Transcript Diapositive 1 - European Trade Union Institute (ETUI)

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON
PUBLIC SERVICES IN EUROPE
Jan Willem Goudriaan
European Federation of Public Service Trade Unions
ETUI Conference Climate Change Opportunity for Social
Cooperation 29 March 2011 Brussels
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Combating climate change requires a mix of
mitigation and adaptation strategies
Addressing climate change could be an
opportunity for public services’ unions
EU climate change policies are biaised
towards market-based approaches
EPSU strategy
Combating climate change requires a mix of
mitigation and adaptation strategies
Linking mitigation and adaptation
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Overwhelming scientific proof of climate change,
(estimates conservative?) human activities are
crucial factors, and this can be catastrophic,
particularly for public infrastructure and services
Mitigation (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) is
essential to prevent the avoidable… Adaptation
is essential to cope with the unavoidable.
Water stress and droughts
Changes in severity of water stress and drought frequencies by 2070
Source: Centers for environmental Systems Research, University of Kassel. June 2001
Coastal flooding
People actually flooded (thousands/year) across Europe by 2080s– Optimistic scenario
Source: PESETA project. Coastal systems assessment
Each of the last 13 years was among the 14
warmest years on record
1854
1863
1872
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1908
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1935
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1962
1971
1980
1989
1998
2007
1855
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2008
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2005
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1925
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1952
1961
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2006
Climate change could be an
opportunity for public services’ unions
Public services are
at the fore front of climate action
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Adaptation and mitigation bring opportunities for the
creation of secure, quality jobs in all public services and
utilities :
- Energy supply and distribution
- Waste and Water management
- Health care, social services
- Central, local and regional governments
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Prevention, disaster, planning
Public-Public Partnerships with developing countries
However, adaptation will require a major departure from
business as usual in terms of skills and practices
Environmental Services in EPSU
Four sectors of public service character (solid
waste management, waste water treatment,
general public administration related to
environment, and nature protection) make up
almost 90% of total employment in pollution
management industries.
 And many other services will see change
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Central Government
Environmental protection agencies
 Meteorological services
 Public buildings and infrastructure
 Insurance, financial, economic regulation
 Research
 Security/ defence
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Social Services
Impact on low income households
• Advisory services - energy
 Emergency situations
 Migration (EU COM » displaced
populations »
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Municipal and Local Government
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Tasks and responsibilities for disaster risk reduction
and most of the mitigation, preparedness, planning
and recovery efforts have been transferred to this
level
Responsible for key local infrastructures – urban
transport, health care, refuse, water, energy,
planning, coordination of emergency services
(firefighting, police, ambulance, civil protecion..)
But - sufficient human and financial resources (local
budgets)
Health
Diseases – different regional impacts
 Consumer of energy- CO2 producing
 Adaptation
Surveillance
Being prepared for extreme
conditions (cold, heat waves)
Longer term perspectives…
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Utilities
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Water and Waste Water Treatment
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Electricity and Gas
 Shifts
in employment across sectors
 Challenges
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– smart grids, smart meters
Waste
 Collection,
sorting, recycling
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Investment needs enormous
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Risk of market based solutions
Box 3: Report from the UK electricity and gas regulator (OFGEM) - Options
for delivering secure and sustainable energy supplies
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The UK regulator OFGEM published a report in February 2010. It
examines if the “current arrangements in GB are adequate for delivering
secure and sustainable electricity and gas supplies over the next 10-15
years. The key issues are:
There is a need for unprecedented levels of investment to be sustained over
many years in difficult financial conditions and against a background of
increased risk and uncertainty
The uncertainty in future carbon prices is likely to delay or deter investment
in low carbon technology and lead to greater decarbonisation costs in the
future.
Short term price signals at times of system stress do not fully reflect the
value that customers place on supply security which may mean that the
incentives to make additional peak energy supplies available and to invest
in peaking capacity are not strong enough.
Interdependence with international markets exposes GB to a range of
additional risks that may undermine GB security of supply.
The higher cost of gas and electricity may mean that increasing numbers of
consumers are not able to afford adequate levels of energy to meet their
requirements and that the competitiveness of industry and business is
affected years.
