Big Polluters and Northern countries are throwing gasoline on the fire of the climate crisis, knowingly paving the way for even more fossil fuels.
To endorse this statement, sign on here.
Before COP25 even began, it was clear that Big Polluters — including the fossil fuel, agriculture, forestry, and carbon market industries — plan to lock the world into catastrophic warming in the next few years. Intended fossil fuel expansion by 2030 is at least 50% beyond a 2C target and 120% beyond what may be compatible with the global commitment to limit heating to 1.5C. The vast majority of this expansion is projected to come from the U.S. and Canada.
Big Polluters brought their agenda straight to the halls of the U.N. at COP25. With the help of governments like the U.S., EU, Australia, Canada, and others historically most responsible for the climate crisis, these polluters are strategically advancing rather than protecting against this deadly agenda:
- They want to use carbon markets to “offset” rather than cut emissions, by commodifying nature and shifting burdens through carbon trading to the South — burdens that will be disproportionately forced onto and violate the rights of women, youth, indigenous peoples, and frontline communities.
- Polluting countries and corporations are pushing so-called “nature-based solutions,” which could be a euphemism for large scale biomass burning, carbon storage technologies, the commodification of the ocean, and carbon trading and offsets, that will displace food production and force continued deforestation.
- Seemingly innocuous language on metrics could open the door to the most dangerous geo-engineering technologies by spraying sulfur into the Earth’s atmosphere to block some sunlight from reaching the planet.
The result of all of this is that food security and the integrity of biodiverse ecosystems would simultaneously be threatened by climate change, by carbon trading projects, and by large-scale geo-engineered disruption of the planet. All this so that Big Polluters can continue digging up, burning, and profiting from fossil fuels.
These polluters know they are wreaking havoc on the planet but seek to extract as much profit as possible in the near term with the vain idea that their wealth will protect them from the impacts of planetary breakdown.
That’s why, in addition to all the above, they are seeking to avoid any liability for this deliberate destruction by attempting to expand a waiver against liability and block compensation and finance in discussions that are designed to protect the communities on the frontlines from harmful impacts: loss and damage.
If these proposals – being rammed through by polluting governments and the corporate interests they are serving – are packaged into a “deal” at the close of this COP, it will surely be a deal only for the corporate elites, while damning people and the planet. Such a deal would completely disregard best agreed science, including that presented by the IPCC. It would condemn those on the frontlines of the climate crisis, while hiding the crimes of polluters. And it would lead to increased inequality with no increase in ambition, no real emissions reductions, and no pathway to 1.5.
Experts have now assessed that the existential threat of climate change impacts surpasses that of weapons of mass destruction. We need bold, transformative and immediate action: We must prevent the proliferation of fossil fuels. We must fast track a just and peaceful transition to a safe, healthy and sustainable future for all. We must make Big Polluters pay for the damage they’ve caused.
It is not too late for governments to change the outcomes of COP25. In these final hours, it is not too late for developing countries to stand strong, to resolutely refuse the agenda of polluters. The need is clear: Advance real solutions, not carbon markets. Ensure developed countries provide funds and technology to help avert and minimize the worst impacts of climate change. Respect gender, youth and human rights, including the rights of Indigenous Peoples. And, recognizing that these polluters have known full well the harms they’ve caused, protect the right of sovereign nations to hold them liable.
From the Amazon to the Arctic,our world is on fire. Allowing expansion of coal, oil and gas production at this moment of history is throwing gasoline on the fire.
Signed,
ActionAid International |
Aksi! Indonesia |
Alliance for Future Generations – Fiji |
ALTSEAN |
Les Amis de la Terre Togo |
Arctic Youth Sweden |
Articulación de Movimientos Sociales de Nicaragua |
Artivist Network |
ASEED Europe |
Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development |
Asociación Cubana de las Naciones Unidas |
Asociación Cubana de Producción Animal |
Asociación Cubana de Técnicos Agrícolas y Forestales |
Asociación Nacional de Economistas y Contadores de Cuba |
BankTrack |
Center for Biological Diversity |
Centre for Environmental Justice, Sri Lanka |
CLEAN (Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network) |
CLEAN Kulna Bangladesh |
Climate Justice Edmonton |
Climate Justice Programme |
The Climate Reality Project América Latina |
Climate Watch Thailand |
CliMates |
Colectivo Pro Derechos Humanos, PRODH-Ecuador |
Colectivo Viento Sur |
Collectif Breakfree – Switzerland |
Collectif Senegalais des Africaines pour la Promotion de l’Education Relative a l’Environnement (COSAPERE) |
Consejo de Iglesias de Cuba |
Corporate Accountability |
Corporate Europe Observatory |
CUBASOLAR |
Diko Bigas Institute Nepal |
Earth in Brackets |
EarthWorks |
Eco Justice Valandovo |
Ecologistas en Acción |
Educar Consumidores |
Energy and Climate Policy Institute for Just Transition |
ENLACES por la Sustentabilidad |
Environmental Rights Action, Nigeria |
ETC Group |
FIC Argentina |
FESAR-Ecuador |
Fiji Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance (FYSA) |
Foro de Salud Pública, Ecuador |
Friends of the Earth Europe |
Friends of the Earth International |
Friends of the Earth Scotland |
Frontera Water Protection Alliance |
Fundación Ellen Riegner de Casas |
Fundación Salud Ambiente y Desarrollo, FUNSAD, Ecuador |
Gastivists |
The Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice |
Global Forest Coalition |
Global Justice Ecology Project |
Grassroots Global Justice Alliance |
Green Course |
Health of Mother Earth Foundation |
Indian Social Action Forum |
Indigenous Environmental Network – International |
Karavali Karnataka Janabhivridhi Vedike |
Landesa (Rural Development Institute) |
LEDARS Bangladesh |
March for Science |
Mesa Colombiana de Incidencia por las Enfermedades Crónicas (MECIEC) |
MOCICC-Peru |
Mom Loves Taiwan Association |
National Association of Professional Environmentalists |
National Hawkers Federation India |
Oil Change International |
People’s Coalition on the Right to Water Indonesia (KRuHA) |
Planète Amazone |
Plataforma Boliviana frente al Cambio Climático |
Proyectando un Ambiente y Sociedad Verde A.C. |
Red Uruguaya ONGs Ambientalistas |
Sacred Stone |
Schaghticoke First Nations |
Seeding Sovereignty |
Semilla Warunkwa |
SERUNI Indonesia |
Servicios Ecuménicos para Reconciliación y Reconstrucción |
Sierra Club BC |
Sociedad Amigos del Viento (Uruguay) |
Sociedad Cubana para la Promoción de las fuentes renovables de energía y respeto ambiental |
Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries |
Südwind |
Sukaar welfare organization Pakistan |
SustainUS |
Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services |
UKYCC |
United Confederation of Taíno People |
War on Want |
Women Engage for a Common Future |
Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) |
Women’s March Global |
Young European Greens |
Young Friends of the Earth Macedonia |
Youth Volunteers for the Environment |
350.org |
To endorse this statement, sign on here.