Foto: Trond Isaksen

Last year, concerns about climate change got prominent media coverage. The immense attention paid to climate change is due to clear indications of permanent change evident in melting glaciers and extreme weather conditions, and drought and floods all over the world. There is now broad political agreement in Norway that we implement stringent climate measures in the coming year.

The climate challenge is a symptom of far-reaching questions linked to sustainable global development. The issue now triggers discussions on how industrialised countries have organised their consumption, a discussion which speeds up a process that would have taken place regardless. Social developments in the Western world are not sufficiently based on sustainable use of natural resources. Many of the improvements we have seen in the environmental field in recent years are more than neutralised by our ever-increasing consumption. Despite the adoption of international conventions
on greenhouse gases, chemicals, waste etc., that are a step forward in certain areas - increased production and consumption pose increasingly greater challenges to the environment and to people’s health. The development in the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) is also challenging.

These economies are estimated to be the largest in the world by 2050. Their share of climate change emissions is increasing. For instance, China is now the world’s largest emitter of CO2, and is expected to account for 39% of total climate change emissions by 2030, provided development continues at the current rate. This will have considerable repercussions for the global environment in general, and the climate in particular, unless mechanisms are launched to phase in green technology as an integrated part of industrial developments and energy production.

Climate change has already had serious economic and social impacts on many poor countries. By way of example, this year’s extreme rain and drought have year had fatal consequences for cattle breeding and agriculture in several parts of Africa. Paradoxically, Africa has the lowest emissions per person, yet the continent suffers the greatest strain as a result of climate change. In the industrialised world the situation is the opposite – the level of greenhouse gas emissions is higher but the impact not nearly as dramatic in the short run, as these countries’ direct dependency on natural resources for subsistence is much lower. These also have the means to assist those most exposed to climate change.

Assisting developing countries in dealing with the consequences of climate change is a daunting challenge –with regard to transfer of technology as well as their adaptation to the environmental changes that have already taken place.

As a significant social actor, nationally and internationally, the trade union movement must contribute actively to focusing on climate change. The trade union movement’s concept of solidarity will form the basis of the actions required.

This is the time for the trade union movement to be proactive. The trade union movement is one of few organisations actively involved in three fields influencing or influenced by climate change: the environmental, social and economic fields.

LO’s climate strategy is an internal document that describes the challenges, sets the goals and describes fields in which it is important for the trade union movement to be involved in order to limit climate gas emissions in Norway and
internationally.