Opportunities for progressive social change
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Better working conditions: shorten working hours, reduced air
pollution
Increased democratic control of the economy, less market
competition
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Reduced social inequalities
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Gender equality
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Strengthened social protection systems
EU climate change policies are biaised towards
a market-based approach
EU White Paper on Adaptation (April 2009)
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Strongly promotes market based instruments such as
private insurance and Public-Private Partnerships,
despite evidence of their inefficiency in delivering
public goods (e.g. PSIRU)
But :
 Acknowledges that climate change worsens existing
inequalities across regions and households
 Recommends an assessment of the potential
employment impacts of climate change in Europe
EU climate change and energy package
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Europe must cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by
2020
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Carbon trading ‘mantra’
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Establishes White Certificates trading
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A liberalised electricity and gas market is assumed to
be positive for environmental goals
Europe 2020 Strategy for Growth and Jobs
Europe 2020 strategy makes the case for smart,
sustainable and inclusive growth
 Flagships initiative « Resource efficient Europe » :
« Decouple economic growth from the use of resources,
support the shift towards a low carbon economy,
increase the use of renewable energy sources,
modernise our tranport sector and promote energy
efficiency ».
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Europe 2050 Towards Low Carbon Society
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New targets
 Power
sector to deliver major effort
 Build environment (public buildings...)
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Emphasis on Energy Efficiency but not binding
Stresses role of private sector and private savings in
delivering investment while recognising market does
not deliver
Skimpy on Just Transition – funding for change
Environment, Climate Change and Austerity
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Concerns about job cuts
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Pay freezes and cuts
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Human resource capacity in regulatory agencies –
environmental protection (nuclear safety ??)
Recruitment and retention of qualified staff ?
Resources
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What is core business ?
Annual Growth Survey, Economic Governance
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Reprioritising the targets and EU 2020 strategy
Absence of positive social agenda, poverty
reduction measures and climate change policies
 (sole
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focus on energy...)
Euro-Pact-Plus
 Further
reinforces the Annual Growth Strategy
 No positive environmental side
 Austerity endangers steps towards low-carbon
environmentally friendly economy
Recommendations for EPSU policy strategy
Support a EU ‘Just Employment Transition’ package
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Strengthened social dialogue on climate change, supported by
employment impact assessment studies
A massive EU investment programme in labour intensive, green
public infrastructure and services, creating quality employment.
An EU Strategy for skills development and retraining of the
workforce in order to make the transition to new green jobs
possible for the workers
Strengthened social protection systems
Public services solutions for delivering energy efficiency and
renewable energy
Just Employment Transition Electricity
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Social dialogue electricity EPSU/EMCEF –Eurelectric
project: Towards a low carbon electricity: employment
effects and opportunities for the social partners
Just transition – shift (transition) towards a more sustainable
and environmentally friendly economy based on social
dialogue between governments, employers and trade unions
in a way that promotes high economic growth and
investments in low carbon technologies while ensuring a
smooth transition through adaptation and mitigation actions
as well as through development of skilling and reskilling
programmes and the creation of quality jobs
Endorse a proactive climate change agenda
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EPSU consider EU emissions reduction commitment to 30%, given that:
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Developed countries’ fair share of effort is estimated to 25-40% by
the IPCC
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Substantial co-benefits would accrue to public services sectors and
workers, as well as most vulnerable social groups
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Flexibility mechanisms lessen the costs of achieving 30% target
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Emissions have fallen as a result of the economic crisis
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BUT with conditions: more commitment of large emitting countries,
funding for just transition - investment, training and jobs for those sectors
and regions affected and safeguarding investment in the most efficient
technologies..
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Binding EU energy efficiency targets for 2020
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EU targets on green and social public procurement
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Beyond GDP
For discussion: Rethink the relationship between
growth and well-being
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The « myth of decoupling » : continued economic
growth with continually declining material
throughput is possible
Achieving an equitable distribution of incomes
across nations implies that material growth is
curtailed in the richer nations
Social change – including changes in working time,
consumption patterns, and social modes of
organization – will be as important as
technological advances
Developing new measurements of progress that
include environmental and social indicators
(Beyond GDP)
www.epsu.org
...faster than expected
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IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report (2007) now looks conservative
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Subsequent research shows
increasing rates of:
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Global Greenhouse Gas emissions
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Ice melting (Arctic sea ice, Greenland/Antarctic
ice-sheets, alpine glaciers)
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Sea level rise
Also:
 carbon stored in permafrost = twice the atmospheric carbon
Climate change is occuring …
Temperature: +0.74°C since 100 years
Sea level rise
1,3 mm/year since 1870
1,8 mm/year since 1961
3,1 mm/year since 1993
Glacier and snow cover retreat