Category Archives: Interventions

COP29, Interventions, Press Releases

False Solutions and deceptive victories on the rise: Carbon markets are not climate finance!

MEDIA ADVISORY: Nov 13th, 2024

COP29 Press Conference – The Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice (DCJ) 

The opening day of COP29 saw the undemocratic gavelling through of carbon markets, once again enshrining the interests of Big Polluters over people. Carbon markets are not climate finance; they are a gift to the fossil fuel industry to continue polluting while leaving the door wide open for rampant proliferation of dangerous and unscientific false solutions such as geoengineering, ‘offsetting’ and carbon capture. 

Rich countries and big polluting industries continue to funnel money in to wars, genocide and “fixes” that will allow them to keep their extractive economic systems going without delivering on the urgent climate finance for the Global South countries. These schemes only perpetuate neocolonial patterns of extractivism, with Global South and Indigenous communities first and foremost impacted.  

Join us as members of the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice spotlight the polluters’ attempt to derail climate action. 

When: Wednesday 13th November | 12:30pm-1:00pm (Baku)

Where: Press Conference – Natavan, Area D / WATCH LIVE

Who:

  • Tatiana Rodríguez Maldonado,  CENSAT Agua Viva / Friends of the Earth Colombia
  • Tom Goldtooth, Indigenous Environment Network
  • Dylan Hamilton, Alliance of Non-Governmental Radical Youth
  • Rachel Rose Jackson, Corporate Accountability

Contact Us

Julian, DCJ, +306941437285, [email protected]

COP29, Interventions, Press Releases

Money for war but not for climate action in Baku

MEDIA ADVISORY

Press Conference – The Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice (DCJ) 

As the genocide continues to unfold in Gaza, leaders around the world are arriving in Baku for the World Leaders’ Summit on day two of COP29 to discuss the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. Widely dubbed as the “Finance COP”, climate justice movement from the Global South has raised a demand of $5 trillion per year, with “quality” finance provided by grants from public funds, not loans from private investors. 

Decades of inaction and broken promises by the rich countries, while shifting burden and blame on developing countries have not only compounded today’s climate impacts but have also deepened the extreme inequalities and injustices endured by communities, economies, and ecosystems, especially in the Global South. Yet Global North governments keep increasing their spending on weapons of war while ignoring climate impacts are intensifying insecurity and displacement, driving conflict. 

Join us as members of the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice point to trillions of dollars being blown on military spending and fossil fuel subsidies, but is nowhere to be seen in Baku.

When: Tuesday, 12 November | 10:30am (Baku) 

Where: Press Conference – Natavan, Area D / WATCH LIVE

Who:

Contact Us Julian, DCJ, +306941437285, [email protected]

COP29, Interventions, Press Releases

Uncertainty Clouds Urgent Breakthrough Needed in Baku

Media Advisory #COP29

Press Conference – The Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice (DCJ) 

It has been over a year since the apartheid regime of Israel, fully supported and funded by other colonial states, unleashed its latest genocidal attacks in Gaza. Against this backdrop, the governments are gathering in Baku for the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Conference Of Parties 29 (COP29). 

Originally dubbed the “Finance COP”, COP29 seems set to become a “False Solutions COP” as political turmoil and economic uncertainty unsettle government delegations driving desperately towards a new climate deal. At COP29 in Baku, the Global North governments are arriving without clear authority or even commitment to make deals due to recent election reversals and collapsed ruling coalitions, yet all  countries are mandated to agree on a new goal that delivers urgently needed climate finance to the Global South countries.  

Eager to get any deal done, the COP29’s Presidency is pushing a dangerous and undemocratic agreement on carbon markets that would present as “climate finance” and would provide the ‘get out of jail free card’ for polluters  to continue with their emissions further, pushing the planet on a path to catastrophe. Join us as members of the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice preview the political dynamics driving climate diplomats to play with fire in a world already warming beyond scientists’ worst nightmares.

