Liberal Democrat Trade Unionists call for action on Climate Change

At the recent AGM of the Association of Liberal Democrat Trade Unionists (ALDTU) they elected Sir Simon Hughes as their new President who is a former President of the Green Liberal Democrats and a respected campaigner on green issues.

It was fitting that they also debated and passed an Emergecncy Motion on Climate Change in which they described Climate Change as one of the biggest, if not the biggest, issue facing humanity. They criticised the decision by Clearcast to ban the Iceland Foods Christmas advert which highlighted the contribution of Palm Oil production to deforestation which significantly contributes to Climate Change. ALDTU felt that the urgency of Climate Change had also been highlighted by the recent report from the IPCC which says that we have 12 years to tackle Climate Change or face irreversible Climate Change.

The ALDTU AGM rightly acknowledged the important role that trade unions have played in the greening of the workplace through placing environmental issues on the negotiating agenda leading to positive action.

Below is the motion which was discussed and agreed at the ALDTU AGM

Emergency Motion on Climate Change

This AGM recognises that Climate Change is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, issue facing humanity which has been highlighted by:

• The decision by Clearcast this week to ban the Iceland Foods Christmas advert as being too political because it made consumers aware that palm oil plantations are one of the biggest drivers of deforestation which significantly contributes to Climate Change.
• The IPCC Report published last month which says that we have 12 years to tackle Climate Change or face irreversible Climate Change and possible extinction.

This AGM recognises the important role that trade unions have played, and continue to play, in the greening of the workplace through placing environmental issues on the negotiating agenda leading to positive action.

This AGM of the Association of Liberal Democrat Trade Unionists calls on Liberal Democrats in Parliament, and across the country, to work with trade unions to campaign against Climate Change through:

• Informing the public - including Liberal Democrat and Trade Union members - about Climate Change and what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint
• Working together to get the issue raised in every workplace to encourage companies to take action to reduce their carbon footprint.
• Promoting clean and carbon free energy which can potentially create thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of jobs
• Support the Local Electricity bill, currently in Parliament, to enable local people and local communities to contribute to the production of local clean energy
• Encourage all Trade Union and Liberal Democrat members to raise the issue in their local communities and to use their power as consumers to impel companies to tackle climate change through positive action.

ALDTU fully supports the Liberal Democrats commitment to creating a Carbon Free Britain by 2050 but believes that in view of the IPCC Report that this now needs to be achieved by 2040 and preferably earlier.

We call on all Liberal Democrats to support this motion and take positive action to tackle Climate Change