November 12 2024
This month, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) will be participating in COP29, the global climate change summit, in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties, known as COP, is the main summit for global climate negotiations. At COP, countries come together to address the climate crisis and to review their collective goals, such as those under the Paris Agreement.
“Climate change is not bound by borders,” said Bert Blundon, President of NUPGE. “It is a global issue that demands collective action from all countries.”
“It’s essential that unions are at COP to ensure that workers’ perspectives and demands are part of the discussion,” said Blundon. “We also coordinate with our allies — across Canada and around the world — to advance shared priorities and amplify the calls of those on the front lines of the climate crisis, particularly in the Global South.”
This year, the focus of COP will be negotiating a new target for global climate finance, known as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG). Wealthy, industrialized countries of the Global North are disproportionately responsible for causing climate change, and so must do their fair share to support climate action efforts in the Global South, which is experiencing the brunt of the climate crisis despite being less responsible for it.
It’s important that Canada and other wealthy countries commit to a fair and ambitious climate finance target and mobilize the necessary funds to support climate change mitigation and adaptation. Before, during, and after COP, the engagement from civil society is key to holding our governments accountable.
More info: NUPGE Backgrounder: COP Climate Summit and Why It Matters for Workers
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) demands for COP29