When: Monday, 11 November | 10:30am (Baku)

Where: Press Conference – Natavan, Area D / WATCH LIVE

Who:

  • Meena Raman, Third World Network
  • Claire Miranda, Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development
  • Jax Bongon, IBON International
  • Asad Rehman, War on Want

Contact Us Julian, DCJ, +306941437285, [email protected]

Interventions, SB60

SB60 CLOSING INTERVENTION BY GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO DEMAND CLIMATE JUSTICE

I am Erica Njuguna from Kenya, speaking on behalf of the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice. I voluntarily and readily disclose that I have no direct or financial ties to the fossil fuel industry or other polluting industries.

We see a ROUGH road to Baku given the little progress and deepening distrust here in Bonn.

BURYING data from Annex 1 reports that showed the richest nations cut only one-fifth of their emissions does NOT reverse the deteriorating spirit of cooperation. Under-delivery of the promised climate finance of 100 bn dollars has further shown the true face of the developed countries who have gotten rich on the backs of our lives and our communities.

Rich countries need to step up to their responsibilities and must drastically cut their own emissions and immediately phase out all fossil fuels. If rich countries are looking to rebuild trust with the Global South, they must not block progress on an ambitious NCQG that goes towards real solutions and not towards dangerous distractions. Carbon finance is NOT climate finance, and selling it as such serves only polluters.

We need reparations in trillions not billions, and we need them to go towards real solutions – those developed by peoples who are at the frontlines and suffer the disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis.

Lastly, we want to reiterate there can be no business as usual during a genocide. Despite a resolution on a ceasefire being passed in the UN Security Council, bombing and attacks have continued in Gaza. These issues are deeply interlinked and these same actors are perpetuating both the climate crisis and the systemic violence happening around the world.

There is no climate justice on occupied land and there is no climate justice without human rights.

CBD COP16, Interventions, SB60

INTERVENTION BY GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO DEMAND CLIMATE JUSTICE AT OCEAN AND CLIMATE CHANGE DIALOGUE

Thank you Mr. Chair,

I am Silvia Ribeiro speaking on behalf of the ENGO- Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice.

We would like to emphasize three key aspects in these Dialogues:

1. We urge you to not narrow the importance and multiple functions of marine and coastal ecosystems to concepts such as “blue carbon” that reduce ecosystems only to carbon sinks. This is especially dangerous in the light of the pressure to commercialize oceans functions calling them services or credits to sell in new carbon markets.

2.   There are currently more than 40 outdoor marine geoengineering experiments planned or underway, most of them conducted for commercial purposes, which violate UN Treaty decisions and the rights of indigenous peoples and coastal communities.

It is essential that UNFCCC, honoring the precautionary approach, rejects any form of geoengineering applied to marine and coastal ecosystems, including so called “ocean carbon removal technologies” such as seaweed and biomass industrial cultivation and sinking; enhanced alkalinization of the ocean, ocean artificial upwelling; as well as other geoengineering technologies on marine ecosystems, like marine cloud brightening and albedo enhancement involving reflective particles.

In doing so, UNFCCC should recognize and uphold the decisions taken by the Convention on Biological Diversity establishing a de facto moratorium on the deployment of geoengineering techniques that may affect biodiversity (decision CBD X/33 (w)) and the London Convention and London Protocol amendments from 2008 and 2013 related to marine geoengineering techniques.

The London Protocol has since 2022 taken up the evaluation of the impacts on the above mentioned geoengineering techniques, and stated in 2023 that they have “ the potential for deleterious effects that are widespread, long-lasting or severe; and there is considerable uncertainty regarding their effects on the marine environment, human health, and on other uses of the ocean”, signaling their intent to extend regulation to this broader suite of technologies.

This Convention must avoid legitimizing marine geoengineering under Article 6.4  guidance on carbon markets – recognising that a key factor in banning experiments under the LC / LP is the commercial element. 

