The greenwashing circus at Cop27 in Egypt exposes government hypocrisy and capitalism’s inability to address climate change, the Communist Party said yesterday.
Ben Chacko told the party’s political committee that eco-protesters taking direct action were right to highlight the lack of progress on reducing emissions — but warned that only uniting climate action with industrial and peace struggles stood a chance of delivering real change.
“It’s absurd to claim you can reduce emissions without a cheap, comprehensive, reliable public transport network — but politicians are cutting investment and attacking rail workers,” he pointed out.
Britain needed more projects like the Welsh Labour-led government’s Core Valley Lines Transformation scheme, electrifying the valleys for a train-tram network that would reduce emissions, boost connectivity and create jobs.
Equally, relying on companies making super-profits from fossil fuel extraction to deliver a transition to clean energy was hopeless, Mr Chacko pointed out, with nationalisation of the energy sector an essential demand, while co-operation on tackling global issues like climate change depended on opposing the new cold war on China and ending the war in Ukraine through peace talks.
The political committee welcomed new dates for strike action announced by the UCU and the ballots for action across the Civil Service, education and health sectors, saying only a united working-class mobilisation could defeat the class war on workers.
And it praised the successful People’s Assembly march on November 5, saying with new laws planned to render effective strike action illegal it was more important than ever that political and street mobilisations are combined with industrial action to ramp up the struggle on all fronts. It welcomed the call for local People’s Assembly actions on November 19, following the government’s planned “financial event.”
The political committee called for work to promote the united front strategy and build understanding of united front work among cadres.
It called for maximum attendance by party members at the Campaign for Trade Union Freedom’s From Pentonville to P&O conference on December 3 in London. Places can be booked at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-pentonville-to-po-campaigning-for-free-trade-unions-tickets-399989478297