Europe’s public service unions support Youth for Climate Action 15 March – People and Planet over Profits

EPSU banner 15 March climate march

(13 March 2019) With a unanimous decision leaders of Europe’s Public Service Unions express support for the school children and students. We stand with them in seeing the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for substantial and immediate measures to limit global warming. EPSU agrees that global warming and climate change are the biggest threat to current and future generations. Far more needs to be done, particularly by governments and companies but all of us must act. We have to take the science seriously and limit global warming to the 1.5 degree scenario of the Paris Climate Agreement.

We share the concerns that:

  • the younger generation will be burdened with most of the costs if no further and more immediate actions are taken
  • our economic system, focused on profit maximisation and unrestrained economic growth is part of the problem.

EPSU stresses that the interests of workers, low-income households and developing countries must be taken into account when decarbonizing our economy. We call for increased public investment in renewables and in public, collective solutions. We are convinced this will create jobs now and for the future. The young strikers have succeeded in getting climate change and the need for urgent action high on the agenda. We must push on.

The EPSU Executive Committee adopted a solidarity declaration in support on 12 March. An EPSU delegation will join the Brussels demonstration on 15 March.

  • 12 March 2019 EPSU Executive Committee members support YouthForClimate