The Transport Workers Union and two other unions released statements in favor of science-based emissions targets called for by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at the global climate summit in Copenhagen last month. The TWU's statement, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) joint statement released at the summit both called for a 25 to 40 percent reduction on 1990 levels for developed countries by 2020.

"The American labor movement has become an enthusiastic supporter of expanding 'green jobs' that fight global warming," writes Brendan Smith on The Huffington Post's green blog. Smith refers to the three unions' statements on science-based emissions targets as a "significant breakthrough" in terms of Labor's involvement with the issue extending beyond support for green jobs.

International Vice President and Strategic Planning Director Roger Toussaint traveled to Copenhagen to attend COP15 and represent TWU's position on emission reduction targets and green jobs. Read TWU's statement on the issue here .

Smith also explains the importance of Labor's position on climate legislation:

"Union positions can make a big difference on climate legislation […] Strong union support for science-based targets could play a significant role in strengthening current legislation [...]

The US will also face an enormous number of climate related policy decisions in the near and more distant future, ranging from what provisions should be in international treaties to national policy on fuel efficiency standards to sidewalks and bicycle lanes for local streets. Organized labor can be a significant player in all of them. It can also play a big role in how those policies are actually implemented in industries and workplaces. And it can help educate its sixteen-and-a-half million members about what climate change means for them and their children and what has to be done about it."

Read Smith's full blog post here.