3.         The Ocean Dialogues and UNFCCC needs to recognize the main actors in maintaining the biodiversity of marine and ocean ecosystems: the indigenous peoples and coastal communities, whose traditional knowledge and livelihoods have conserved and increased biodiversity in these ecosystems. Their right to Free Prior and Informed Consent must be affirmed and honored for any activities and techniques that are proposed to be developed in ocean and marine ecosystems that would affect their territories.

Interventions, SB60

INTERVENTION BY GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO DEMAND CLIMATE JUSTICE BY SeS JOINT WORK ON CLIMATE ACTION ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

My name is Angel Flores from the Philippines. I’m from World Animal Protection, delivering this statement on behalf of the ENGOs, Climate Action Network and Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice:

We are happy to see a roadmap drawn for this joint work and appreciate the flexibility of all to move forward, this is really good news for the “Sharmonivia” family. Congratulations and thanks to everyone

So we’re excited to already get going and to share ideas here for the workshops. Dont worry, we won’t miss out on the submissions either. 

Our networks represent many grassroots organisations and agroecological food producers, and we are very committed to contribute to this space, we have both the expertise and legitimacy for this. We want to ensure that voices on the frontlines of the climate crisis are heard, and that local knowledge is reflected here. 

For the workshop on systemic and holistic approaches to agriculture, food systems and food security, these bottom up contributions will be crucial to showcase lived experiences, and how agroecology enhances livelihoods.

We urge you to see us as active participants, not just mere observers in this process. We are ready to collaborate, also to put you in touch with experts on human rights, all interconnected with the Right to Food. 

For the first workshop, we ask that this space highlights real climate solutions that benefit the one in four people on the planet whose livelihoods depend on agriculture – solutions like agroecology. This workshop also provides a critical opportunity to go beyond agricultural production, and tackle the entire food system with a focus on food loss and waste, food security, and nutrition, and equitable approaches to diets. 

For the Means of Implementation workshop we have many ideas, the most important will be to ensure those means of implementation including finance, in the form of grants, NOT loans, will be accessible and match the needs and priorities of small-scale food producers, with a special focus on youth, women, indigenous peoples, marginalised communities and their collectives. We could work on the following tasks:

  • map opportunities for public finance to reach the local level
  • shape recommendations so that finance flows never undermine livelihoods, human rights and the right to food, and respect Locally-led adaptation principles
  • define a set of safeguards, so that climate finance in agriculture goes in the right direction, the agroecological transformation of food systems, with farmers’ livelihoods at its heart.  

We are looking forward to the work ahead, thank you.

Interventions, SB60

INTERVENTION BY GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO DEMAND CLIMATE JUSTICE ON JUST TRANSITION WORK PROGRAMME

Thank you. I am Chadli Sadorra  from the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice. 

We in DCJ believe that the JTWP is one of the most promising outcomes that came out of COP28 last year. Its progress towards concrete actions on just transition is urgently required.

Which is why we regret to hear that parties aren’t able to progress in negotiations today.

Moving forward we hope parties can consider the following comments. We encourage parties to develop modalities, such as a work plan or plan of action, to ensure that this work programme reaches concrete and actionable solutions to ensure equitable and just transition for all. This work plan can be aimed at delivering key decisions and actions at COPs 30 and 31. It can also be structured to deliver concrete actions for each of the elements delineated in Article 2A to 2G of the work programme.

We do not share the view of some parties that the work programme is limited to the dialogues only. Proposing other modalities that can facilitate the work programme to reach concrete actions is not a “renegotiation” of decision 3/CMA 5. Framing it as such is obstructive to making the JTWP into an action-oriented work programme. Workers and communities from the global North and South cannot afford for this work programme to become a talk shop.

We are also of the view that international barriers to just transition, namely the lack and bad quality of climate finance, technology development and transfer, and capacity building, should also be addressed as part of the scope of the work programme, evident in Articles 2b, 2c, and 2g. 

We implore parties to please start addressing these barriers as well as other international and domestic resource mobilization requirements for just transition that can ensure climate actions and social protection measures for workers and communities globally.

