Publication on the urgency of climat change actions

Our planet is in danger, and if we do not drastically change our actions, the consequences could be devastating for all humans, including future generations.

It is therefore necessary to put forward a new narrative, one that values solidarity between peoples and is the precursor to mobilising actions. We must abandon the culture of competition that pursues profit at all costs and replace it with the pursuit of the well-being of all, in harmony with nature.

The partner organisations of WSM, ACV-CSC and CM-MC are unions, mutual health organisations and other social movements in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. These organisations, with their strong social base, are levers for sustainable social change because they are already actively responding to the negative impacts of climate change, which primarily affects their communities.

In this brochure we offer you an overview of some of the innovative approaches to change.

A good environment practice from Nepal: Himalaya Campaigns by UNITRAV-GEFONT

UNITRAV, a union of around 2.000 Sherpa or guides/porters, organised a cleaning campaign on the Mt. Everest, where workers of the union collected waste left behind from the tourists on the mountain (air tanks, garbage etc.). This has been a big issue, as generations of mountain climbers simply left all their waste behind, which freezes and doesn't decompose. This was also a way to sensitize other guides and tourists that the mountain needs to be kept clean and protected.

Dorje Khatri

Another campaign conducted by GEFONT was  ‘Save the climate, save the Himalayas’. In 2011, Dorje Khatri, leader of Nepal’s trade union of Sherpas, Vice-President of GEFONT, and a committed defender of the environment, planted the ITUC flag atop the peak of Everest as part of global mobilisation by unions pushing for action on climate change leading up to the Durban Climate Summit, which he attended. Khatri did more than going up the mountain seven times. Aspects like climate change indeed affect the melting of the ice and glaciers, which in turn endangers the lives of workers and the population in general. He also spent untold hours organizing fellow Sherpas into their union to achieve decent wages and employment rights. Sadly, in April 2014, Dorje Khatri was among 12 people killed in one of the worst disasters on Mount Everest ever recorded.  Since then, as decided by the 3rd ITUC World Congress, the ITUC General Council annually recognises outstanding contributions to the fight for sustainability and justice, through the Dorje Khatri Award.

Developing alternatives for Indian agricultural workers: solar panels for irrigation

 AREDS in India looks to develop alternatives for agricultural workers by creating and promoting a model farm which uses a more sustainable approach. WSM facilitated a grant from the Energy fund in Belgium, so that they could purchase solar panels for the irrigation in this very dry area of Tamil Nadu. As this is a fairly innovative technique, it required some research and experts analyzed the existing wells, and made recommendations. Next, three tenders were requested from companies, which all had similar prices, but the quality of the equipment varied, like the type of motor and pump. Once the choice made, the order went through the bank and fifteen days later it was installed, with concrete pillars already set up by AREDS according to the specifications provided beforehand. The Company installed the four sets of 10 panels next to each near the four wells and then engineers erected the pumps inside the wells. Currently, the plot has five horsepower motors which can run for ten hours. The system is self-sufficient and not connected to the electrical state grid, except one which was close to the grid. Plants are kept alive despite a severe drought this year in Tamil Nadu. AREDS also practices intercropping, with specific measures per crop. Through a rain harvesting programme, there is no danger of the wells running dry.


Of course, the goal is now to share these techniques, so AREDS reached out to farmers, government and universities. Four groups of twenty small-scale farmers, majority women have been trained in first 2016, with a three day training to learn how to maintain the panels, do minor repairs, measure the watts produce and when to switch them on. At least ten people have applied for the state grants for solar panels, which can take some time. A delegation from the local government agriculture department was invited and decided to support this initiative. The Agriculture university of Trichy is also attending training on this farm, and an exchange program runs with French students and soon VIVES, a farmers higher education institute in West Flanders.

Social protection, disaster risk reduction and climate change

Many organisations work with the vulnerable groups to increase their resilience to withstand shocks, improve their ability to reduce/manage risk and to reduce their poverty, which is a risk factor in itself. Why do we consider these groups are more vulnerable:
• The poor/socially marginalised often live in places more exposed to hazard risks
• They have less ability to cope with and recover from disaster impacts
• They have less voice and influence
• They depend on informal safety nets that become stretched after major shocks
• They are adversely affected by delays in, or lack of access to, relief/early recovery responses

Social protection approaches have been successfully used to:
• Reduce disaster and climate-related impacts
• Protect from total destitution
• Enhance abilities to reduce existing disaster impact risks and adapt to new/increased risks as a result of climate change

Climate Change and the importance of social protection

People in developing countries—particularly the agricultural poor—face a host of risks to their lives and livelihoods, including those stemming from globalization, climate change, and weather shocks. These experiences highlight the importance of social protection, which can have a potentially significant impact on reducing poverty and vulnerability when implemented with the optimal design, targets, and resources. ‪ Social protection could address the short-term consequences of negative shocks to agriculture, employment, or health, and in doing so could also help to address the medium-term impacts on productivity and income growth.

In light of today being the start of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris #‎COP21, to reach a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, discover more on the topic from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) here.

7th October: World Day for Decent Work

So today is the World Day for decent Work, organised since 2008 by the International Trade Union Confederation. It is a day for mobilisation for all trade unions across the globe, from Fiji in the east to Hawaii in the west. Last year, the focus was on Organizing workers. Let's look at what this year's focus is, in Belgium and for ITUC.

C’est aujourd’hui la journée mondiale d’action pour le Travail décent. Les syndicats et leurs amis des organisations de développement et environnementales du monde entier l’affirment très clairement : si l’on continue de faire n’importe quoi en matière de politique climatique, on met à mal l’emploi, tant au Nord qu’au Sud. Le message se répercute dans le monde entier : There are no jobs on a dead planet! (il n’y a pas d’emplois sur une planète morte !)