December 8, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MADRID- The climate summit, COP25, taking place in Madrid, Spain, has completed a first week and it is time to take stock on the negotiations. Isaiah Toroitich, head of advocacy and development policy at the ACT Alliance, says, “As observers, it is frustrating and frightening to see how slowly talks are evolving. We have a climate emergency, and still parties hesitate to take bold and ambitious decisions. There is no more time for delay. This summit must deliver results!”

The first week focused on technical matters, including rules for carbon markets, and a review of the work on loss and damage for people and communities who are losing their homes, land and livelihoods to climate change, including those living on islands that will be lost to rising seas, and those in regions of increasing desertification.

Toroitich comments, “Poor and vulnerable developing countries are facing growing challenges to manage climate related disasters. When people and communities experience loss and damage due to cyclones, droughts and flooding, they need effective support. While developed countries seem to acknowledge that this is a problem, they fail to commit to any reasonable steps towards addressing it. We need new and additional sources of finance for vulnerable communities facing loss and damage.”

Mattias Söderberg, head of the ACT delegation at COP25, says, “Weak rules for carbon trading may undermine the Paris agreement. All countries must reduce their emissions and there should be no loop holes, or possibilities to avoid climate action back home.”

However, even if negotiations are technical, the underlying topic is how parties can scale up their ambition in the coming years, and how they can present revised and ambitious national plans (NDCs) in 2020. 

The recent report from UNEP – The Gap report – concluded the global ambition should increase five times the coming ten years to keep the world on track towards the goal not to increase global temperature with more than 1.5C.

“The UNEP report makes the missions clear,” states Söderberg. “All governments must become climate champions, and they must take bold decision to transform their countries. The time for action is now and we expect parties to present new, revised and ambitious national climate plans.”

While the level of ambition for many parties still is uncertain, the parliament in Denmark just adopted a new climate law on December 6. The new law includes a 70% reduction target for 2030, a clear commitment to reach the 1.5 degree goal, and a commitment to engage in international climate cooperation. “It is good news to see Denmark stepping up,” says Toroitich. “We need climate champions, showing the way towards a green and resilience transition. Other countries must follow this example and increase their own ambition.  Developed countries in particular must step up with increased domestic ambition and support for global efforts including finance for loss and damage.” 

For further information and additional comments contact:

Isaiah Toroitich +41 79 825 78 99, Isaiah.toroitich@actalliance.org
Head of advocacy and development policy, ACT Alliance

Mattias Söderberg +45 29 70 06 09, msd@dca.dk
Senior advocacy advisor, DanChurch Aid

Simon Chambers +1-416-435-0972, simon.chambers@actalliance.org
Director of Communications, ACT Alliance

[Comunicado de Prensa] Se necesitan campeones climáticos ahora!
 
 
PARA PUBLICACIÓN INMEDIATA

MADRID- La cumbre sobre el clima, COP25, que se está desarrollando en Madrid, España, ha completado su primera semana ya, y es hora de hacer un balance sobre las negociaciones. Isaiah Toroitich, jefe de promoción y política de desarrollo de ACT Alliance, dice: “Como observadores, es frustrante y aterrador ver cuán lentamente evolucionan las conversaciones. Tenemos una emergencia climática y las partes aún dudan en tomar decisiones audaces y ambiciosas. No hay más tiempo para demoras. ¡Esta cumbre debe dar resultados! ”

La primera semana se centró en asuntos técnicos, incluidas las reglas para los mercados de carbono, y una revisión del trabajo sobre pérdidas y daños para las personas y comunidades que están perdiendo sus hogares, tierras y medios de subsistencia debido al cambio climático, incluidos aquellos que viven en islas que se perderán a causa del crecimiento de los mares y aquellos que viven en regiones de creciente desertificación.

