Climate Change, Construction and Labour in Europe: A Study of the Contribution of Building Workers and their Unions to 'Greening' the Built Environment in Germany, the United Kingdom and Denmark

This study reviews the overall climate policy and legislative framework of the European Union (EU) and then examines what governments in Germany, the UK and Denmark have done to reduce energy consumption, cut greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and limit their reliance on fossil fuels. It then looks at the climate policies being implemented in the construction industry and the role the trade unions, in these countries, have played in efforts to address the challenge of climate change. Finally, it examines some of the specific initiatives the building trades unions have taken to further the transition to a ‘greener’ economy. The study concludes that the ability of unions to play a constructive environmental role is partly dependent on the broader policy framework established by governments and partly dependent on their influence within their own industry. Where union density is high and where unions are significant players in training and workforce development, they have had considerable success in shaping the environmental policies of the construction industry. Conversely where union representation is weak, where unions are marginal players in the overall labour relations system, they have not been able to exercise significant influence over how their industries have dealt with global warming. While the role of labour is only one factor in determining the effectiveness of climate policies in the construction sector, the presence - or absence - of union involvement does make a difference in the capacity of the three countries to implement the goal of promoting a ‘greener’ economy and society