Wales TUC Greener Workplaces Network 20 April 23 -

How can we support nature and make workplaces greener and healthier?

Chairs: Jo Rees (Wales TUC Cymru) and Amarjite Singh (Wales TUC Cymru)

Event summary:

Nature is in crisis. We are facing an ‘age of extinction’, with animals and plants being lost at an unprecedented rate. In Wales, as many as one in six species is at risk. But although the situation is grave, there are many simple actions we can take that can both positively support nature and create greener and healthier workplaces.

In this session we explored campaigns calling for wider changes to support nature, as well as practical actions that you can take to make your workplace both more wildlife friendly and better for human health too.

Overview of presentations and resources shared at the network

'Nature Positive' campaign - David Kilner, Climate Cymru

The network kicked off with a presentation about the 'Nature Positive' campaign from David Kilner, Campaign Coordinator at Climate Cymru.

Nature Positive means halting and reversing the decline of nature by 2030. Wales TUC is a partner of Climate Cymru and is supporting this campaign alongside over 300 other organisations.

There is a need for urgent action to restore nature and the campaign is calling on Welsh Government to bring forward a new law to protect nature without delay. This means a Nature Positive Bill in the next (2023-24)  legislative programme which includes:

• a legally binding commitment to a 'Nature Positive' Wales
• a robust and independent environmental watchdog

David explained how people could get involved in the campaign through different actions such using this easy online tool to send a letter to the FM, or getting their organisation to sign up to an open letter in support.

Or you can send in a short video of yourself saying why nature is important to you and your work and 'I've added my voice'. Climate Cymru hope to gather these videos for use for campaigning at the Senedd. Please send your videos to david@climate.cymru

If you want to support the campaign, Climate Cymru urge you to do as soon as possible, as this May will be the key time to influence change.

View the Nature Positive campaign videos (available here and here) and a full copy of David's presentation here.

Great Big Green Week - Clare James, Climate Cymru

Next, the group heard from Clare James, Great Big Green Week (GBGW) coordinator at Climate Cymru.

This year's Great Big Green Week (GBGW) is running from 10 - 18 June. The theme is 'Nature Positive' and Climate Cymru will be touring around Wales during the week to engage with communities and collect their voices, to show our politicians why Wales loves nature.

Clare explained that there are many ways to get involved by organising events within workplaces and communities. There are lots resources available to support reps who want to set up workplace events to support nature and climate, including a free online training session on 4th May. 

Clare shared some examples of ideas for workplace events and actions including litter picks, clothes swaps, community/workplace gardening sessions, writing 'letters to tomorrow' or setting up a nature positive talk. For more inspiration download the A-Z of ideas and see a full copy of Clare's presentation.

Please remember to to log any events you organise on the GBGW website and Wales TUC would love to hear about them too!

How to take action to tackle workplace and environmental health hazards that harm people and nature - Janet Newsham, Hazards Campaign

The next presentation was from Janet Newsham, Chair of the Hazards Campaign.

Janet talked about how union reps can take action to tackle workplace and environmental health hazards that harm people and nature. She explained how workers are too often the 'canaries in the coal mine' when it comes to exposure to toxic chemicals. There are more than 100,000 chemicals in use but only a tiny fraction of these have been tested for safety.

Many of these chemicals are known to be carcinogens (cancer causing), mutagens (cause mutations to genes) or harmful to reproductive health. Although we have the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations there is very little enforcement. And, even where legal limits to levels of exposure exist, these are still not necessarily safe. 

Janet shared resources on how to map out workplace chemical exposure. She gave the examples of exposure to air pollution, glyphosate-based weed killers, bisphenol-A on receipt papers, and the PFAS (forever chemicals) present on artificial grass as just some examples of the dangerous chemicals that workers are exposed to and which are known to be harmful for health and the environment.

This is why 'toxic use reduction' is so important as a trade union approach as it adopts the precautionary principle by seeking to eliminate/reduce toxic substances at work. Hazards has developed a new online resource on toxic use reduction which includes case studies, how to use the law and how to negotiate with employers on this issue. You can download a copy of Janet's presentation using the link below. 

How to make your workplace 'Bee Friendly' - Bleddyn Lake, Friends of the Earth Cymru

Finally, the group heard from Bleddyn Lake, Campaigns and Development Manager at Friends of the Earth Cymru, about how workplaces can get involved in the 'Bee Friendly' scheme to support pollinators.

Bleddyn outlined how the huge decline in wildflower meadows (a 97% decline since the 1930s) has severely impacted on pollinators but how small actions we can take to support them in our workplaces and communities can help reverse this decline by protecting them, their habitats and food sources.

The Bee Friendly scheme was established as way of supporting and providing accreditation for community groups, schools and workplaces to take positive action to support pollinators. If you would like to take part in the scheme and set something up in your workplace, there are lots of resources to help make it easier to work out an action plan to suit your place of work.

You can contact your local Bee Champion at the beginning of your project so they can help you work out what your ideas are for the four themes of 'food', 'five-star accommodation' (habitat), 'freedom from pesticides' and 'fun'). More information, including an action guide to help you get started and how to apply for 'bee friendly' accreditation can be found here. 

Resources shared.

No Mow May  - if your workplace has grassy areas this is a very simple way to support nature

Green UNISON  and UNISON Cymru Climate Learning - resources for UNISON reps and members

Wales Biodiversity Partnership - site includes links to schemes like 'Bee Friendly' and  'hedgehog street' 

Clean Air Day 2023 - 15th June. This years theme: 'Clean up our air to look after your mind' explores the links between air pollution and mental health.

Points raised by discussion groups

• Biodiversity and nature? Are they part of the conversation within unions and with employers?
• The importance of health and safety reps and green reps working together on this to protect health and the environment
• Need to look at what we can do beyond the legal minimum by looking to negotiate better standards in Wales and in workplaces
• If you protect nature, you will have cleaner air which gives people healthier lives
• We need to make the invisible, visible. This is true for air pollution but also other toxic substances where someone might not realise the danger of what they are being exposed to until they become ill in later life and only then make the link. 
• Often people assume that things wouldn't be allowed to be sold/used if they weren't safe, but this isn't the case
• Trade Union Clean Air Network (TUCAN) training does bridge that gap on making air pollution visible as a workplace issue
• Having effective anti-pollution laws does work
• Some, such as office based workers might not see the link with air pollution but indoor air pollution also a huge problem.
• Car usage within trade unions is an issue. Talked about need for active travel.
• One rep's example meant her organisation took out the requirement to drive from the job description. The reps sits on a committee around workplace transformation.
• Material usage is a blind spot for almost everyone, impact of mining elsewhere. We talk about carbon but wider environmental impact gets lost.
• Homeworking/less travel/ more online meetings opportunity of covid to reduce air pollution – but face-to-face also very important for some people.
• Need to consider equalities and wellbeing impact too and what is good for neuro-diverse people

Diolch yn fawr to all our guest speakers and to everyone who took part in the network - we hope to see you at the next one on 13th June!

For further information about the Greener Workplaces Network contact jrees@tuc.org.uk