Toroitich comenta: “Los países pobres y aquellos que están en desarrollo son los mas vulnerables y se enfrentan a desafíos cada vez mayores para gestionar los desastres relacionados con el clima. Cuando las personas y las comunidades experimentan pérdidas y daños debido a ciclones, sequías e inundaciones, necesitan un apoyo efectivo. Si bien los países desarrollados parecen reconocer que este es un problema, no se comprometen a tomar medidas razonables para abordarlo. Necesitamos fuentes de financiamiento nuevas y adicionales para las comunidades vulnerables que enfrentan pérdidas y daños”.

Mattias Söderberg, jefe de la delegación de ACT en la COP25, dice: “Las reglas débiles para el comercio del carbon pueden socavar el Acuerdo de París. Todos los países deben reducir sus emisiones y no debe haber agujeros de circuito o posibilidades de evitar la acción climática en casa”.

Sin embargo, incluso si las negociaciones son técnicas, el tema subyacente es cómo las partes pueden aumentar su ambición en los próximos años y cómo pueden presentar planes de contribuciones nacionales determinadas (NDC) revisados y ambiciosos en 2020. 

El reciente informe del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente (PNUMA), The Gap, concluyó que la ambición global debería aumentar cinco veces en los próximos diez años para mantener al mundo encaminado hacia el objetivo de no aumentar la temperatura global con más de 1.5 ° C.

“El informe del PNUMA aclara las misiones”, afirma Söderberg. “Todos los gobiernos deben convertirse en defensores del clima y deben tomar una decisión audaz para transformar sus países. Ha llegado el momento de actuar y esperamos que las partes presenten planes climáticos nacionales nuevos, revisados y ambiciosos”.

Si bien el nivel de ambición para muchas de las partes aún es incierto, el parlamento en Dinamarca acaba de adoptar una nueva ley climática el 6 de diciembre pasado. La nueva ley incluye un objetivo de reducción del 70% para 2030, un compromiso claro para alcanzar la meta de 1.5 grados y un compromiso de participar en la cooperación internacional sobre el clima. “Es una buena noticia ver a Dinamarca intensificando”, dice Toroitich. “Necesitamos campeones climáticos, que muestren el camino hacia una transición verde y resiliente. Otros países deben seguir este ejemplo y aumentar su propia ambición. Los países desarrollados, en particular, deben intensificar la ambición interna y el apoyo a los esfuerzos mundiales, incluida la financiación de pérdidas y daños”. 

Para más información y comentarios adicionales contacte a:

Isaiah Toroitich +41 79 825 78 99, Isaiah.toroitich@actalliance.org
Jefe de incidencia y política de desarrollo, ACT Alliance

Mattias Söderberg +45 29 70 06 09, msd@dca.dk
Asesor Principal de Incidencia, Dan Church Aid

Simon Chambers + 1-416-435-0972, simon.chambers@actalliance.org
Director de Comunicaciones, ACT Alliance

A farmer from Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra, India cried in full public view uncontrollably on November 24, 2019.  He said crying helplessly “I had to employ laborers and pay them to pick up onions from the field in the midst of rain.  Sharing his ordeal, he said how will I meet my own family’s need if I get the ridiculous price of 8 Rupees per kilo after all the investment of time, energy and money?  I invested all that I had in the crop and now I am left with nothing”.

After facing three consecutive droughts in Maharashtra, the farmers were ready to harvest a reasonably good winter crop. But an unexpected rain dashed all their hopes.

India, particularly Central India, is facing the havoc of an unexpected cycle of drought and flood at unexpected times and degrees.  Small and subsistence farmers at the bottom of the pyramid of the social system are the most heavily affected by this.

Climate change is proving to be a huge factor adding misery to the farmers, on top of the systems and structures in Indian society that are oppressive to them, and the apathy of officials to change policies to improve their situation.

The farmer who cried is not alone.  He is one of thousands of farmers who strive to produce the crops that feed’s the country’s population and who are in severe stress due to climate change.  According to the data released by NCHRC, 11,379 farmers committed suicide in India in 2016. That is 31 suicides every day. 948 every month.  Over 15,000 farmers committed suicide in Maharashtra from 2013 to 2018 according to RTI and a further 392 in just the first two months of 2019.  Do the lives of these farmers, who are the backbone of agriculture, not matter?

