The declaration was made today by International Confederation of Free Trade Unions in the Hague to world leaders attending the International Climate Change meeting.
Climate change is due to have severe negative effects on employment in Africa.
The little research that has been done on the impact of climate change on employment shows that the issue is twofold. On a short term, closing down industries that contribute to global warming will create unemployment, however sure to be created in other sectors that will start producing alternatives. When it comes to the effects of the global warming, this is already documented to have a negative effect on employment, both on an African and a global scale. Unions however feel the issue should be studied more thoroughly. Trade unions believe that the level of knowledge about the impact of climate change on global employment and the measures to limit its impact, are often overlooked by decision-makers.