TUED Global Forum: Shifting South? Global Trade Union Discussion on the Energy Transition

TUED comrades and friends,
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We invite you to join us, via Zoom, for a Global Forum on a draft TUED working paper titled Towards a New International Energy Order - Why the South Must Fill the Void in Global Climate Leadership  ‍

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• Date: Thursday, March 27th, 2025
• Time: 9am - 11am New York City time, find your local timezone here
• Registration: RSVP HERE and you will receive the Zoom link

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Portuguese, Spanish, and English interpretation will be provided. Interpretation provided in other languages will be determined based on registrations.

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Drafted by TUED’s Sean Sweeney for the February 2025 TUED South interregional meeting in Mexico City, the paper suggests that neoliberal climate policy based on “green growth” is currently unravelling, and progressive forces in the Global South must commit to taking the lead in building a new “public pathway” alternative anchored in reclaiming public and democratic control over the world’s energy systems.  Both the title and the content of the draft paper are intended to evoke the kind of radical politics that, in the early post-war decades, shaped the ambitions of Global South leaders who aspired to create a New International Economic Order (NIEO).On March 27th, trade union leaders and allies from Brazil, South Korea, South Africa will offer their feedback on the paper and the current crisis in climate policy. Speakers include:
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• Maicon Michel Vasconcelos da Silva, Secretary for International Relations, National Confederation of Metalworkers of the CUT (CNM-CUT Brasil)  
• SungHee Oh, Director of International Affairs, Korean Public Service and Transport Workers Union (KPTU)
• Tanya van Meelis, Head of Policy Unit, Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
• Vijay Prashad, Executive Director of the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research
• Varsha Gandikota-Nellutla, Co-General Coordinator of the Progressive International

About the paper
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• Part One:  Summarizes the current impasse of North-led climate and energy policy, and the crisis of “green growth.” It draws attention the global energy expansion, and the global failure to meet climate and sustainable development targets
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• Part Two:  Points to the crucial importance of reclaiming energy to public ownership and control, and what reclaimed energy companies armed with a public goods mandate can achieve.
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• Part Three:  Provides an assessment of how the South can assume leadership on climate and energy at the level of narrative, policy, and —perhaps— practical South-South cooperation.
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The author takes responsibility for any errors, factual or otherwise, in the current draft. Hopefully, these will be corrected before we arrive at a final version that will be added to the TUED Working Papers series.
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Note: Towards a New International Energy Order - Why the South Must Fill the Void in Global Climate Leadership is a LIVE DOCUMENT. If you would like to make comments or suggestions, please make a duplicate copy and send to TUED at ManaTUED[at]gmail.com.

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We hope to see you on March 27th!

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In solidarity,

The TUED Team

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