April 22 is Earth Day – a day to recognize the climate change emergency and the action needed to restore our earth. With the world continuing to head for a catastrophic temperature rise and human caused destruction threatening the earth’s ecosystems needed to sustain life, Earth Day is an important time to renew our resolve to demand more urgent environmental action from governments, employers and within our communities in the transition to a zero-carbon economy. Action to restore our damaged ecosystems and urgently shifting to a more equitable, sustainable economy will safeguard our health in the future and that of our only planet.

Earth Day 2024 is within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, which is a rallying call to halt the already significant degradation of ecosystems and achieve global goals of restoration on every continent and in every ocean. We are experiencing a dangerous decline in nature, and humans are causing it. The decade 2021-2030 coincides with the 2023 deadline for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline identified by scientists as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Acting with urgency on climate change is the defining challenge of our times. CUPE Locals are invited to sign the CUPE Climate Change Emergency Declaration and to act on the steps outlined in the declaration.

RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Sign the climate crisis declaration. CUPE local leaders are encouraged to endorse the climate change crisis declaration on behalf of your local.  This is an opportunity to show that unions are part of the solution to our many environmental challenges.

• Watch the documentary series: Restore: Stories from the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

• Visit the UN Environmental Programme to discover the facts related to the global Emissions Gap Report and the progress needed on climate change.

• Watch the UN Video: Every fraction of a degree matters

• Watch the video: Climate Change 2023: The Synthesis Report, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

• ActNow– the United Nations campaign for individual actions on climate change and sustainability.

• Visit the website: earthday.org

• CUPE Environmental Bargaining Language

• CUPE National Environmental Policy

• CUPE’s climate change workshop

• CUPE Action and Solutions to the Plastic Garbage Crisis

by: /n.m.cope342