Leaked: Draft UN Declaration to ‘Ensure Decent Future’ for Fossil Fuel Workers

Proposal by Polish climate presidency calls for a program to monitor national efforts to protect communities impacted by climate action.

Workers in the fossil fuel industry must be assured a “decent future” even as mines and plants are forced to close, according to a leaked draft UN declaration.

The draft, prepared by the Polish UN climate presidency and posted below, calls for a program to monitor national progress on protecting workers and communities that rely on traditional industries.

The Polish government intends for heads of state to adopt the proposal at UN talks in December.

If it is accepted, countries will recognize “challenges for sectors, cities, and other subnational authorities highly dependent on fossil fuels and high emitting industries, and the need for national governments to ensure a decent future for workers impacted by the transition” to a sustainable, “low greenhouse gas emission” future.

The ‘Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration’ is named after the region of Poland where this year’s climate conference will take place.  On Monday Climate Home News reported coal workers in the host city of Katowice felt threatened by the pursuit of increasingly rapid cuts to coal use.

Read more at Leaked:  Draft UN Declaration to ‘Ensure Decent Future’ for Fossil Fuel Workers