Every year we meet for the COP to discuss and deliberate in detail the cause and effect, the methods and systems to stop climate change. But between each COP thousands of lives are lost due to climate change.

More and more reports and more and more evidence prove that climate change is causing loss of life on our planet.  If we conquer the whole world with our knowledge, wealth, and technology but if we do not have food, how can we survive? Agriculture and food production is the basic pillar of society and if it is destroyed how we would take forward human life?

Once the male farmers commit suicide, their wives are forced to fend for themselves– including paying any debt and having full responsibility for the family passed on to her.

For all the global citizens and farmers around the world, climate change is real and a critical catastrophe. 

Let’s work on ways to quickly, justly, and effectively fix this.  Spain’s taking on the hosting of COP can be an inspiration to solve the climate crisis as it sprung up as a quick solution and an alternative to Chile.  This proves if we want to do something to protect our planet we can do so.

So let’s not wait for COP after COP, but stop all climate deaths here and now and save the agriculture sector and the farmers and lives affected by climate change.

Blog written by Dr Joycia Thorat, Co-chair of Advisory Group on Advocacy, ACT Alliance and Project Officer & policy desk in charge, Church’s  Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA), India

There is no silent story. As much as they burn it, no matter how much they break it, no matter how much they lie to it, human history refuses to shut up. – Eduardo Galeano

Parece que la COP25 Chile en Madrid, la única reminiscencia que tiene del país andino, son los nombres de los salones de conferencias o de pabellones, que evocan ríos, regiones y ciudades chilenas. 

Llegamos a Madrid, ya con pesadumbre por la cancelación y cambio de lugar, con todo lo que esto significa políticamente; tanto para los gobiernos, tanto para la sociedad civil y los movimientos sociales.  Ya antes se había cambiado de lugar, Brasil era el país donde la COP25 iba a tener lugar, pero la aplanadora de bolsonaro, que no sólo derriba los bosques en la amazonía sino integración y acuerdos internacionales pasó por arriba de cualquier intento organizativo, abriendo lugar a la proposición de Chile.

En Madrid, la COP de presidencia chilena todo parece ir bien, según el Presidente Piñera. Chile está en un proceso de descarbonización; un país moderno que se adapta al cambio Climático y respeta los Derechos Humanos. Pareciera, que es válido decir cualquier cosa que se desee frente al micrófono de la plenaria mientras sea eco amigable y use los términos adecuados.  Mientras tanto en Chile, no sólo no existe un proceso real de descarbonización sino que las personas continúan en las calles resistiendo la opresión de las fuerzas armadas. Los informes son escalofriantes sobre la violación de los Derechos humanos; muertos, torturados y un pueblo que dice basta a 30 años a las inequidades sociales. 

¿Pero qué tiene que ver la justicia climática con el conflicto político y social que sucede en chile? Básicamente mucho. Sería difícil entender la justicia climática separada de la justicia social y económica. El cambio climático no es más que la consecuencias de un sistema desigual que ha depredado la naturaleza y los bienes compartidos con el fin del crecimiento económico ilimitado, en donde finalmente unos pocos se benefician de aquello que es de todos y todas. Sin embargo, los impactos siempre afectan de mayor manera a los más vulnerados de nuestras sociedades. También las acciones para mitigación de los efectos de cambio climático, si no son pensadas en relación con las desigualdades sociales y las transiciones justas económicas y sociales no significarán cambios reales para las poblaciones más afectadas.

