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13 August, 2007
The position on climate change and renewable energy sources by the Mining and Energy Division of Australia’s Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) has drawn positive attention. A Green Party candidate for Senate in Queensland praised the CFMEU for its stand, and an opinion piece written by Mining and Energy Division President Tony Maher drew wide appeal in the Australian press.
Queensland Green Party activist Larissa Waters welcomed the division’s stand on renewable energy and a 60% target for greenhouse gas reductions by 2050.
“We would be keen to work with unions like the CFMEU to plan ways to move to an environmentally sustainable approach to energy production,” said Waters, “especially since we already have strong areas of agreement with them on the WorkChoices legislation.”
The CFMEU has begun a television ad campaign in Australia, contradicting the Howard government’s denial that climate change is occurring and promoting immediate action programmes.
In an article kicking the ad campaign off, Maher says, “Doing nothing on climate change is not an option for the CFMEU.”
Maher writes: “Our rank and file debated and discussed the proposition to campaign on climate change in every single mine and power station around the nation, before voting overwhelmingly to embark on this course of action.
“The decision to back the campaign did not surprise me – for more than a decade the union has been an active participant in the climate change debate. After all, our members and our families' livelihoods are at the pointy end of the debate.”
Maher says the key to the union’s position was engagement with members “to create our own policy on greenhouse emissions.”
He adds, “We have taken this approach because we want to live in a cleaner world and we want the security for our members, our families and for the coal communities for which we are a vital part.
“Now some may argue that the way to secure the future of coal communities is to stick our heads in the sand and, like John Howard, deny that climate change is occurring.
“But what security is there in refusing to engage in a debate that is raging at this very moment?” Maher writes.
“From our perspective, security comes in certainty – the certainty of Clean Energy Targets and the certainty of commitments to greenhouse reductions.
“Business needs certainty too. If mining companies invest billions into new technology, they must receive a guarantee that such clean energy will have a market share.”
Maher cites examples: “Clean coal technologies like carbon capture and geosequestration will reduce the impact of coal on the environment. As most mainstream thinkers agree, coal will remain a large part of the world's energy mix for the foreseeable future – the real challenge is to minimise its harmful impacts.
“At the same time, we need to be investing in and embracing renewable energy sources. Our argument is that without a clear Clean Energy Target – backed with a carbon trading regime – we will never have the incentive to invest in these new technologies.”
CFMEU claims it is the first mining union in the world to take such a stand on the climate change issue.