GFTU BGCM 2019 Minutes

(3) lobby to demand rights for workplace environmental reps

(4) Establish and provide a training programme for environmental reps

(5) Lobby for the establishment of a Just Transition strategy and practical steps

needed to achieve this as integral to industrial strategy.

She said: Good morning. Sarah Woolley speaking on behalf of the Bakers,

Food and Allied Workers Union moving Motion 3. I am going to focus on the

impact of climate change on the food system and the rigged energy system we

currently have in place. Climate change is impacting the global system of

agriculture which many of our members depend on for jobs, whether they are in

producing, processing, packaging, retail or food outlets. Agriculture accounts

for around 10% of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. One side of the food

industry that is often ignored is the process from soil to table. This includes

transportation, which is responsible for over a quarter of greenhouse gas

emissions. Add to this the product manufacturing, refrigeration, retail and

hospitality industry, including fast food outlets and the levels are actually far

higher and the need under the Climate Change Act 2008 to reduce these by at

least 80% on 1990 levels means that climate change is arguably the biggest

threat to workers’ job today.

We are witnessing this in increasing numbers of severe weather events, such

as heatwaves, droughts and floods. We have already seen this year the

devastating floods in Iran, Iraq, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi from

heavy continuous storms and cyclones, killing hundreds and leaving millions

needing help, the emperor penguin colony disappearing at Halley Bay due to

the early breakup of the sea ice and at the other end of the spectrum the record

temperatures we experienced throughout 2018 and so far in 2019. This has

resulted in droughts and for those who regularly drive along the M62 will have

noticed just how low the reservoirs were and for how long. But this is now

having an impact on some of our members’ workplaces where there is now a

shortage of staples, such as potatoes, meaning companies are having to go

further afield, pay more and transport further. All of these are resulting in loss

of life, damage to infrastructure, such as homes and schools, transport

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