En esos días, cuando los líderes mundiales están discutiendo acuerdos para el clima por tercera vez consecutiva en Europa (la cuarta será el año que viene, el Glasgow, Escocia), estamos conscientes de los desafíos para una participación global equilibrada. Al mismo tiempo, denunciamos el hecho de que América Latina vive un contexto de profundización de las desigualdades y de la pobreza, en el que crece la vulnerabilidad de la población a los efectos de los cambios climáticos. En Amazonia, la deforestación ha aumentado 30% entre agosto de 2018 y julio de 2019, y con eso también crece la violencia y criminalización a líderes indígenas, quilombolas y otros protectores del bosque. La falta de medidas de protección a los pueblos de Amazonia son parte de una política anunciada de explotación comercial del mayor bosque tropical del mundo. La mineración, el agronegocio y las industrias forestales avanzan en ese territorio en disputa. 

En un acto de solidaridad con lo que está pasando en Amazonia estaremos en el espacio de la sociedad civil, la Cumbre Social por el Clima, que sumará diálogos más allá de los espacios formales de la COP. El sábado 7 de diciembre haremos una celebración interreligiosa por la Amazonía, para orar y exigir justicia por los pueblos de la región, en conjunto con comunidades de fe de Madrid. 

Estamos juntos y juntas como miembros de la Alianza ACT y distintas redes de organizaciones basadas en la Fe de América Latina trabajando en acciones para exigir que se cumplan los compromisos del Acuerdo de París; que se instalen mecanismos reales de financiamiento para abordar las pérdidas y daños;  modelos territoriales de mitigación, la promoción de las contribuciones determinadas a nivel nacional con planes de adaptación con enfoque en la justicia social, en los derechos humanos, en el género, incluyendo las formas de conocimiento tradicional de los pueblos indígenas. 

Ese texto fue escrito por Sheila Tanaka de Christian Aid Brasil y Marcelo Leites de FUMEC LAC

December 5, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY

TEXT: ACT Alliance, the Lutheran World Federation, and the World Council of Churches, who between them represent over 500 million Christians around the world, will be holding a stunt on Friday 6 December from 9h30-10h00 at the entrance to COP just past the location where you scan your badge to enter the venue, between buildings 2 and 4.

A giant clock will sound the alarm, along with people sharing stories representing the urgent need for climate action around the world, through an action involving singing, stories, and the call that it’s time for action.

Who: Delegates from the ACT Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, and World Council of Churches

Where: Just past the badge scan at the entrance, between buildings 2 and 4.

When: Friday, December 6, 2019 at 09h30.

#####

MEDIA CONTACTS
Simon Chambers +1-416-435-0972, simon.chambers@actalliance.org
Director of Communications, ACT Alliance

Arni Svanur Danielsson +41 78 929 9686 , arni.danielsson@lutheranworld.org

Head of Communication, Lutheran World Federation

Marcelo Schneider +55 51 99 998 55 15, Marcelo.Schneider@wcc-coe.org
Communications Officer, World Council of Churches

December 5, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY

TEXT: ACT Alliance, the Lutheran World Federation, and the World Council of Churches, who between them represent over 500 million Christians around the world, will be holding a stunt on Friday 6 December from 9h30-10h00 at the entrance to COP just past the location where you scan your badge to enter the venue, between buildings 2 and 4.

A giant clock will sound the alarm, along with people sharing stories representing the urgent need for climate action around the world, through an action involving singing, stories, and the call that it’s time for action.

Who: Delegates from the ACT Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, and World Council of Churches

Where: Just past the badge scan at the entrance, between buildings 2 and 4.

When: Friday, December 6, 2019 at 09h30.

#####

MEDIA CONTACTS
Simon Chambers +1-416-435-0972, simon.chambers@actalliance.org
Director of Communications, ACT Alliance

Arni Svanur Danielsson +41 78 929 9686 , arni.danielsson@lutheranworld.org

Head of Communication, Lutheran World Federation

Marcelo Schneider +55 51 99 998 55 15, Marcelo.Schneider@wcc-coe.org
Communications Officer, World Council of Churches

The extreme hurricanes in the Caribbean and North America, as well as the severe droughts in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the prolonged in parts of South-East Asia and Europe make it clear: the world is experiencing a climate breakdown.

