In this article, we assess whether unionization of national workforces
influences growth in national carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per
capita. Political-economic theories in environmental sociology propose that
labor unions have the potential to affect environmental conditions. Yet, few
studies have quantitatively assessed the influence of unionization on environmental
outcomes using cross-national data. We estimate multilevel regression
models using data on OECD member nations from 1970 to 2014. Results from
our analysis indicate that unionization, measured as the percentage of workers
who are union members, is negatively associated with CO2 emissions per
capita, even when controlling for labor conditions. This finding suggests that
unionization may promote environmental protection at the national level.