Climate and Energy

The European Trade Union Institute recent conference on ‘The Socio-Ecological Transition: A New Climate for the EU’s Sustainability Transition’ laid bare the need for radical change to deal with the climate crisis. And if battling climate change requires making our societies less superficial, less focused on expansion and instead more focused on equality, then that’s something we can all fight for.

While an excellent book, we need to look further than simply saying ‘social movements are the only answer’ if we are to develop effective movements that create change. The need for social movement mobilisation too easily becomes a slogan rather than a nuanced solution. We can both praise and look deeper than Klein’s ‘This Changes Everything’.

The new IPCC report on climate change marks the last word from the scientific community ahead of the very important COP21 meeting in Paris next year. Internationally things may be moving in the right direction, but the political will to fully embrace a divestment from fossil fuels to renewables isn’t quite there yet. Nonetheless, activists are working on it…

In order for green ideas on energy to resonate in the mainstream, questions need to be answered about how the transition will be financed, and how it will benefit those are already marginalised and struggling economically. A positive initiative targeting the Roma minority in Hungary shows one way in which this can be achieved.

A big risk for Europe stems from its dependency on Russian natural gas and oil.

Poverty and the ecological crisis are different symptoms of the same crisis Europe and the world are experiencing. Only a responsible commitment based on social justice, eco-development and sustainability can assure a safe common future. The case of Portugal illustrates the challenges faced worldwide.

In the Polish context, where environmental awareness and resistance to an energy transition is strong, a broad alliance among diverse actors in society is needed to tackle climate change, such as trade unions and other potential partners.

Images of the People’s Climate March that took place in New York on September 21st have circulated around the world, along with pictures from many other cities. Yet being a part of such a massive and important mobilisation, characterised more than ever by pluralism and diversity, was a truly unique sensation.

Climate change is the biggest threat and the greatest challenge that our civilisation has ever faced and no single country is able to solve this problem on its own. This is why World leaders must urgently achieve an ambitious and binding agreement.

The European Union (EU) is currently setting out its climate and energy policy framework for 2030.