These unprecedented and extreme climatic events are threatening to wipe off decades in gains made towards poverty eradication, sustainable development and global health in developing countries. Developing countries are and will continue to be affected the most by climate change despite having contributed to it the least; unless developed countries take action to reduce their emissions and provide support for developing countries to embark on climate-compatible, sustainable development.

Despite increased awareness of and exposure to extreme climatic weather events, this notion has yet to fully translate into accelerated efforts to tackle, adapt and address loss and damage caused by climate change.  

At COP25, the UNFCCC’s flagship mechanism to address loss and damage is being reviewed. The Review of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss & Damage (WIM) is a clear opportunity for all countries to assess whether this mechanism is fit for purpose, can fulfil the evolving needs of developing countries, and is also an opportunity to determine whether its efforts are consistent with achieving the recommendations of the 1.5°C IPCC report.  

COP25 is also an opportunity to address the WIM’s existing implementation gaps. Especially the most evident and potentially most problematic: the stalled operationalisation of the mechanism’s third function on support and action, which includes finance. 

Finance to address loss and damage has been the elephant in the room for far too long!  

It’s clear that the numbers of communities and people affected by intense climatic events is growing. As such, vulnerable communities all over the world are in dire need of financial support to; 

· Address the fast onset impacts of losses and damages that are already taking place, e.g. typhoons, landslides, wildfires 

· Manage the risks of short onset impacts, e.g. sea-level rise, glacial melt, forest degradation.  

It is imperative to ensure that the most vulnerable can access a long-term sustainable development pathway post-extreme and slow-onset climatic impacts. This means that developed countries need to strengthen their capacity to support developing countries by providing financial grants and capacity building. These efforts are urgent and must include an evaluation of existing opportunities to mobilise finance through innovative sources in order to address loss and damage.  

To ensure that a renewed commitment to address loss and damage finance takes place, and translates into systemic changes, an Open Expert Working Group on support and action under the WIM’s Executive Committee should be established.  

Doing so would allow country and non-country experts to enter into strategic dialogue on loss and damage, to determine what developing countries’ needs are, including financial needs, and assess how best to work with local communities to strengthen their capacity to adapt and become more resilient. 

Ultimately, the outcome of this Review must be that all developed countries drastically reduce their emissions and as a matter of urgency prioritise public finance grants for developing countries to address loss and damage. 

Waiting is no longer an option. 

Blog written by Leia Achampong, ACT Alliance EU Policy officer

I hope that world leaders packed the keys to unlock the much-needed climate action in Madrid – the answer is really a no-brainer.

The number of sad, and frightening climate stories is booming. The effects of climate change are being felt through heatwaves in India, cyclones in southern Africa, and wildfires in the United States and Australia. The good news is that we can fight climate change, and we can transition to a green, low carbon and resilient future. However, climate action is costly, and one of the key to actions that needs to be taken is, therefore, the provision of adequate climate finance.

A no-brainer

The most recent reports on climate finance indicate that only about 19% is allocated for adaptation- to enable vulnerable communities to adapt to the unavoidable effects of a changing climate. It is unfortunately not a surprise as this has been the trend since the beginning of the debates around providing climate support to developing countries. It is worrying, however, that this trend hasn’t stopped, despite UN agreements that says that climate finance should be balanced between mitigation and adaptation.

A recent report, from the Global Commission on Adaptation, which includes the director for the World Bank Kristalina Georgieva, the businessman Bill Gates, and the former UN general secretary Ban Ki-moon, re-emphasizes this call, and stresses that there is a need for increased focus on adaptation if we are to avoid a rapidly intensifying climate crisis. If we don’t act, more than 100 million more people will be pushed below the poverty line by 2030, according to the report. If we do act, it will not only save lives, it will also generate $7.1 trillion in total net benefits.

Did I hear anyone say “no-brainer”?

The call for adaptation finance is truly key if we want to cope with the threatening effects of climate change. However, we must also acknowledge that adaptation isn’t always enough and that even with an increased focus on adaptation, there will be situations where countries and communities face loss and damage when climate disasters strike.

