Now that the reality of accelerated climate disruption is pushing either the throttle – or the panic button, people are looking for a way around or a way out of the existential threat facing the entire world. But what does salvation from such an unprecedented nightmare look like? What action must it entail? What rules must be agreed to and what behaviour brought into line to switch the dial to a more manageable trajectory? We have the vision and plan in the Paris Agreement, to be sure, but now we need the Rulebook to set it in motion – hopefully in time.

When Moses went up to Mount Sinai to get the Rulebook for his time and his people’s salvation he was given not just ten articles on a tablet, but a whole system change with social, political, environmental and economic provisions and rules. It was a new comprehensive way of living and accorded with God’s laws of justice and right relations.

But while he was formulating it the people grew restless and unfaithful and made sacrifices to the idol of the Golden Calf, partying and revelling as if there were no tomorrow. When he came down from the mountain he broke the tablets, calling for God’s wrath and judgement to punish their wickedness. Eventually, these stiff-necked people repented, promised to change their ways, and God relented, entering a covenant with them which would lead to prosperity and peace.

So will the leaders at COP24 find the moral courage to create a new Rulebook, that is comprehensive, equitable, sustainable and leads the way towards a just transition? Will they adopt a framework of action to avert the worst of climate impacts and rapidly increase ambition? Will they hold each other accountable and truly measure the implementation of their good intentions? Will they enter into a new covenant for survival?

And will the people agree to stop worshipping the idol Money and learn to share the resources of this wondrous gift of Creation and preserve its beauty and fecundity for the good of themselves, their descendants, and all creatures? Or will our stubborn selfishness bring about the doom prophesied by science? What are we prepared to sacrifice today for the right to and the possibility of a less hazardous future?

We now stand on a precipice unlike any other and can decide what our mutual salvation must be. We know now how much has already been damaged and lost, with more to come. We understand that the current economic system will not sustain and must be radically changed to be more equitable and just. We are aware that old institutional arrangements based on power and greed require systemic change if we as a species are to survive past this century. At this moment in history, we still have the possibility to create an ecological civilization. We have the power to turn towards a better way of living, an ancient way of being community known to Indigenous peoples and our ancestors. We can choose between life and death.

Choose life.

—–

Joy Kennedy is a committed activist on issues related to ecojustice, poverty, wealth and climate change, most recently at the Canadian Council of Churches, the United Church of Canada and Kairos Canada. She is a long-standing member of the World Council of Churches Climate Change Working Group, participates in the United Nations Climate Change processes and several multi-stakeholder and interfaith dialogues, and chairs the board of Climate Action Network (CAN-Rac) Canada, an organization of 116 member organizations. She is a grandmother working for the vision of a just and sustainable future for all life on this planet.
 

There are 65.6 million forcibly displaced persons including over 22.5 million refugees in the world today. The number of refugees is growing while the national laws and attitudes towards refugees and migrants are becoming more stringent. To address the legal gap over burden-sharing of refugees and migrants over 180 UN member states gathered in Marrakech, Morocco on December 10, 2018 to adopt the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM)  as foreseen by the 2016 New York Declaration. 

The GCM is one of two compacts being adopted this year by the international community that relate to people on the move.  The other, the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR), is expected to be adopted this month as well.

ACT has been involved in advocacy around both compacts, and has currently been in Marrakech for Migration Week – consisting of the annual the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) and the International Conference to adopt the Global Compact to adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).  During the weekend tying together both occasions, ACT co-hosted, with the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), a side-event which brought together representatives from governments and civil society to discuss the issue of protection of people on the move in the context of the two Compacts.

“The migration Compact is a proactively rights-based document, which covers a broad range of issues including forced displacement and climate,” said Christian Wolff, ACT’s Programme Manager for Migration and Displacement.  The goal was for the GCM to complement the GCR, which is designed to be a more technical and non-political instrument, and looks at the amount of humanitarian financing that is available, especially for countries that host large numbers of refugees. 

The conversation about the two Compacts has now come to focus on how to implement them.  “We now have two non-binding instruments to help governments to implement better protection for people on the move.  What are some of the issues that are common between the compacts and where it would behoove governments that are looking at implementation to say ‘can we do a planning and matrix over these documents to see where it makes sense for our ministries to work together?’”

Following remarks by the Holy See about the protective aspect of service provision for people on the move, representatives from the governments of El Salvador and Sri Lanka  spoke about their concrete work regarding the planning of implementation. 

