In about one week from now, world leaders will converge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for the 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, popularly known as COP28.
It is not just a meeting; but a powerful platform where local and state leaders discuss ways of fighting climate change, and technocrats showcase how this will be done. There is the civil society to observe the process. But there are people who rarely feature in these talks: The workers whose livelihoods are directly affected by the warming climate. It is expected that this year, the leaders will speak as the voice of these workers around the world, demanding more ambitious climate goals and funding to translate those ambitions into climate action projects.
For the Nigerian worker, this year’s COP is special. It is the first time the Nigeria Labour Congress is participating as part of the official Nigeria delegation. From November 30 to December 12, they will join others from around the world to discuss the urgent ecological reality of our time. Again, it is gladdening that the workers’ union is not just going to warm the seat, but has been scheduled to present a side event on the sidelines of COP28.
On December 5, at the proposed side event, the NLC will be presenting a just transition research report on five Nigerian priority sectors. It will also feature a sector-specific panel discussion.
It is exciting to note that the NLC administration is climate-friendly. The path it has chosen will not only be of immense benefit to its teeming members; but will trickle down to the entire citizenry. In preparation for COP28, the NLC convened a pre-COP28 trade unions synthesis meeting, themed, “A demand for climate justice with workers on the agenda.”
It was during this meeting that the workers synergised their demands into a common voice. Equally, it also embarked on a research project to ascertain the impact of climate change on the Nigerian worker with focus on ‘just transition.’ Just last week in Abuja, it convoked stakeholders in a “research methodology validation meeting.”
