Reading West MP, Martin Salter, has tabled a parliamentary motion in support of the Trade Union campaign calling on employers to do more to promote green behaviour in the workplace, in light of the devastating potential economic consequences of climate change. Mr Salter has also pressed the government to give trade unions, with their 6.7 million members nationally, the right to promote and implement best environmental practice through Trades Union Environmental Workplace Representatives, who themselves will have the same legal right to represent members on environmental issues, as they already do on health and safety and learning issues.

Mr Salter’s Commons motion follows on from discussions with UNISON and other trade unions who have been creating Trades Union Environmental Workplace Representatives to act as a work with employers and staff, feeding concerns, suggestions and responses in both directions, and developing the best environmental practice and helping to ensure that such policies are properly understood, and can be put into practice in the workplace. Huge savings in carbon can be found in changes to the lighting and heating systems, recycling and switching off equipment when not in use.

The House of Commons Early Day Motion 1438: Trade Union Case for Environmental Workplace Representatives has already been signed by over 50 MPs and states:

That this House notes the warnings set out in the Stern Report about the potential economic, social and environmental effects of climate change; strongly welcomes the fact that the Climate Change Bill, if enacted, will bring in measures to reduce carbon emissions by 60 per cent. by 2050; believes that trades unions are ideally placed to promote and implement best environmental practice in the workplace amongst their 6.7 million members; supports the negotiation of sustainable workplace agreements with employers; praises those employers who are developing environmental and sustainable workplace policies; commends those local authorities which have already recognised trades union environmental workplace representatives; and urges the Government to respond positively to the campaigns for trades union environmental representatives to be given the same rights at work as other trades union representatives active in health and safety and lifelong learning.