
1. Climate
change is not a threat of the future, it is already happening here and now, it
is man-made, and the consequences can be catastrophic.
2. The
climate threat will have widespread implications for social development –
either as a result of climate change itself, or as a result of measures to
prevent or mitigate climate change. The way we live and work will thus change
considerably, whether we take action or not. Inaction, or postponing action,
represents the greatest threat – with disastrous effects.
3. Because
measures to combat climate change will require great changes in society, we
face a major social struggle. Thus, the struggle against climate change is
first and foremost a struggle for social power, a struggle on what kind of
society we want. In the current situation, this means that the climate change
struggle will have to be unified with the struggle against the effects of, and
the driving forces behind, the economic crisis, the crisis of capitalism.
Wider
Political Context
4. Today's
economic growth regime and the ruthless exploitation of natural resources is an
embedded part of the capitalist economy. A narrow focus on environmental policy
will therefore not be sufficient. The climate and environmental struggle must
be put in a wider political context.
A
system-critical approach will be necessary. To prevent climate change we will
need democratic control of the economy – particularly energy generation and
distribution. Thus, the environmental, as well as the economic, crisis, not
only represents a threat, but also an opportunity to fight through important
and necessary social change.
5. In this
social struggle, the trade union movement will have a major role to play,
because of its strategic position in society. However, trade unions are on the
defensive all over the world, and they are under immense pressure from strong
economic forces. Therefore, for the trade union movement to be able to assume a
leading role in the fight against climate change, it has to be revitalized,
refocused and reactivated.
6. Climate
policy cannot be reduced to a question of sacrifice, of what we must give up of
our hard-won rights, as some parts of the environmental movement tell us. The
struggle is first and foremost about creating a better society for all. The
financing of CO2 mitigation measures must therefore go hand in hand with a
radical redistribution of wealth – from the North to the South, and from the
rich to the poor. Without this, it will be impossible to achieve broad support
for necessary policies against climate change.
7.
Preventing climate change will require extensive restructuring of our
societies. Activities which damage the climate must be reduced, while renewable
energy, energy efficiency and environmentally sustainable activities must be
developed – in a planned and systematic manner which maintains and strengthens
the social and economic security of people. We cannot accept that certain
groups of workers have to bear the brunt of climate change mitigation measures
through unemployment and marginalization. The transition has, in other words,
to be just – and to be just, it has to be planned and managed in a democratic
way. All serious research has shown that necessary policies against climate
change will create more jobs than it destroys. This has everything to do with
workers’ power in the labour market, of shorter working hours and how we
distribute the necessary work in society.
Sustainable
Society
8.
Transition to an environmental sustainable society has many advantages.
Thousands of new jobs in public transport, renewable energy, house retrofitting
and sustainable industry will be created. A reduction of greenhouse gases will
also lead to less polluted workplaces and communities. Increased democratic
control of the economy will reduce competition and pressure at the workplaces.
Less stress, strain and mental pressure will be important effects of such a
development.
9. The
market-based solutions to the climate crisis, primarily through carbon trade, which have
been promoted by governments and strong vested economic interests, have so far
failed. Neither will global summits save us. To the degree that we have
achieved increased social equality, decent work, poverty reduction, gender
equality, etc. in our societies, we have not done so through global summits. We
need binding international agreements to save the climate, but to achieve that,
it is necessary to mobilize social forces for alternative solutions built on
solidarity, equality and people's needs. Governments and multinational
companies proved at the last COP
19 in Warsaw that not only were they not able to
move forward, they actually took a step backward. Thus, they have had their
chance, and they have failed. It is time for others to take over.
10.
Therefore, to succeed in this social struggle, we need to build long-term,
broad popular alliances. This has particularly to happen between labour and the
environmental movement. The climate struggle is about democratization of the
economy and society, redistribution of wealth, the free use of our common
knowledge – without patent barriers. To save the climate, we must change
society. Only then can we create the necessary conditions for a better life for
all – including our descendants.
> The article above was written by Asbjørn
Wahl, who is an adviser for the Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees.
This contribution was made at a Rosa Luxemburg Foundation/Left Labour Project
meeting in New York , 18
September 2014 .
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