Lastly, we also would like to reiterate the statements of some parties for increasing the involvement of non-party stakeholders and observers in the next dialogue and other work programme processes, such as identifying themes for the next dialogue to ensure a balanced choice of topics. We don’t think greater CSO participation is mutually exclusive to having modalities that operationalize the work programme towards concrete actions, as some have suggested yesterday. On the contrary, the latter may facilitate greater inclusivity and participation.

Thank you.

COP29, Interventions, SB60

INTERVENTION BY GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO DEMAND CLIMATE JUSTICE  AT AD HOC WORKING GROUP ON NEW COLLECTIVE QUANTIFIED GOAL

Undelivered Intervention

Thank you co-facilitator. My name is Claire Miranda, from the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development, a member of Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice.

I am here today representing the people of the Global South, to confront an outrage that can no longer be ignored. In these very rooms where we have been repeatedly talking about how to address the climate crisis, we still need to be reminded of one simple but profoundly troubling reason of why we are here – because of the actions and inactions of rich country governments who continue to be the biggest polluters, causing unprecedented harm to our planet. The climate catastrophe that engulfs our people and communities is a direct result of the greed, negligence, and outright deceit of the rich country governments. 

You are the biggest polluters, the architects of this planetary destruction. The heatwaves that left our lands scorched, the typhoons that shattered our homes, the fossil fuel extraction that poisoned our planet – these are your legacies. For decades, you have perfected the art of inaction, the dirty tactics to evade your obligations while our people suffer and our lands die.

In this very space, where you are supposed to agree on a quantum that reflects the growing climate needs of the Global South and urgently deliver your obligations, you shamelessly divert the discussion. Instead of addressing the crisis you’ve created, you point fingers at developing countries and expand the contributor base, and then have the gall to limit the recipients of climate finance. You continue deflecting attention from the fact that it is YOU who are responsible. You erode the core principles of equity and Common but Differentiated Responsibilities, principles enshrined in the Convention which the Global South has fought hard for. How you mobilize the adequate amount to meet your obligation is your problem and should not be the burden of the Global South.

You have the audacity to claim you’ve met the $100 billion goal promised back in 2009. This is a blatant lie. Funds provided in loans, repackaged development assistance, contributions to MDBs – these are not climate finance. You continue to portray yourselves as climate champions, boasting of your commitment to help the most vulnerable cope with climate impacts. Yet, behind your flowery words lies the harsh reality: it is the Global South that has fed your people, provided you with human resources, and transferred its wealth to you through forced climate loans. You hide behind these deceptive narratives and then leave us to drown in the consequences of your actions. This claim is not just misleading; it is an insult to the people of the Global South who endure the worst of climate change every single day. Your false assertions are nothing more than a cowardly attempt to mask your utter failure to deliver your obligations.

I call upon the leaders of our nations, the negotiators here from the Global South who will be in Baku, to stand resolute. We implore you to demand these rich country governments – who continue to extract our resources, oppress our people and actively enabling the acts of genocide, who owe your people a huge climate debt – fulfill their obligations without delay. We will not be placated by more false assurances. 

As we approach COP29 in Baku, we issue a resolute warning: the people of the Global South are rising. Another endless talkshop is unacceptable. We will be more determined to expose your lies, spotlight your dirty tactics to derail progress and dismantle those empty promises. We will all demand that you #PayUp, fulfill your obligations, and we will settle for nothing less than complete accountability. We will not rest until justice is served and our people receive what is rightfully theirs.

Thank you!

Interventions, SB60

INTERVENTION BY GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO DEMAND CLIMATE JUSTICE AT OPEN-ENDED CONSULTATIONS BY COP 29 INCOMING PRESIDENCY ON THE EXPECTATIONS OF COP 29

My name is Thomas Joseph Tsewenaldin from The Hoopa Valley Tribe of Indigenous Peoples. I’m with Indigenous Environmental Network, delivering this statement on behalf of the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice, or DCJ. I voluntarily and readily disclose that I have no direct or financial ties to the fossil fuel industry or other polluting industries, and invite others to also disclose the same as they speak. We all know that this is a crucial COP since it is called “finance COP”. We hope to see ambitious public finance commitments from the parties, especially the developed countries who have the historical responsibility. We echo the demands of our comrades who have talked about the ongoing genocide in Palestine and shows the true priorities of the developed countries. These issues are deeply interlinked- there is no climate justice on occupied land, and these same actors are perpetuating both the climate crisis and the genocide and systemic violence happening around the world.

