TRADE UNION CASE FOR WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENTAL REPRESENTATIVES

That this House notes the warnings set out in the Stern Report about the potential economic, social and environmental effects of climate change; strongly welcomes the fact that the Climate Change Bill, if enacted, will bring in measures to reduce carbon emissions by 60 per cent. by 2050; believes that trades unions are ideally placed to promote and implement best environmental practice in the workplace amongst their 6.7 million members; supports the negotiation of sustainable workplace agreements with employers; praises those employers who are developing environmental and sustainable workplace policies; commends those local authorities which have already recognised trades union environmental workplace representatives; and urges the Government to respond positively to the campaigns for trades union environmental representatives to be given the same rights at work as other trades union representatives active in health and safety and lifelong learning.