Photo credits: ITUC
The stakes have never been higher. The impacts of climate change are intensifying, hitting the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities hardest. As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned, “The battle to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees will be won or lost in the 2020s – under the watch of leaders today.”
At COP29, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and unions from the Global South made their demands clear: urgent action is needed to secure climate justice. The failure of global leaders to deliver an ambitious deal only underscores the importance of worker-led advocacy for tackling climate change.
For workers and their communities, the need for a just, fair, and publicly owned climate and energy transition is critical. This transition must ensure no one is left behind while addressing the root causes of inequality and environmental destruction.
“Rich, developed countries have ignored their responsibility to deliver the finance needed to tackle the climate crisis in the Global South, and they have refused to prioritise the implementation of Just Transition policies,” said Luc Triangle, ITUC General Secretary.
The ITUC reported the outcomes of COP29 fall short in two critical areas:
- Climate Finance: The agreement to mobilise US$300bn from a wide variety of sources, including development bank loans and private finance, over ten years in 2035 is woefully insufficient. This falls far below the minimum US$1.3tn per year required to address the climate needs of developing countries. The lack of a robust commitment to public, grant-based finance exacerbates the crisis, leaving vulnerable nations at risk of deepening debt distress.
- Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP): Despite the urgency, meaningful discussions on implementing Just Transition policies were sidelined. The absence of a decision on the JTWP is deeply disappointing for workers and communities on the frontlines of climate impacts.
Meanwhile, Australia’s $50 million commitment to the Loss and Damage Fund is a welcome step towards achieving the full costs needed to support the world’s poorest countries in mitigating and adapting to the impacts of global warming, but it is just the beginning.
Workers and unions will continue to push for policies that prioritise communities, protect livelihoods, and uphold the principle of climate justice.
For more, explore these union-led statements:
- International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) following the wrap-up at COP29
- 100 Global South unions released this statement through Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED)
- Statement of demands from the international trade union movement prior to COP29
- Statement from the Australian Council of International Development on Australia’s contribution to Loss and Damage
In partnership with Australian and trade unions globally, we will keep working to ensure climate action serves workers, their families, and their communities. Let’s keep organising, advocating, and holding leaders accountable. Join Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA and support our climate justice projects: www.apheda.org.au/join