Friends of the Earth is the U.S. voice of Friends of the Earth International, an international federation of diverse grassroots-based environmental organizations in 77 countries working in solidarity for sustainable, equitable and just societies.
We believe that as the world’s biggest historical global warming polluter, and as a wealthy nation with considerable resources, the United States has a special responsibility to lead the world in forging equitable solutions to the climate crisis, and we hold elected officials accountable for living up to that responsibility. We also believe, for the poorest countries on our planet, the global economic system has been an underlying cause behind environmental degradation and disruption of people’s livelihoods, and we work to change unjust global financial institutions and trade rules.
Read the latest news and updates from our International campaigns:
Friends of the Earth International came to Poznan hoping that industrialized countries would signal to the world that they would commit to steep emission reductions without offset loopholes and to finance developing country mitigation and adaptation. Thus far, they have failed dismally to live up to these most basic obligations. As the talks come to a close today, the outlook for the intense year of negotiating ahead seems nothing short of dire.
We are thoroughly disappointed with the outcomes of the talks thus far, and worry that a post-2012 agreement could finance socially and environmentally damaging practices, sell off tropical forests, and undermine rights to allow annex-1 countries to continue business as usual pollution.
After the first week of UN climate negotiations in Poznan, Poland (the fourteenth Conference of Parties, known as COP 14) it is clear that there is one thing missing from the discussions – the details.
Current UN climate negotiations are moving towards a new global treaty for climate change. ActionAid and many of our partners from around the world insist that the global deal must set steep commitments for developed countries to lower their emissions; that it require them to dedicate new, predictable, and substantial resources to help communities in the developing world adapt to the impacts of climate change; and that it compel rich countries transfer clean technologies to help contain the emission of emerging economies and to assist with sustainable development in poor countries.
Stilt-walking World Bankers with giant hands, outstretched with pieces of coal! Terrified trees and petrified polar bears fleeing in fright. Shouts of “World Bank, climate criminals” reverberate through the cold air. A Polish samba band plays on… Sound interesting? That was the scene of our World before Bank action on the campus of the UNFCCC conference on Tuesday morning.
UNFCCC delegates and the media heard the message loud and clear – World Bank out of climate!
In the final day of negotiations over proposed decision text for REDD (reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation), deep divisions arose over proposed language to ensure the protection of indigenous peoples and local communities. The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand opposed the inclusion of any language recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities as well as any references to other relevant international standards, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The specific recognition of indigenous peoples rights was strongly supported by many including Bolivia, the European Union, Norway, Mexico, Switzerland and others. The final draft text only noted the importance of indigenous peoples’ participation.
Half-truths sum up the presentation of Climos during the International Emissions Trading Association's side event on Ocean Iron Fertilization.
Margaret Leinen, the Scientific Officer of Climos, presented results from an ocean model simulation and ice core data to show that ocean iron fertilization could result in about a33 ppmv drop in CO2.
Today the UN climate talks, 142 organizations fighting for climate justice issued a joint statement rejecting any role for the World Bank in controlling climate change finance.
Currently at the negotiations, discussions are taking place about the billions of dollars that industrialized countries are required to provide to developing nations – to enable them to adapt to the effects of climate change and build low carbon economies. On the agenda is how this money should be handled, and how to guarantee that developing countries have direct access to mitigation and adaptation funds.
The concept of climate justice seems to be emerging very quickly in different parts of the world, as the political and social flag of several movements and organizations around the world. The groups that are taking part in the parallel activities to the COP 14 on Climate Change in Poznan took to the city streets on Saturday to celebrate the Global Day of Action on Climate Change. The slogan was seen everywhere.
Real World Radio participated in the big demonstration. Several activists were surprised by the tens of social groups demanding “climate justice”.
This Saturday is the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice and it is expected that thousands of people worldwide support the demonstrations and activities carried out in Poznan, Poland, where the COP 14 to the UN Convention on Climate Change is being held.
Almost a year ago, on December 8th, the Global Day of Action was commemorated throughout the world, and the COP13 was being held in Bali, Indonesia. There, thousands of people went to the streets of the island to carry out a massive demonstration for climate justice, which gathered representatives from social organizations and movements coming from tens of countries.
Press at the entrance to the climate convention’s media center here were treated this morning to an unexpected press conference on the so-called Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the world’s biggest carbon offsets market. In theory, the CDM allows industrialized countries to support projects that decrease emissions in developing countries and then use the resulting emissions reduction credits towards their own reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.
For many years, developing country parties have expressed deep frustration and disappointment with the Global Environment Facility – otherwise known as the GEF. The G77 and China (representing over 130 developing countries) have been crystal clear that the GEF should not be designated as the permanent financial mechanism of the UNFCCC, and it is developing countries which the GEF is supposed to urgently serve. Yet developed countries over and over again express their support for the GEF, despite the severe (yet politely and diplomatically delivered) criticism of the GEF spoken just seconds earlier by a developing country representative.
