Labor-Environmental Partners Headed to United Nations Climate Change Conference to Advocate Creating Good Jobs in the Clean Energy Economy

WASHINGTON D.C. – As world leaders gather in Copenhagen next week, the BlueGreen Alliance today announced a prominent delegation of labor and environmental leaders who will be traveling to the COP 15 meetings. The BlueGreen Alliance and its partners urge the adoption of a strong international agreement to address climate change with a goal of creating millions of good, green jobs across the world, and will stage several events during the UN Climate Change Conference to highlight this unique partnership, the job-creating potential of clean energy and how we are working to advance climate legislation in the United States.

The BlueGreen Alliance will be represented by the following labor and environmental leaders in Copenhagen:

• David Foster, Executive Director, BlueGreen Alliance
• Terry O’Sullivan, General President, Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA)
• Carl Pope, Executive Director, Sierra Club
• Mike Langford, National President, Utility Workers Union of America
• Frances Beinecke, President, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
• Gerry Hudson, International Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
• Richard Iannuzzi, Vice President, American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
• Roxanne Brown, Assistant Legislative Director, United Steelworkers (USW)
• Lauren Asplen, Assistant to the President, IUE-CWA, the Industrial Division of the Communications Workers of America 

BlueGreen Alliance Events:

Monday, December 14: A World of Work (WoW) Event with the BlueGreen Alliance

6:00 – 8:00 p.m. – Building a Consensus for Strong U.S. Climate Policies through Blue-Green Partnerships (WoW Pavilion Café)

8:00 – 9:00 p.m. – BlueGreen Alliance Reception
WoW Pavilion, LO Denmark Building, Islands Brygge 32, D-2300 København S – Denmark

Wednesday, December 16: Blue Green Alliance Media Briefing

10:00 a.m. – Asger Jorn Room, Hall H, Bella Center

Thurs., December 17: UNFCCC Side Event – Building a Consensus for Strong U.S. Climate Policies11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Halfdan Rasmussen Room, Hall H, Bella Center

Join partners from the BlueGreen Alliance, a strategic partnership of U.S. labor unions and environmental organizations representing 8 million people, as we discuss this unique alliance aimed at creating good jobs by addressing America’s climate and energy crises, how this partnership has played a critical role in passing climate legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, and our focus on advancing a global climate treaty.

Thursday, December 17: Labor-Environmental Reception
8:00 p.m. – Mogens Dahl Koncertsal, Snorresgade 22, DF-2300, Copenhagen
Reception sponsored by: BlueGreen Alliance, USCAN, Blue Green Canada, AFL-CIO, ITUC, Change to Win, UNEP and Sustainlabour

To schedule an interview with BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director David Foster or any one of labor and environmental leaders representing the Blue Green Alliance, please contact Kelly Schwinghammer (612-532-8103 or kellys@bluegreenalliance.org).

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The BlueGreen Alliance is a national partnership of labor unions and environmental organizations dedicated to expanding the number and quality of jobs in the green economy. Launched by the United Steelworkers and the Sierra Club in 2006, the BlueGreen Alliance now includes the Communications Workers of America (CWA), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Utility Workers Union of America and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).