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"Investing in expanding high-quality public services will be a key part of climate change adaptation. This requires investing in the workers who deliver these critical services, including ensuring fair wages and working conditions as well as the resources they need to do their jobs.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Ottawa (03 Feb. 2022) — A strong public sector has an essential role to play in tackling the climate crisis, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is telling the federal government. Larry Brown, President of NUPGE, wrote to Minister Guilbeault, about the importance of public services in the face of the climate crisis.
Impacts on workers, marginalized groups
NUPGE members are on the front lines of the climate crisis. From fighting wildfires to providing health care and social services to those most affected, they are keeping their communities safe and informed.
As with the pandemic, the climate crisis disproportionately affects BIPOC, people with disabilities, women, youth, seniors, migrants, and people living in poverty or with low incomes. The devastating and unequal impacts of the climate crisis in the last year have illustrated the need for urgent action.
Public services' role in adaptation
As NUPGE members demonstrate, public services play a key role in responding to the effects of climate change, which are here and expected to get worse. “Investing in expanding high-quality public services will be a key part of climate change adaptation,” wrote Brown.
“This requires investing in the workers who deliver these critical services, including ensuring fair wages and working conditions as well as the resources they need to do their jobs.”
Green infrastructure and services must be public
The public sector also has a crucial role to play in mitigating climate change.
“The necessary transition away from a fossil fuel-based economy is a big undertaking and the public sector has an essential role to play,” continued Brown. “I urge the federal government, working with its provincial and territorial counterparts, to invest in renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and green transportation delivered through a strong public sector.”
“It is important that the infrastructure and services needed to reduce emissions causing climate change be publicly procured, owned, maintained, and operated,” wrote Brown. This includes areas like public transit and energy."
Workers at the table
“It is important that workers and their unions across these sectors be involved in the decision-making process,” emphasized Brown.
NUPGE has supported the call for a Just Transition for workers and their communities. NUPGE has urged the government to deliver on its promise of Just Transition legislation and provided recommendations to the recent federal consultation.
Government can afford to act ambitiously
“Climate action and Just Transition through a strong public sector is possible,” concluded Brown.
“By following through on the commitment to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies and by implementing fair taxation, the federal government can absolutely afford to carry out an ambitious vision that tackles the crisis head-on and leaves no one behind.”
Read the full letter here.