Underprioritized

The Paris Agreement refers to “loss and damage” as a stand-alone category of climate action. These actions refer to both slow-onset disasters such as sea-level rise, and rapid-onset disasters such as cyclones and hurricanes. However, despite the urgency for action related to these situations, especially for affected people and communities, financial support has not yet been accepted as a formal point in the UN climate talks.

The need for finance related to loss and damage is rapidly increasing. Estimates indicate that more than 400 billion USD annually will be needed by 2030. This is a huge amount, considering that the agreed target is 100 billion USD annually (from 2020), for action related to mitigation and adaptation.

Clearly there is a need for a discussion to address how to mobilize these funds and to explore possibilities for innovative financing mechanisms. The sooner this debate can get started, the better. I hope world leaders will look ahead during this climate summit. We need the key, to unlock not only existing finance flows, but also new, and forthcoming flows, to enable a transition which is not only green but also resilient.

I have expectations for the climate summit. I hope world leaders will deliver.

Blog written by Hakon Grindheim, Political Adviser at Norwegian Church Aid / Kirkens Nødhjelp

December 2, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY

TEXT: ACT Alliance, the Lutheran World Federation, and the World Council of Churches, who between them represent over 500 million Christians around the world, will be holding a stunt from 13h00-13h30 at the entrance to COP just past the location where you scan your badge to enter the venue, between buildings 2 and 4.  People of faith from around the world—including youth, and Anglican Archbishop Julio Ernesto Murray Thompson of Panama–  will be offering prayers and stories of people affected by climate change now, with music, prayers, and moments of silence.  We will be praying for ambitious action at this COP, and that the most vulnerable people’s reality is front and centre as states negotiate.

Who:  People of faith from around the world, Archbishop Julio Ernesto Murray Thompson

Where: Just past the badge scan at the entrance, between buildings 2 and 4.

When: Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at 13h00.

#####

MEDIA CONTACT
Simon Chambers +1-416-435-0972, simon.chambers@actalliance.org
Director of Communications, ACT Alliance

Albin Hillert +46 73 070 11 08, albin.hillert@gmail.com
Communications Officer, Lutheran World Federation

Marcelo Schneider +55 51 99 998 55 15, Marcelo.Schneider@wcc-coe.org
Communications Officer, World Council of Churches

UN climate talks have a bad track record.

Over and over again, governments meet to find practical solutions on how to tackle one the most urgent and dramatic global challenges we face as humanity: climate change. The majority of participants if not all, are in agreement about the need for action. However, when delegates book their flights, you can be sure they add an extra day, as they know that the meeting will run overtime over hard talks and negotiations. What changes do we need to make this summit in Madrid, COP25, a success?

To begin with, when I say “success” I mean a summit that delivers on goals. The same goals that are enshrined in the Paris agreement. If we were to listen to scientists, and we definitely should, success means that in Madrid governments should commit to increase their ambitions rather than behave like business as usual. The recent “Gap report” from UNEP, raises the stakes.  It makes it clear that all parties need to reconsider their current approach to climate change, revise their national plans, and support international rules and agreements which can facilitate and promote more climate action.

At COP 25 the finding of the report should inform a number of critical decisions. First, the planned review of the current work with “climate change-induced loss and damage”, must deliver a commitment to continue the work, with a more ambitious agenda, which includes support to people affected by climate change. Talks about loss and damage are difficult!  Developed and developing countries are far apart in their positions. However, communities in need of support cannot be left behind. The Paris agreement is quite clear about it: loss and damage must be addressed and acted upon.

Secondly, the Madrid summit is expected to deliver rules for international cooperation, including ways on how to trade with carbon. This is a risky element of the Paris agreement and it has so far not been further developed. If the objective to reduce global emissions is truly at the center of our work as the international community, any type of rules must be strict and must ensure that there are no loopholes, double counting or cheating. Delivering weak rules will be a giant failure as it may enable a continued fossil fuel-based development.