Yessenia Lozano, representative of the government of El Salvador, underscored that implementing the GCM is a priority for El Salvador.  “We like to be a couple of steps ahead, never behind,” she said.  “The GCM is just a package.  It is not legally binding, but it is politically binding.  Something good is possible to do when you have the political will.  In El Salvador, the migration topic is very crucial- almost 30% of our population is living abroad.”  The topic of Citizens Abroad is a cross-cutting issue throughout the Salvadoran government. 

Lozano underscored the human element of migration as well.  “When you see a migrant, you have to see it as a family- as a family who is behind [at home], and a family who may be started in the destination.”  Remembering the humanity of the 3 million Salvadorans who live outside the borders of their country helps to underscore the importance of protection for migrants.

Samantha Jayasuriya, from the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva, talked about joint regional work around protecting the rights of migrants and refugees in Asia through bodies including the Colombo Process, which brings together 13 countries in South Asia to discuss protection issues for migrant workers.  The Colombo Process has also worked with the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, bringing together 7 destination countries in the Middle East and 13 sending countries in Asia on these issues. Key elements of this work are are ensuring that migrants are informed before they take jobs, that returns and reintegration are considered, that recruitment is ethical, that skills are matched between employers and workers, and that technology is used to ensure a more transparent recruitment process.

A number of civil society members also spoke, including Refugees International (on the need to utilise the GCM for implementing initiatives that protect people displaced by the effects of  climate change), Caritas Internationalis (on civil society and faith-based initiatives to enable access to services), and the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) (on mixed migration challenges in Central America).  Kati Garrison of MCC underscored the importance of implementing the GCM in collaboration with civil society on the ground.  “We’ve talked a lot about local level development initiatives, especially in terms of economic and livelihood projects to prevent migration. But no matter how fantastic our small-scale economic development initiatives are, we need to look at also addressing the higher-level government infrastructures and support,” she said.

The event provided a chance for governments and civil society to come together, to share ideas and best practices, and to explore what the GCM will mean as it gets implemented in the years to come. An important goal was to bring home the importance of improving migrants and refugees themselves in national planning initiatives, and this message was well received by governments present.

Jayasuriya summed it up nicely: “The GCM is blowing some fresh lease of life to ailing multilateralism.  At the same time, adoption of GCM is not the end.  It is the beginning.”

As I set out on my journey to Katowice, Poland, I reflected on Gender Day at the climate change negotiations.  The images of numerous women, children and farmers facing life threatening catastrophes, chilling climate experiences, adverse climatic conditions and acute shortage of food and water due to climate change are in my mind and in my heart.

As a grass root worker and a feminist activist, I am a close witness to their everyday struggle for survival & livelihood, quality & dignity of life. This makes me ponder several questions as part of my preparation to join the second week of deliberations of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – COP24. The top most question on my mind is: how many more years will we take and how many more lives will we lose before we save our planet from permanent damage. Year after year, at COP, and between COPs, representatives of governments meet to discuss and negotiate.  And more people are impacted.

On one side, we see the vulnerable bearing the brunt of the impacts of climate change.  And a large number of the most vulnerable are women. On the other side, the negotiations progress at their own slow pace. Vulnerable women do not have the luxury of time, money and energy to wait endlessly each year hoping that world leaders will bring in change. Though highly valuable in a democratic society, processes and dialogues can feel too slow in the wake of the urgency of issues like climate change.  I could feel like most of you, the agreements should have been completed yesterday to stop today’s catastrophe. 

Is rewriting the agreement and rulebook what we should be doing, instead of urgently pushing our nation states to complete the commitment and reach the targets that we need them to reach?  This year the COP24’s high priority agenda is to finalise the Paris Agreement’s Rulebook for to enable the world to reach the climate change targets agreed to in Paris in time. Scientists, activists and those at the peak of vulnerability are shouting loudly to please hear us: 1.5 degree Celsius should be achieved at any cost if we want to save the planet.

Too often, vulnerable women are the ones who pay the price for any delay.   

A key part of implementing the Paris agreement is to engage women leadership at all levels, from the grass roots to the international. Women must be part of all aspects of negotiations and implementation of the Agreement. 

Have all parties have made space for women negotiators? Women are needed to be engaged for quick and lasting solutions. Let’s give women a chance and ensure reforms in the climate change negotiations and a chance for humanity.

—–

 Dr. Joycia Thorat is the Co-Chair of Advisory Group on Advocacy of ACT Alliance. She is the project and policy officer of Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA), India. 

Joint Civil Society Message to the Member States at the Intergovernmental Conference to adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration

Marrakesh, Morocco

December 10, 2018

A message from civil society, including ACT Alliance, who have been working on and advocating for, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration that will be adopted by about 180 countries in Marrakech today.

Thank you for giving us the floor, moderator.

This is a civil society collective message. We are connected and have organized in this process and throughout Migration Week: we are unified in our diversity to ensure the Global Compact fosters real change for migrants and their families.

The adoption of the Compact is a historic achievement, as it represents a comprehensive framework for multilateral cooperation on international migration. It has the real potential to make a positive impact on the lives of millions of our fellow human beings who move in search of a life of dignity and security for themselves and their families.

We would like to commend the overwhelming number of member states that commit to the adoption of the Compact. The Compact will not meet its potential—or make a difference on the ground—unless member states also commit to its implementation and acknowledge the positive contribution of migrants to society. We stand ready to partner with you in this endeavor and respectfully urge you to develop national action plans with full participation of other actors including civil society and migrants of today and tomorrow.

We are disappointed that some member states have chosen to withdraw from the Compact: multilateral cooperation is the best approach for humanely managing international migration in today’s world.

As made clear in its preamble, the Compact does not in any way weaken international legal standards, which govern migration. We also view the Compact as not condoning deterrence policies, which can limit due process protections and can violate the principle of non-refoulement. We will monitor the actions of member states accordingly.

However, as we expressed in a joint civil society statement at the end of the negotiations in July, we have concerns with some of the language contained in the Compact. We therefore encourage member states to interpret the spirit and substance of the Compact as a floor, not a ceiling, as you implement its provisions.

That said, in our collective view, the Compact recommends, among others, the following policy goals, which we encourage you to robustly implement:

• Protect migrants in vulnerable situations consistent with international human rights law;
• Increase regular avenues for migration which ensure labor rights and family unity and create regularization programs for vulnerable populations;
• Facilitate safe access to services to all migrants;
• Work to end child detention; develop and expand community-based alternatives to detention and end the use of detention as a deterrence tactic;
• Uphold the principle of the best interest of the child at all times
• Invest in sustainable development so that no one has to migrate out of desperation.
• Tackle the drivers of forced migration, including climate change and environmental degradation.
• Apply due process, individual assessment, and effective remedy at borders and in return procedures and implement reintegration programs that are sustainable for returnees, families and their communities;
• Guarantee the core labour rights for all migrant workers regardless of status, with special attention on freedom of association and collective bargaining
• Ensure gender responsive policies; and promote the empowerment of women to realize their full potential;

In conclusion, as actors who work directly with migrants on the ground, we look forward to working with member states and other stakeholders to implement the Compact in a manner that guarantees the human rights of all migrants and upholds the rule of law.

We again congratulate you on this achievement and stand in solidarity with those that commit to make migration work for all.

Thank you.

There is just one week to go at COP24 as negotiations continue to finalize the Paris rulebook for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The commitments by parties to fight climate change needs to be kept at the highest levels now in order to deliver on the crucial tasks ahead.                                          

“There is no time to wait – time is running out for the world to keep the global temperature under 1.5°C. Reaching the 1.5 is still within our reach but it depends on the political will to take ambition on climate action”, said Martin Vogel, co-chair of ACT Alliance’s Climate Change Group.

The first week in Katowice did not result in much progress in the textual deliberations and much of the heavy work load has been pushed to the ministers to deal with in the second week.

“It is crucial that ministers don’t take the easy way out now by leaving out the contentious issues in order to make progress on the rulebook. The implementation of the Paris agreement must continue to build ambition to achieve the changes that are needed for the world to keep temperature rise to 1.5°C”, Vogel continued.

In the backdrop of the COP the IPCC report on 1.5°C has also managed to have an impact on the talks.

“It is clear that stepping up climate action is urgent – especially for the countries on the frontlines of climate change – like the small Island states whose mere existence is threatened by the effects of climate change,” said Floris Faber, Director of ACT Alliance EU.

ACT Alliance is following the negotiations in Katowice where ACT continues to call for action and a robust set of rules and guidelines for the implementation of the Paris agreement.

“Transformation will remain an illusion if parties don’t step up their work to deliver the Paris Rulebook”, concluded Faber.

For more information, please contact:
Martin Vogel, Co-Chair ACT Climate Change Group martin.vogel@svenskakyrkan.se 
Floris Faber, Director, ACT Alliance EU Floris.Faber@actalliance.eu

XXX

ACT Alliance is the world’s largest network of churches and agencies engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work.  ACT has 151 members working in communities in over 125 countries to create positive and sustainable change in the lives of poor and marginalised people regardless of their religion, politics, gender, sexual orientation, race or nationality in keeping with the highest international codes and standards.

Let me be clear. We need climate action, and we need it now! As shown in the recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we need to act immediately to ensure that global temperatures do not pass the 1.5ºC target, and we need to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacities of people and communities around the world. In developing countries, these actions will only be achieved if funds and support are made available, putting climate finance on the list of items discussed in the negotiations.

At the current talks at COP24 in Katowice, climate finance is a challenging agenda as the positions of developed and developing countries are far apart. The discussions are focused on the rules for accounting climate finance as the 2020 deadline for mobilising the USD 100 billion (bn) target is rapidly approaching, and there is still no agreement on the form of money that will be counted as part of the USD 100bn.

Developed countries are pushing for flexible rules, where all kinds of financial instruments are accepted as part of this financial target. USA, Australia and Japan have previously proposed to include non-concessional loans, export credits, insurance and a category for undefined finance called “other” instruments. If this proposal is agreed on, developed countries would be able to count any various financial flows and claim to have delivered on their promises. While the USD 100bn seems to be a lot of money, if existing private investments in developing countries were counted, we would easily reach the financial target.

Developed countries are eager to deliver on the agreed USD 100 bn target, and this is understandable, as unfulfilled promises are difficult to handle in politics. However, we must remember that the fulfilment of the promise is only a means towards the goal of promoting climate action. If the USD 100bn target is reached just by changing the labels on existing flows, we will not see the increased ambition that parties are calling for.

If we truly want to scale up ambition so that developing countries can increase their contributions to promote a green and resilient transition, then the finance talks must focus on how to generate more support, and not only on how to develop the rules which make it possible to fulfil existing agreements.

ACT Alliance member DanChurchAid has published an analysis on the accounting and reporting of climate finance. You can find the analysis here.

—–

Mattias Söderberg, Senior advocacy advisor in DanChurchAid. Was elected co-chair for the ACT Alliance advisory group on climate change advocacy and was the acting head of the ACT delegations to UN climate talks from 2010 to 2015. Was co-chair of the ACT EU climate change working group from 2007 to 2009, and head of the ecumenical COP15 secretariat in 2009. Mattias is originally from Sweden but lives in Denmark.

“…It is clear that the environmental crisis which is confronting the world will profoundly alter the future destiny or our planet. No one among us, whatever our status, strength or circumstance can remain unaffected. The process of change challenges present international policies. Will the growing awareness of “one earth” and “one environment’ guide us to the concept of “one humanity”? Will there be a more equitable sharing of environmental costs and greater international interest in the accelerated progress of the less developed world? Or, will it remain confined to a narrow concern, based on exclusive self-sufficiency…”

These stark words aptly describe the environmental state of affairs on earth and the challenges presented when driving home international policies to address the crises we face. The statement raises profound thoughts and questions regarding how we as human beings view unity.  It tasks us to look at the financial disparities that exist globally.  The speaker appears to have a sound grasp on the environmental issues we are currently facing. But there is a peculiar fact about this statement. This statement is an excerpt from the speech delivered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India at the Stockholm Conference in 1972.  How is it that humanity’s accountability to God as stewards of the earth (our home) and of all of creation can still find relevancy and validity in a statement that is nearly a half-century old?  Is there really any viable explanation for us to have not moved the needle to resolve this crisis.  …likely not. Nevertheless, the excerpt describes and simultaneously tells us where we have to go.  The fate of future generations hinges on our actions or our inactions today.

The earth is paying a great price for humanity’s unchecked quest for prosperity. The greenhouse gases from human activity causing global warming result in inequitably distributed prices being paid around the globe.  The most vulnerable among us are paying a higher price,  that is, they are disproportionately impacted with unprecedented losses and damages.    

The earth is in pain with more frequent, severe and intensified weather patterns and temperature extremes. These extreme weather patterns are resulting in floods, droughts, wildfires, and sea level rising that are leading to the degradation of the earth.  We are truly in a dire situation, but there is hope- both scientifically and spiritually.

