“The Greener Jobs Alliance advocates for the development of the workforce needed to tackle the climate emergency through the education and training of workers in the green skills that will be desperately needed. The Greener Jobs Alliance supports the Climate & Nature Bill objectives of reducing emissions and reversing ecological breakdown—which not only requires the deployment of that workforce—but which also links together the issues of social, economic, and climate justice for all.” – Tahir Latif (Secretary, Greener Jobs Alliance)
Thanks & Solidarity
Zero Hour is delighted to send thanks and solidarity to the ‘Greener Jobs Alliance‘ – our most recent ally for the CAN Bill campaign! The support of this respected alliance reflects our shared goals for the environment, nature and all who want to work in, and create better, greener, fairer jobs. The GJA strives to unite those: ‘bound by a common interest in ensuring that the struggle against climate change progresses – while also protecting workers’.
GJA is a united front of activists, trade unionists, and campaigners from trade unions, campaigns and NGOs—including our friends at National Education Union, Friends of the Earth, University & College Union, and Greenpeace – and now, also Unison, Public & Commercial Services Union, National Union Students, People & Planet, and Institute of Public Policy Research.
Economic & Environmental Recovery
Their message is clear. No matter how much workers may support a just transition, they can’t be expected to accept the loss of work in traditional industries – without securing the training and jobs they will need in order to transition. Achieving economic and environmental recovery is going to take alliances – like GJA – to drive it into reality.
The Climate & Nature Bill’s legally-binding strategy would offer employers and individuals certainty about the way forward, instilling much needed confidence for investment in building supply chains, retraining, and modifying homes. The country needs a clear mission statement and a firm commitment from the Government that it intends to stay the course.
“Employers will not ‘green’ their operations without clear national policies and incentives. The workforce will not be interested in training for low carbon skills, unless they can see its relevance for job security. Education providers will not support the development of new training programmes, unless they can see a local demand for the courses offered. Households and businesses will not be able to introduce low carbon options if there is a lack of local companies with skilled staff capable of doing the work.” – Greener Jobs Alliance
Clarity & Confidence
Zero Hour agrees with GJA on the need for national policy to drive incentives. The UK workforce won’t see the relevance of training if they can’t see that there will be job security. And that’s – again – where the CAN Bill does much of the heavy lifting. Making it law to meet our carbon and nature ambitions will give clarity, confidence – and put the onus – on industry, employers, and the Government to turbo charge the training and job creation we need.
As natural allies, GJA and Zero Hour also share a deep concern for fairness. As Paul Atkin (GJA’s newsletter editor) says:
“The Climate and Nature Bill includes a very welcome recognition that emissions from consumption are a more accurate measure of how sustainable a society is—rather than only accounting for emissions from production—as countries like the UK have outsourced a lot of carbon intensive work to other countries. Estimates of the scale of this vary, but there should be no ducking the debt that wealthier countries accrued by becoming developed on the back of massive fossil fuel use and colonial exploitation of the rest of the world.”
Zero Hour will continue to rely on all our allies and supporters as we progress towards the Climate & Nature Bill’s next appearance in the House of Commons in November 2023. To join the campaign, or to sign up your union, employer, or organisation, get in touch with Zero Hour via [email protected].
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