Greening Australian Workplaces: Workers and the Environment
Alternative Law Journal, (2009) vol. 34, no. 3, pp. 189-192
Legal Service Bulletin Co-operative, Melbourne, Vic., 2009
4 Pages Posted: 10 Nov 2015
Date Written: November 30, 2009
Abstract
The genesis of much environmental pollution including greenhouse gas emissions comes from the activity of workplaces. Restructuring existing workplaces and investing in energy efficient capital is an important part of finding solutions to global warming and other environmental problems. The United Nations Environment Programme (‘UNEP’) 2007 report, Labour and the Environment: A Natural Synergy, provides important guidance in relation to how to engage workers in the process of transitioning to a carbon-lean economy. UNEP’s recommendations are premised on the belief that worker involvement in the decision-making process by employers and company management should be central to the transition.
The UNEP report recommendations include the following. Firstly, encourage the use of enterprise bargaining to include ‘green friendly’ clauses in enterprise agreements that address the environmental impact of the workplace. Secondly, use existing occupational health and safety (‘OHS’) laws and expand the role of structures set up by these laws such as health and safety representatives to promote workplace environmental standards. Thirdly, use corporate social responsibility (‘CSR’) principles to complement the previous two measures. This article will examine these recommendations in the context of Australian law.
Keywords: Workers, Sustainability, Environment, United Nations Environment Programme
JEL Classification: K31, K32, K33
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation