Wales TUC Greener workplace network - Air pollution as a workplace issue
The aim of the event was to explore what trade unionists can do to tackle air pollution to protect the environment and our members’ health.
The event featured guest speakers Janet Newsham and Graham Petersen from the Trade Union Clean Air Network (TUCAN), sustainable travel writer and campaigner Chris Roberts and PCS environment rep Stephen Gray. Reps took part in discussion groups and talked about plans for workplace action on air pollution and there was a Q&A session with the guest speakers.
Copies of Janet and Graham's presentations from the event are available below as a resource to download. You can also download the TUCAN guidance for reps. At the meeting, we discussed how monitoring of air quality is a key starting point to understanding the problem and raising awareness but how difficult it can be to obtain workplace air quality monitoring data. TUCAN are able to help with this and have air quality monitoring equipment available to loan out to reps. If you are interested in finding out more contact gjacomms@gmail.com
We also discussed ideas for workplace awareness raising and using days such as Clean Air Day (17th June) as focus points for action.
The event also focussed on practical ways of tackling the causes of air pollution. Chris Roberts spoke about the importance of promoting sustainable travel in the workplace to help reduce air pollution. And Stephen Gray talked through an action plan to help guide reps in developing their own workplace greener travel action plans. Chris has written a guide on greener travel for the Wales TUC and Stephen has taken part in a case study - these can both be found in the in the Greener Workplaces for a Just Transition toolkit (see pages 79-90). A video of Chris doing a talk on sustainable travel at another recent Wales TUC event can be found here.
Jo Rees gave an update on the Wales TUC's response to the Welsh Government's proposed clean air legislation and statutory guidance for private, public and third sector employers. You can read more about our response here.
Update - since we held the network on air pollution, we've been contacted by Dr Tom Porter from Public Health Wales with some useful information about the Healthy Travel Charter scheme. Reps may be interested in finding out more about this scheme to see if it can help workplace campaigns to secure support for sustainable travel - details below:
- Healthy Travel Charters are a series of public commitments organisations can sign up to, to support staff and visitors to their sites travel in a more sustainable and healthy way. This includes walking, cycling, taking public transport, and switching to ultra low emission vehicles. There are currently public sector Charters in Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, and Gwent, and an all-Wales Business Charter. 50 leading organisations in Wales have signed the Charters so far, with further Charters being developed ready for launch in 2021, including North Wales and Swansea/West Wales. For more information on the Charters please visit healthytravel.wales. If you have any questions about the Charters please contact Dr Tom Porter, tom.porter@wales.nhs.uk