Finally, and this may not be directly linked to the summit itself, the parties to the treaty need to step up their national ambition. The Paris agreement is built with a bottom-up approach, where each country needs to make its own climate plan (the so-called National Determined Contributions). In 2020 the parties should submit their new plans, and COP25 is a great opportunity to share news about their forthcoming, and more ambitious, intentions. At the same time developed should declare that they will scale up their climate finance, to support developing with the implementation of their plans, and to deliver on the commitment to annually mobilize 100 bn USD from 2020 and onwards.

COP25 will of course cover many other topics but if parties deliver on these three points, they will at least be moving in the right direction.

I hope COP25 will be a success!

Blog by Mattias Söderberg, Senior Advocacy Advisor at DanChurchAid

During the U.N. Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+25 Review, ACT Alliance as a faith-based, global coalition of over 150 churches and agencies together with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Women organized a side event on November 28 entitled “Champions for Climate Change – Women Fighting for Climate Action”. Four women activists from four different countries in Asia presented how their work has contributed to fighting for climate and gender justice.

In his opening remarks ACT’s Regional Representative Asia Pacific Anoop Sukumaran said that climate justice and gender justice are inseparable. “Social exclusion and discrimination are often exacerbated by implications of climate change. All of us have to combat climate change and fight for gender justice”, he stated. Mrs. Åsa Hedén, Head of Development Cooperation-Regional Asia and Pacific of the Embassy of Sweden, reminded that engagements on climate change should not be looked at as an obligation, but as a chance to leave a resilient future to our children. She welcomed speakers and participants saying “Let’s seize this opportunity, we still have it”.

Supporting communities to mitigate the impacts of climate change

Khodeja Sultana, Country Director of Diakonia Sweden (a member of the ACT Alliance) in Bangladesh, described the challenges of working in a country where one third of the population is at risk of displacement due to climate change. “The effects of climate change are not gender blind. They are more hostile against women. In our patriarchal society, women and men perform stereotyped activities, have different roles and responsibilities and different access to resources”, she explained. She continued that at the same time however, breaking gender stereotypes and the walls of gender inequality at all levels was a must – gender equality being a right of its own.

Interconnection between climate justice and gender justice

Ruth Manorama, a dalit activist from India representing the Asia Dalit Rights Forum (ADRF) highlighted how social discrimination and exclusion is exacerbated in climate crisis. She illustrated how caste is an expression of oppression and hierarchy which needs to be challenged. Her work with Dalit communities in combatting caste discrimination and the implications of climate change on exclusion was expounded upon. “Gender, caste and racial discrimination are two sides of the same coin”, the activist stated. And she recorded: “Somebody fighting for gender justice cannot leave climate justice to others. It’s so interconnected”.

Obstacles and opportunities on the way to green economy

Nanticha “Lynn” Ocharoenchai, founder of the climate strike in Thailand, and Sonika Manandhar, a young entrepreneur and creator of Green Energy Mobility from Nepal, represented the new generation of women mobilising people for climate demonstrations on social media and working on new solutions for mobility.

“The problem is trust”, said Sonika Manandhar. Women active in green micro-economy in her country could only get credits at very high interest rates. Therefore, green livelihood also has to come with financing.

Nanticha “Lynn” Ocharoenchai is actually trying to bridge the gap between environmentalists and non-environmentalists. She stated that in general, people would react more if their emotional side was touched and if it was easy for them to be good. She had a positive outlook to the future stating that “having realistic expectations doesn’t stop me from idealistic ideas”.

Targets of the Beijing +25 Conference

The Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on the Beijing+25 Review at the end of November brought together Ministers and senior officials, civil society and other key stakeholders from across the Asia-Pacific region. The targets were to identify key strategic areas and actions required to overcome barriers to gender equality and the empowerment of women, provide a platform to highlight innovative solutions and exchange good practices and lessons learned on strategies for change and increase the engagement of stakeholders of different ages. The ACT Alliance speakers gave a voice to those parts of the population highly affected by climate change. They also showed that gender justice cannot be achieved without climate justice nor without the inclusion of all members of society.