Leaders must resume climate talks, says ITUC At the close of the Copenhagen conference, the ITUC has said world leaders must move to resume negotiation to tackle climate change, before it is too late. “This Conference has fallen short of  an agreement on ambitious targets for emissions reductions and the binding deal that leaders needed to reach to start turning around the build-up of greenhouse gas emissions”, said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder be converted rapidly into a legally binding treaty.” The ITUC again called world leaders’ attention to the UN’s scientific advice that in order to avoid irreversible and catastrophic temperature increase, far-reaching and binding targets for greenhouse gas emissions by industrialised countries by 2020 were required, combined with ambitious and verifiable actions in developing nations. “Furthermore, pledges by industrialised countries to provide assistance for mitigation measures by developing countries still falls short of the minimum level estimated by the United Nations”, Ryder continued. One of the sole positive features of the Copenhagen negotiations concerned the support from many governments to including reference to decent work and just transition for the workforce within the framework of the UN’s efforts on climate change.  Addressing the Plenary, ITUC President Sharan Burrow stated that “we would like to express our satisfaction that this process has recognised the importance of calling for a Just Transition as a driver for decent work and good quality job creation. We thank those Parties that understood the potential of this paragraph for building a broad support for climate action.”   “However unless further negotiations begin with agreed text this commitment to a ‘just transition’ is now at risk, say Ryder” The ITUC reiterated that the restricted access of civil society to the UN conference centre was unacceptable.  "It is vital that when negotiations resume at the UNFCCC and at the COP16 meeting in Mexico next year, the access of civil society representatives be guaranteed once again,” stated Burrow. The ITUC is deeply disappointed at the clear differences between governments that persist.and have resulted in the world leaving Copenhagen without an acceptable deal”  “We need a binding agreement that delivers a habitable planet, decent work, binding emissions reductions and financial support for the most vulnerable,” concluded Ryder.  ‘We call on world leaders to meet again within 6 months to meet the expectation of the world’s people and conclude such a treaty.”