On March 7, the second Campaign Against Climate Change UK Trade Union Conference was scheduled to be held in London, bringing together activists from left groups such as Socialist Resistance, the Green Party and Respect, as well as rank-and-file trade unionists and officials.
The aim of the gathering is to plan working-class action to tackle climate change.
Balloting has also occurred in an election for one of Britain's top trade union posts in a contest that could have huge implications for eco-socialist politics in Britain and across the world.
Grassroots militant and Respect member Jerry Hicks is running in the contest for general secretary of Amicus, the trade union that has merged with Unite to form Britain's second largest trade union.
Hicks' scored a strong result. coming second after incumbent Derek Simpson with 24.84% of the vote.
Hicks has decades of experience as trade union activist. He was sacked from Rolls Royce Bristol because of his union activism, resulting in strike action.
He was part of the campaign in 2002 to oust former right-wing union boss Sir Ken Jackson. That election resulted in the election of Simpson as general secretary.
Simpson, while maintaining the support of the Communist Party of Britain, has alienated many on the left with his support for the Iraq war, nuclear power and his failure to call for an enquiry over alleged corruption at British Aerospace.
Above all, Simpson has retained a huge salary, rumoured to be around £100,000, angering activists. When Amicus merged with Unite, he blocked calls for fresh union elections.
Fighting a battle that most commentators believed he could not win, Hicks mounted a successful legal challenge against the move, enabling the current contest.
"The reasons I mounted the challenge to Derek Simpson are simple and straightforward", Hicks said. "It is quite simply wrong that Simpson should go for eight years without facing an election. I believe it is also illegal.
"It was my overriding belief that it was necessary to correct this wrongdoing. He knew that it was unlawful because he himself challenged Sir Ken Jackson's right to remain in position without holding an election in 2002 using the certification officer.
"I have received widespread support for my actions."
Hicks promised if elected to take a skilled workers wage rather than the bloated salary and perks enjoyed by Simpson.
The recession is resulting in an assault on the pay, conditions and employment of many workers in Britain. A new tide of militancy is emerging with wildcat strikes being under taken by Amicus workers — militant action in defence of workers rights supported by Hicks.
Hicks is also a strong advocate of green policies in a union that has been a strong supporter of nuclear power and the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
Almost uniquely, he put the creation of green jobs at the centre of his campaigning. He believes that hundreds of thousands of jobs can be created in renewable energy and other green engineering projects.
He also supports the re-nationalisation of Britain's railways.
"Backing nuclear power and Heathrow expansion is a disgrace. Wreaking havoc on the environment in the name of jobs is without vision and a falsehood", Hicks declared.
"An immediate public works program building schools, hospitals, council houses and railways would create 100,000 jobs. Renewable energies such as wind, sea and solar can provide a million new jobs", he argued.
He has criticised "carbon capture" as untried and praised the energy policy of the US United Steelworkers, which is based on promoting renewable energy.
He is also a keen advocate of social ownership of industry and workers' control.
He gained support rapidly. As well as Respect, much of Britain's fractured far left threw their weight behind him, such as the Socialist Party, the Socialist Workers Party, Socialist Appeal, Workers Liberty and Permanent Revolution.
The Green Party Trade Union group, Green Left and many individuals members of the Green Party supported his campaign.
In a similar contest Mark Serwotka, the Public and Commercial Services Union general secretary, was a part time clerk when he was elected in 2002 and has campaigned on socialist policies.
Hicks' campaign won significant support and articulated eco-socialist ideas in a union dominated by an anti-environment leader.
Hicks' campaign to promote socialism, green jobs and resistance to neoliberalism could have a huge impact as an example to trade union activists globally.
Before the poll, Hicks noted: "We have, as all of us hoped, succeeded in generating debate and discussion about our union and what it does well, what it does badly and most importantly what it should be doing in these acute times of crisis.
"So from that point of view we have already won."
For information about Hicks' campaign, visit http://jerryhicks.wordpress.com.
[Derek Wall is a Green Party of England and Wales candidate in the July European elections. He is also a member of the eco-socialist network Green Left and maintains the blog http://www.another-green-world.blogspot.com.]