7 October 2014: In a blog post published by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General, highlights that trade unions chose climate change as the theme for the 2014 World Day for Decent Work, celebrated on 7 October 2014. Ryder elaborates on the links between sustainability and prosperity, quoting the union slogan that quipped, “there are no jobs on a dead planet” and “business cannot succeed on a planet that fails.”

Stressing that “climate change is destroying jobs and livelihoods in every corner of the planet,” Ryder expresses hope that action for sustainability can also reduce the unprecedented inequality between the world’s socioeconomic strata. During the recent UN Climate Summit, business leaders and government officials highlighted that climate action can create jobs. Workers have called for a strong 2015 climate change agreement that promotes poverty eradication and boosts social inclusion.

Ryder points to evidence that sustainability and economic prosperity are not only reconcilable but even mutually reinforcing. He cites the report ‘Better Growth – Better Climate,’ which resulted from the work of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate. The report concludes that “countries at all levels of income now have the opportunity to build lasting economic growth at the same time as reducing the immense risks of climate change.”

In conclusion, Ryder highlights the work ILO is undertaking to advance sustainability and address climate change, pointing to its Green Jobs programme and the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), through which it collaborates with other UN agencies. He expresses ILO’s support for a strong climate agreement in 2015 and notes that in a meeting with Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, the two agreed to highlight economic and labor-related gains achieved from ambitious climate policies. [ILO Blog Post] [The New Climate Economy Website] [IISD RS Story on ILO-UNFCCC Joint Op-Ed]