Environment

Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the population of Japan is turning more and more to natural energy resources. Over 170,000 people from trade unions and civil organisations gathered in Tokyo on 16 July 2012, where they demonstrated against nuclear power.

An international delegation of 15 PSI delegates joined Brazilian affiliate members at the Trade Union Assembly in Rio - raising their voices for decent green jobs supported in part by the implementation of a financial transactions tax.

The transformation to a greener economy could generate 15 to 60 million additional jobs over the next two decades. This could lift tens of millions of workers out of poverty, according to a new report released by the ILO.

The city of Durban is hosting the annual UN Conference of the Parties negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Thousands of government delegates from all corners of the planet have turned up once again to see whether agreements can be reached.

The stakes will be high for decision-makers at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (COP 17), which will be held 28 November through 9 December in Durban, South Africa. Not only are the emission reduction targets established by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol set to expire in 2012, but another major climate meeting, the Earth Summit, RIO+20, is coming up in June 2012.