The 2018  report from the Intergovernmental  Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) notes that every bit of warming matters.   While the IPCC  states in its press release  that limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities…”, it also states that “[l]imiting warming to 1.5ºC is possible within the laws of chemistry and physics but doing so would require unprecedented changes…”

Unprecedented changes must include financially supporting and implementing innovation.   Prime Minister Gandhi’s query regarding “one humanity” must be taken to heart and brought to fruition.  For we are all interlinked.  We must act with resolve to honour our accountability to God for all of creation.   We must heed the findings of the IPCC report.  We work to transition to a zero-carbon society as soon as possible. This transitioning as outlined in the report is not limited to one sector. We have to use our God given creativity and address the sources of greenhouse gases from all sectors.

Global GHG Emissions by Sector and IPCC 2014 and based on global emissions from 2010. Details about the sources included in these estimates can be found in the Contribution of Working Group III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.)

We must be able to say regarding our generation’s response to climate change that: “We did a good job.” We can envision what this might look like.  The transition occurs with no incremental harm or increase in poverty. No employees or communities are stranded.  This will entail the reduction in and the curbing of greenhouse emissions that provides fairness for all;  sufficient training and education for workers in new careers;   jobs with opportunities at fair wages; and workplace conditions that are void of health and safety hazards.  Workspaces are welcoming of all and remove barriers to success and upward mobility.  Workplaces proactively address gender and human rights in a manner that is free from biases, bigotry or prejudices.  There is authentic reconciliation of relationships and healing among those that exist on either side of the political divide. Societies are not prompted but act with measurable outcomes. We:

• Pray for guidance
• Become educated on the facts;
• Raise awareness in our communities;
• Love our neighbors (understanding that neighbors are next door and around the globe);
• Advocate for those disproportionately impacted; and
• Work to implement processes, programs and projects that create resilient societies.

We must embrace, own and act with bold empowerment whose genesis is rooted in the hope of our faith that is justified in God.

—–  
Ruth Ivory-Moore serves as The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) Program Director for Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility where she manages environmental, climate change, energy, rural and shareholder advocacy matters.
 

ACT Alliance youth from across the world have gathered in Katowice, Poland at the UN climate negotiations (COP24). We have come to raise the voices of young people in our communities and to push for climate action and justice.
 
Climate change is the biggest threat of our lifetime. Our generation of youth is the first that will grow up experiencing the impacts of climate change in their everyday life. We have not known a world without climate change, nor have we known a just world without pollution and exploitation.
 
Despite this, we still believe in this world and we hope that one day it could become ours. We have hope- hope in action, and our involvement in climate change confronts decision makers to change global structures.
 
My name is Mari, and I am a Changemaker from Norway. I am twenty-three years old, and I have worked on climate change advocacy for the past eight years. Through Changemaker I have learned that my actions count. Not only do my personal decisions count such as being vegetarian, buying second- hand items, and driving to Poland in an electric car. But so do my actions through political advocacy. SinceI was fifteen, I have lobbied decision makers, written articles in the media and held seminars and workshops for other young people.
 
I have pushed for climate action and climate justice together with youth from across the world, and it has worked. We have the Paris Agreement, renewable energy is cheaper, climate finance is increasing and governments, communities and businesses are becoming ‘green’.
 
But we are still fighting.
 
Here at COP24, governments are supposed to finalise the rulebook for the Paris Agreement so that it can lead to real reductions in emissions, efforts for adaptation and fair climate finance. It is a simple task. I say this because climate justice is simple, human rights, emission reductions and adaptation to the effects of climate change are all simple matters of justice. However, international politics are not simple.
 
Perhaps as a youth at COP24, we see these simple answers clearer than those who have been negotiating for decades. Climate justice implies that the countries that have gotten rich from exploiting and polluting the planet must pay for the costs associated with fighting climate change. All countries need to adapt and change their politics to fight climate change and to minimize its consequences. We all need to act now for climate justice!
 
Youth from ACT member organisations are key actors in the fight for climate justice as we are not afraid to be ambitious. By working together as an intergenerational ecumenical family, we are stronger, and we represent the people who will continue to be affected by climate change and will inherit this planet.

—–

Mari Hasle Einang is the vice president of Changemaker Norway and a dedicated climate activist. She is the official youth delegate of Norway to COP24.

While COP24 is meeting in Katowice, Poland, to find practical solutions to the most pressing environmental crisis of our times, the effects of climate change are already taking their toll on the most vulnerable communities worldwide.

The drought in Somalia is a clear example that more needs to be done in terms of coordinated humanitarian response to prepare for the threats of global warming. 

In 2016-2017 Somalia faced one of its hardest droughts in recent history. Four consecutive poor rainy seasons had pushed the country to the verge of famine with over half of the population in Somalia in need of assistance. The drought triggered large-scale crop failure and high levels of livestock deaths and sickness. 

