Advice from TUED http://unionsforenergydemocracy.org/

Unions Discuss Energy Democracy in Johannesburg, Montevideo, and Goa Reports from Valter Bittencourt (TUCA), Maite Llanos (TUED Europe) and John Treat (Murphy Institute) Last week on October 27th and 28th the TUCA working group on environment had a meeting in Montevideo where people representing the affiliates from Argentina (CTA-A, CTA-T, CGTRA), Brasil (CUT and UGT), Paraguay (CUT Auténtica), Costa Rica (CTRN), Nicaragua (CST), Panama (CONUSI), Colombia (CUT), Peru (CUT), Dominican Republic (CNUS) and our fraternal organizations from Uruguay (PIT-CNT) and Peru (CGTP) could share their experiences and information on their activities about Climate Change. The meeting was supported by FES Uruguay. In the first day the group talked about the economic, social and political situation and its effects on environmental policies in each country and the region. The group watched the TUED presentation video and had also a debate on TISA, TPP, TTIP and their consequences for the people. They also worked in group where they could appoint their needs on research, education, mobilization and social alliances. In the second day there was a presentation focused on Energy Democracy in Latin America (situation, perspectives, challenges to the unions and communities and the effects of this new geopolitics based on neoliberal governments and the danger of the new trade agreements for the energy sector). The presentation was hosted by Pablo Bertinat, an engineer and Science Master of the Energy and Sustainability Observatory at the National Technological University of Rosario, Argentina. Finally the group updated the situation about the union participation and perspectives at COP 22. The Global Labour University hosted its XI GLU Conference, on 28 - 30 Sept. 2016, in Johannesburg, South Africa. The topic this year was:  The Just Transition and the Role of Labour: Our Ecological, Social, and Economic Future. A discussion about energy democracy was held in a special panel on “Labour Responses to Climate Change & Development Challenges”. In the panel, Kjeld Jacobsen , TUCA adviser, introduced the complex economic, social and political choices for development of Brazil during the years of PT government, and the balance between social justice and environmental and climate limits. Asbjorn Wahl from ITF, presented the union responses in Europe to climate change policies and why a more ambitious political position is necessary to achieve energy democracy and to do the necessary radical changes to address the climate crises. Bruno Dobrusin from CTA-A Argentina reported on the energy scenario in Argentina after the announcement of the introduction of fracking, and how CTA-A decided to oppose this extreme energy agenda. Finally, Sandra Van Nieken from PSRIU explained the challenges of extractionism in Africa, and how renewal energies with public ownership and control could address energy deficits in the continent, being a path for energy democracy in Africa. You can find their papers here, as well as all the papers of the participants related to the conference topic. For our report from Goa, please see TUED Bulletin #52: Energy Democracy at the “People’s Forum on BRICS”