Green Growth 4

Green Growth - A Low-Carbon Strategy for the UK Environment

A TUC one-day conference for trade unionists, employers, advisers, energy specialists and those interested in future industries

27 April 2009

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME

Green energy

Energy policy opportunities and challenges for unions. Debate with industry, academic and union experts on oil, clean coal and power generation.

Chair: Gary Smith, National Secretary, GMB

  • Clean electricity - Mike Clancy, DGS, Prospect
  • The end of oil - Tom Burke, Founding director of E3G and visiting professor at University and Imperial Colleges, London.
  • Clean coal with CCS - Dr Mike Farley, chair, TUC Clean Coal Task Group; Director of Technology Policy Liaison, MitsuiBabcock.

Green Industries 

The barriers and opportunities in green steel, electric vehicles, train manufacture in the UK, and the Government’s low carbon industrial strategy, with Government and union experts.

Chair: Maria McCaffrey, Chief Executive, British Wind Energy Association (BWEA)

  • Government’s low carbon industrial strategy – Paul Drabwell, Low carbon business opportunities, BERR
  • Green steel – Rob Sneddon, Head of environment, Community
  • Green cars: the future of UK car manufacture - Jack Dromey, Deputy general Secretary, Unite
  • Green rail: rail electrification and UK train manufacture - Bob Crow, General Secretary, RMT

Green Skills

The skills and training challenges of a low carbon, resource efficient economy. Briefings and debate with Government, union and employer experts.

Chair: Tom Wilson, Head of organisation and services, TUC

  • Skills for a low carbon economy - Sue Ferns, Head of Research, Prospect/TUC General Council.
  • Skills for Sustainability – Jonathan Mackey, Assistant Director, Raising Employer Demand for Skills , Adult Skills Directorate, DIUS

Greenworkplaces

Briefing on the TUC’s green workplaces projects and how to set up energy and resource projects with joint union-employer initiatives. Plus update on the Government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment for the 5,000 largest service sector organisations.

Chair: David Arnold, Chair, TUSDAC working group/Unison

  • TUC Green Workplaces: an overview - Sarah Pearce, TUC Green Workplaces project leader
  • Greening the South West - Frances Robertson and Andy Moss, SW TUC Green Workplaces Project
  • Energy efficiency in large businesses and the public sector - Daisy Streatfield, Policy Adviser, DECC Carbon Reduction Commitment team
  • Commentary from union reps at TUC greenworkplace projects.

Green finance

How can we ensure that the investment needed to finance green development is available – and how can union members have an influence over existing investments such as pensions? A chance to hear from experts in the field and discuss ways of influencing investment ideas and practices.

Chair: Gareth Richards, Senior Education Officer, Unite

  • Green bonds, green infrastructure and green investment mechanisms - Alice Chapple, Director, Sustainable Financial Markets, Forum for the Future.
  • Greening the City - Nick Robins, head of the Climate Change Centre of Excellence, HSBC:
  • Tackling climate change through responsible pension investment - Catherine Howarth, Executive Director, FairPensions:

Green Globe

From Kyoto to Copenhagen. Union demands for a new global climate change treaty. A briefing and debate on the new treaty negotiations.

Chair: Philip Pearson, Senior Policy officer, TUC

  • Global union priorities for a new Kyoto Treaty - James Howard, Director, Economic and Social Policy, ITUC –
  • From the Bali Road Map to Copenhagen: UK strategy and priorities - Dagmar Droogsma, UK/EU negotiator on the Bali Action Plan, DECC.
  • Planning and hosting unions for Copenhagen – Heidi Ronne Moller, International Adviser, LO Denmark.