The favorable rainfall during 2018 has helped end the shortage of water, however the adverse impacts of the severe drought persist, especially among shepherds who lost most of their animals and among people who were poverty-stricken and became displaced.

Due a concerted humanitarian response that involved among others, members of the ACT Somalia Forum, including Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), Diakonia Sweden, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), the country was able to avert famine. However, a lot still needs to be done on emergency preparedness and disaster risk reduction strategies to minimize negative impact of drought and other climate related causes. 

Setting high standards of accountability for emergency resources during the onset of disasters contributes to reaching vulnerable communities more effectively and reducing duplication of services to affected populations.

Norwegian Church Aid provided affected communities with immediate food access and life-saving WASH assistance, including the rehabilitation of water facilities, the distribution of water vouchers and the construction of sanitary services. 

NCA  reports that establishing a local structure is indeed essential to building local ownership and increasing the chances of success in the mainstreaming and replication phases. Local administrations play an important role in identifying the needs of the communities and in project implementation. Promoting participation and engagement with all stakeholders at local level is key to ensuring community awareness, support and project sustainability. 

Through its strong focus on community resilience, ACT Alliance promotes and implements emergency preparedness and humanitarian response that ensures the participation of affected communities, local and national stakeholders. Through its humanitarian coordination ACT members leverage the benefits of working together and build on existing partnerships to amplify the impact and effectiveness of humanitarian work. 

In 2018 alone, more than 128 million people across the world are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. With more climate-induced humanitarian crises on the horizon, humanitarian relief organisations must invest in more effective, cost-efficient ways of delivering assistance to avoid duplications and swiftly respond to crises. 

ACT Alliance is thus working to strengthen the humanitarian capacity of its forums and national members through robust capacity and learning mechanisms and the establishment of an effective support mechanism that utilises available resources within forums and across geographic regions. These mechanisms will be defined by national forums based on their own contexts through up-to-date Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans (EPRPs), which will be made mandatory for all ACT forums beginning 2019.

“Climate change touches every fibre of our being together as community,” says Isaiah Toroitich, ACT’s global advocacy lead, in a conversation at COP24 in Katowice, Poland.  “There is an urgency for the world to respond to climate change.  As ACT Alliance, we know this- our members deal with it every day.  In Africa, ACT members respond to ongoing droughts that affect our humanitarian and development work.  In Asia, in Latin America, in the Caribbean we see similar levels of climate change related stresses on communities that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.”

ACT brings a unique voice to the climate change negotiations .  “We have policy experts here in Katowice,” Toroitich explains,” who bring tremendous knowledge and experience on the technical side.  But we also bring practitioners. This year, we have people from the Uganda, Zambia, Europe, Kenya, South Africa, India, Bangladesh, Argentina and other Forums here.  They bring their own experience of the practical community-based solutions that work in their own context.” This combination of policy and practice helps ACT to raise up the voices of people in communities effectively, to input into the negotiations. 

“As part of the ecumenical family we bring, along with WCC and LWF, a voice of faith, the moral and ethical imperative to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable, to care for creation, and for each other as we respond to the needs that climate change brings to the world,” Toroitich adds.

ACT’s history of involvement in the COPs goes back to COP 15 in 2009, but some of our member organisations have engaged on climate change right from 1992 when the UNFCCC was established. “The most important thing for this COP,” Toroitich says, “is to develop the rules for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.”

The world came together in Paris and recognized the urgency of climate action, the need to be ambitious in keeping global temperature rise to 1.5C.  “But now we need to focus on how to make it happen.  What rules will guide us in implementing this ambitious, urgent Agreement.”

It is vital that a good rulebook is established at this COP, as the Paris Agreement must be operational by 2020.  According to Toroitich, “There is no time to waste!”

ACT would like to see a rulebook that will:

1. Enable climate action to keep to the 1.5C target. The rulebook must push for ambition and enable countries and the world to act urgently to ramp up their national commitments to cut their greenhouse gas emissions .
2. Enable accountability and transparency. The rulebook must enable countries to be  transparent and accountable  to their emissions reduction commitments and provision of climate finance. 
3. Focus on the vulnerable. The rulebook must be overtly supportive of the most vulnerable, including  developed countries who are at risk, and vulnerable groups within societies including women and indigenous people.

The next two weeks in Katowice will be critical in determining how the world will respond to the huge challenges before it.  And ACT will be in the thick of it, raising the voices of the vulnerable and advocating for an ambitious, accountable and just rulebook to shape that work.