Green UNISON Week is a chance to raise awareness of environmental issues nationally and locally, plan activities to encourage and enable members to get more active and to celebrate all the things they are already doing in support of the green agenda – not just in work but anywhere.
As well as launching our new bargaining guide, Bargaining on Green Issues in the Workplace, on September 13 (see more detail below) we’ll also be promoting some national engagement opportunities.
This year, we are promoting citizen scientist initiatives up and down the UK, where people are encouraged to enter their own local information, or samples, on a climate change related issue to help gather important mass data that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Importantly, this is not work that replaces other work done by our members.
We encourage individual members or branches to engage if they can. See below for more details of the projects we are supporting before, during and after this Green UNISON Week.
Promoted by the government, in partnership with the Rivers Trust, The Big River watch happens twice a year and is an opportunity to take part in a simple citizen science activity that helps build a picture of river health across the UK. Click here to find out more.
Environment Agency general citizen scientist web pages
Help monitor rainfall in your area to help the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to support its weather and flood forecasting.
Caring for Welsh Rivers offers various ways you can get involved to support clean rivers in Wales from water sampling to pollution reporting.
Northern Ireland has had some large citizen scientist projects over the last three years and is about to embark on more in 2025 but is currently between national citizen scientist projects right now.
However, in discussion with UNISON’s regional climate contact, it has been agreed that members and branches in Northern Ireland might want to engage on the issue of monitoring indoor air pollution using the new Trade Union Clean Air Network (TUCAN) guidance – if you or your branch want to get involved with this potential project then email Policy@unison.co.uk and your details will be forwarded to the regional co-ordinator.
Join a 90-minute webinar to find out more about climate anxiety and how you can support yourself and others to turn fear into hope, and hope into action.
Discover more about the issues of climate anxiety, who it affects, how to support others and how to care for ourselves as we face our future on a warmer planet.
This is a new and unique learning experience and a topic we are exploring together as a trade union with members.
There are many things that you could do to locally mark the week – here are just a few ideas.
You could run a lunchtime stall in the canteen, show a film or arrange a talk. Why not invite a speaker from a nearby environmental campaigning organisation to come along?
Ask people to make personal – or team – green pledges, such as committing to create less waste, to recycling targets, green office practices (less printing, switching from plastic to cardboard folders etc) anything green.
Talk to your UNISON learning rep and look into running a lunchtime activity session for green reps and members who’d like to learn more.
Ask your friends and colleagues for ideas on how to ‘green up’ your workplace. Get people involved and offer a prize or raffle.
Ask your employer to share this information with UNISON and consider how you could bring climate change commitments onto the bargaining agenda.
If not, encourage your branch and any interested members to get involved and become green reps.
A downloadable poster and leaflet are now available here and here.
You can find other colleagues who share your concerns about climate change and let Green UNISON Week be your springboard into starting a new green union network where you work that can link to the regional and national networks for support and to share ideas.
Look out for our new toolkit for engaging with your employer on climate change, how it affects your workplace and the services our members deliver.
UNISON Resources
New sustainable Green UNISON promotional items are now available – use them to promote your green activity!
There are five items in the Green UNISON range:
Bamboo fan
Sturdy bamboo cutlery set in recycled cotton pouch
Bamboo pens
Recycled cotton swim bag
Factor 30 sun balm stick for face and body
These new items are available from our usual suppliers at TC UNISON – you’ll need to specify that you want the Green UNISON logo when you order and prices vary depending on order size so think about ordering in bulk for multiple Green UNISON activities – or maybe club together with other branches to make it cheaper.
If you’d like to find out more about the work that UNISON is doing to make our public services greener, you can head over to our website.
The article Get ready for Green UNISON Week first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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