The Nigeria Labour Congress has expressed worry over continued exclusion of workers from the texts, meetings and governance spaces on climate change.
At a forum to review COP 28 Outcomes held in Abuja, Labour insists that workers and employers must be at the centre of discussions and actions on climate change being the direct victims of its effects.
Describing Climate Change as a workplace issue, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) say workers are at the very heart of the reality, impact and remedies of climate change through a just transition to a low-carbon, clean and green economy.
They likened exclusion of workers and employers from the heart of Global, Regional and National Climate Change engagements to a cardiologist who brags about successful operations without ever bending over a real human heart.
A meeting in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital put together by the NLC in conjunction with the ILO, therefore seeks to review the participation of Labour Unions at COP 28 with a call on government to fast-track a just and orderly energy transition, while fostering inclusivity.
Consensus reached by Parties at the UAE Climate Change Conference (COP 28) included a pledge to transit away from fossil fuel in energy systems, triple renewables and double energy efficiency, pursue emission reduction targets, and scale up adaptation finance in a way that fundamentally addresses the financing gaps for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
