As world leaders gather to discuss climate change tomorrow
in New York, campaigners today urged them to follow Scotland in committing to
ambitious legislation to cut greenhouse emissions.
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland launched a short film documenting how thousands of ordinary people, concerned about
the risk to our planet, lobbied politicians here, resulting in unanimously
passed world leading legislation.
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 set legally binding targets of cutting emissions
by 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. The targets also include Scotland’s share of targets from
international aviation and shipping.
UNISON Scotland joined today on social media with other
members of SCCS in promoting the film and a briefing
to inspire other countries to be ambitious themselves, and together in a new
global agreement.
Climate change is a trade union issue, an urgent health and
safety issue for the planet. Sharan Burrow, of the International Trade Union
Confederation, explained ITUC calls for action, including a Just
Transition as part of agreements on the switch to a low carbon economy.
She said: “There are no jobs on a dead planet and if we are to meet the challenge of de-carbonising our world we
demand both government leadership and business responsibility.”
Ms Burrow was one of hundreds of thousands around the globe
- including New York, London, Edinburgh, Rio de Janeiro, Berlin, Barcelona and
Delhi - who took part in marches calling on world
leaders to commit to strong action to prevent runaway dangerous climate change.
The ‘People’s Climate’ marchers included UN
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who called tomorrow’s New York climate summit.
He said that there is no “Plan B” for action as there is no “Planet B.”
It is hoped a new
UN climate deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol will be agreed in Paris late in
2015, with tomorrow’s meeting crucial in building support for this.
You can support today’s action by copying and tweeting or just
retweeting the messages @UNISONScot
and/or @SCCScot have sent to the UN, to
key leaders who will chair summit sessions, and to other figures, such as Mary
Robinson, UN Climate envoy.
Further information, the film and the briefing are on the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland website.
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