Canada’s Yussuff: Unions need to be in forefront on climate change

PARIS – While negotiations continue in Paris at the COP21 climate talks, our correspondent Van Badham takes her trusty microphone around the conference venue to interview Hassan Yussuff, the first person of colour to lead the Canadian Labour Congress, and who was elected to the role in May 2014.

Yussuff tells Van that the challenge for Canadian workers adapting to climate change is to be prepared to find new ways of doing business: from producing power to digital innovation. He says trade unions must be at the forefront of the effort to save the planet.

Here’s Hassan Yussuff with Van from COP21 in Paris.

Republished with permission from Labour Herald. Van Badham is a writer, activist and weekly columnist for Guardian Australia. You can follow her on Twitter via @vanbadham. She is covering the COP21 Paris climate talks for the Labour Herald.

Photo: Union activists and leaders participate at the Paris UN Conference on Climate Change, called COP21, Dec. 4. Hassan Yussuff is second from right in the front row. (courtesy of Van Badham/Labour Herald)