We also insist on more accountability from the rich countries to deliver on the commitments that they make here year after year. As you know Data compiled by the UNFCCC Secretariat shows that developed countries have fallen far short of their formal pledges to reduce deadly greenhouse gas emissions, fulfilling only about one-quarter of the cuts urged by scientists. There is also a strong attempt to bring in false solutions like carbon markets and speculative and untested technologies of geoengineering that are used as dangerous distractions from real emission cuts that need to happen urgently and immediately.

Access to the UNFCCC and global climate policy space is critical for civil society. Collectively we represent millions of people in the Global South who are at the frontline of this crisis and are increasingly being left behind within this process. We cannot ignore the contrast between shrinking of meaningful space for rightsholder constituencies on one hand, and the vastly increasing power and influence of the polluting interests like the fossil fuel lobbyists over this process on the other hand. For us, enhancing observer engagement requires ensuring that that engagement does not come at the cost of introducing conflicting interests that risk the integrity of the very UNFCCC objectives and process, and that displace the lived experience and expertise of rights holders. We call on your support to convene a public, formal way for observers to engage in dedicated, constructive, deep dialogue with parties on this topic, and to take all possible measures to safeguard against the undue influence of polluting interests. 

And we call on you to support strengthening the disclosure requirements instituted last year, in time for strengthened measures to come into place for COP29 registration. Specifically, we request that all observer participants be required to disclose who is funding their participation in talks before receiving their registration. The world is looking to you to give a strong signal that this hall of climate action is not overrun with the very actors that have caused the climate crisis.

COP29, Interventions, SB60

SES JOINT WORK ON CLIMATE ACTION ON FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Undelivered Intervention

Thank you co-facilitator. I am speaking on behalf of the collaboration between YOUNGO food & agriculture, the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice, the Women and Gender constituency, the Indigenous Peoples constituency, and YOUNGO Animal Rights. 

We appreciate the updates that are being discussed here today, this is the spirit of collaboration and the strength of the agriculture negotiations. We are supportive of the removal of annex 4 mentioned in paragraph 3.

While we recognize that these multistakeholder initiatives seek to support food systems action, they should NOT be central to the Joint Work or form the basis for action, voice, power, and decision-making. The focus must remain on inclusive, Party-driven, democratic processes that prioritize the needs and voices of vulnerable communities and Indigenous Peoples.

These initiatives platform and enable false solutions —-  such as GMOs, pesticides, factory farms, carbon offsets, ‘carbon farming’, and ‘carbon capture’ — that are heavily promoted by the agribusiness sector to keep business as usual in place of food sovereignty and agroecology as a real solution. We also want to emphasize that any innovation has to be people centred – it should not use technology to undermine livelihoods, rights and nature, for the sake of consolidating corporate control and profits. 

This is why we strongly support the removal of multistakeholder initiatives from the official text and removing the annex altogether We urge you to show your commitment AGAINST the very perpetrators of harm in food systems and in vulnerable communities and Indigenous Peoples around the world.

We hope that moving forward, participation of Observers will continue to be a pillar of the Sharm El Sheikh workshops and negotiations on agriculture and food security – we have so much to offer to keep this process moving forward to our shared goals. 

We look forward to the SSJW creating a special space to address the fundamental issues faced by farmers and those whose livelihoods and food security are particularly vulnerable to climate change, especially women, youth, indigenous peoples and marginalised communities.

Keen to get the work started and for that reason we strongly suggest that the first workshop already takes place at COP29 this year . As Civil society we remain available to support these efforts. Thank you.