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On UN Human Rights Day 10 December, UNI Europa regrets to see that just transition has been taken out of the operational part of the Paris agreement at COP 21 and moved to the preamble, as principles such as just transition, decent work and gender equality should be at the core.

“A safe climate is a human right. The EU has a duty to ensure an agreement Europeans can be proud of - an agreement where human rights play a key part in building responses to climate change, an agreement that protects the most vulnerable in society and that secures just transition for workers and their communities,” stated Oliver Roethig, Regional Secretary of UNI Europa on Human Rights Day.

As a part of the trade union movement, UNI Europa has a responsibility to help raise awareness of just transition in this new world of work and to impact European legislation in a direction which ensures sustainable human development, green and decent jobs, skills development, redistribution of wealth and collective bargaining.

By raising these elements in social dialogue discussions it is possible to impact production processes and business practices towards a more sustainable Europe.

“Climate change is union business. UNI Europa, as part of the UNI Global Union calls upon European governments to seal a new legally binding climate agreement in Paris. Human rights and sustainable development are core European values. The EU has to show leadership in the negotiations and propose and defend ambitious solutions to the climate crisis which put human rights and environment first,” stated Roethig.

Read UNI Global Union’s policy on Climate here.

Read more on Just Transition here.