The CFMEU and the ACF believe urgent action on climate change would be good for jobs, the economy and the environment.
ACF director Don Henry and CFMEU mining president Tony Maher this week called for the Federal Government to set science-based, legislated targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
They are also calling for a substantial increase in the existing mandatory renewable energy target and for Australia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol before the end of the year.
"It's taken an issue as pressing and potentially devastating as climate change to get ACF and the CFMEU to stand together on the same platform," Henry said.
"Strong binding targets, guided by the best available science, are vital if we are going to protect future generations from dangerous climate change.
"Australia can show leadership by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol before the end of this year – and encouraging the USA to do the same. Australia is missing out on billions of dollars because it hasn't ratified."
Maher said emissions trading would not be enough on its own to drive the scale of investment necessary to clean up Australia's energy economy and address the threat of dangerous climate change.
"A regulatory mechanism is essential to secure sufficient investment," he said.
"Substantially increasing the mandatory renewable energy target will lower average emissions – it's critical and it's supported by mine workers."
