Since June 1992 the governments of the world have been committed through an international treaty – the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - to mitigating climate change. In late 1997 they adopted mandatory targets (the “Kyoto Protocol”) to control or reduce greenhouse gas emissions from human activities that contribute to climate change. In 2000 there has been intensive negotiations (not finalised as of the beginning of 2001) to specify the precise legalities of the mandatory targets.

Changes in the world’s climate have major implications for workers and their communities in terms of food availability and prices, living standards and lifestyles, occupational health and safety and public health. Measures adopted by governments that seek to control climate change also have major implications for jobs in many industries, especially ICEM industries, as many are based on fossil fuel production and/or use, the major source of greenhouse gas emissions......