Press Release - ACT Alliance

Climate talks out of touch with reality

Media release

Climate talks out of touch with reality

Members of the ACT Alliance and ecumenical delegations call for more climate finance for the Global South, rather than more empty promises from rich countries around the world. Photo: Simon Chambers/ACT

Temperatures around the world are peaking. In some of the most vulnerable countries floods, droughts and cyclones are devastating communities and households. Climate change is a reality and deserves to be called a crisis.

After two weeks of UN (United Nations) negotiations in Bonn, the parties seem to have forgotten what is at stake if we collectively fail to solve this crisis. Talks instead focused on what to prioritise on the agenda, processes for future agreements, and dialogues meant to help parties understand each other.

As Mattias Söderberg, co-chair of the ACT Alliance Climate Justice group and a member of the ACT Alliance delegation at the Bonn talks, says,

These talks are out of touch with reality. Rather than engaging in real discussions, parties gave speeches based on old positions and arguments, without reflecting on the crisis we are facing.
As an international Christian network, we in Act Alliance are committed to caring for all creation. However, with the current system of world development, we, as humanity, are not living up to our responsibility.

All parties are aware of the need to address the climate crisis. However, there is no agreement on who should act.

Sostina Takure, ACT Alliance Zimbabwe Forum coordinator and ACT Bonn delegation member, says,

The climate crisis is also a justice crisis. Communities with the smallest carbon footprints pay the highest price, while countries with the largest historic responsibility continue their emissions. Rich countries must take the lead in the fight against climate change.
Climate justice must be reflected in the negotiations. Developed countries should deliver on their promises to mobilise climate finance and increase their support to adaptation.

The need for climate finance is clear. Without funds, there will be no action. This was also stressed during the talks about future climate finance in Bonn.

In ACT Alliance we believe that future climate finance must build on the needs of vulnerable communities, and not on political compromises.

As Mattias Söderberg says,

Climate finance must be delivered to the most vulnerable countries as grants. The climate crisis must not be turned into a debt crisis.
All financial flows in both developed and developing countries must contribute to the fulfilment of the Paris Agreement goals. However, this commitment should not be confused with developed countries’ obligations to mobilise climate finance.

At the upcoming climate summit, COP28, parties will adopt a global goal on adaptation. This goal will guide continued collaboration to enable successful and adequate adaptation for all. In Bonn, parties were expected to make progress in talks about this goal. In particular, they were expected to develop a better understanding of the goal. However, these talks did not deliver more than a commitment to continue talking.

As Sostina Takure says,

The progress in adaptation policy has been described as sluggish. Bonn offered little to no progress in identifying the global goal, and that is a genuine disappointment. Without adaptation funding people and communities are at risk when they face climate-related disasters and events.
Countries must work out the global goal on adaptation in detail to achieve our shared aspiration of overcoming climate impacts and building resilience.

Lack of adaptation finance will increase climate-related loss and damage. This was an important topic on the Bonn agenda, yet once again parties left the meetings with very different views.

As Mattias Söderberg says,

We want the upcoming climate summit, COP28, to deliver the loss and damage fund as promised by ministers last year. The fund is important, as people on the frontlines of climate change are already experiencing loss and damage.
The loss and damage fund should guarantee rapid and scaled up finance to vulnerable communities to protect lives, recover livelihoods, and for reconstruction following climate disasters.

Media contacts:

Mattias Söderberg

ACT Alliance Climate Justice Co-chair,

+45 29700609

Fiona Connelly

ACT Alliance Communications Coordinator

+1 416 466-2428

About ACT Alliance

We are a global faith-based coalition organized in national and regional forums operating in more than 120 countries.

Through our more than 140 members, we work on humanitarian aid, gender

and climate justice, migration and displacement, and peace and security to support local communities. Our goal is to promote a locally-led and coordinated approach to advocacy, humanitarian and developmental issues.

Basic Facts about the Alliance

ACT Alliance is composed of more than 140 faith-based member organisations working in long-term development, advocacy and humanitarian assistance.

Our members work in more than 120 countries
Our members employ more than 30,000 staff and volunteers globally
Our members mobilise approximately more than $ 2 billion each year
The alliance is supported by an international Secretariat of more than 25 staff based in Geneva, Bangkok, New York, Toronto, Amman, Bogota, Nairobi and Brussels.
ACT Alliance was established on 1 January 2010 by bringing together the vision, resources, the people of the organisations who have been working together since 1995 as ACT International and since 2003 as ACT Development.

During solidarity visit to Türkiye, ACT and WCC witness great needs yet great collaboration: “the churches are all working together”

After returning from a solidarity visit to Türkiye, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay and ACT Alliance general secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria appear in a video interview speaking about what they saw, how churches are working together, and their unique reflections on their visit—held 4-6 April—took place during western Holy Week.

Accompanied by Laki Vingas, archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and former elected representative of minority foundations in Türkiye, they visited Mersin, Iskenderun, and Antioch.

“The WCC and ACT Alliance’s presence in these particular places indicate that we care, we are concerned about what has taken place, and we want to find out how we can actually be of assistance,” said Pillay. “I might also stress that it was important for us to do this together.”

Both Pillay and Bueno de Faria said that they were very sad to see the devastation and damage left by the quake, which killed over 45,000 people in Türkiye alone. There is grave need related to the lack of food, water, and healthcare, and many first responders continue to work under extremely aggravated circumstances.

“What stood out to me first was the powerful impact of the earthquake on the infrastructure and the life of the people,” said Bueno de Faria, who is a survivor of earthquakes in Central America in 2001. “Comparing what I saw in Türkiye, it was shocking to see what people faced and the stories about how people were affected directly or indirectly and also communities as a whole.”

Watch the full interview

Bueno de Faria said that ACT Alliance is responding to the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable both in Türkiye and Syria through ACT’s appeal, which has raised almost $8.5M to date. Churches play a vital role in humanitarian response as they are integrated in the communities, able to provide key needs assessment data to responders, and food, shelter, cash assistance, psychosocial support, and much more direct aid to affected families.

Pillay and Bueno de Faria met many people with uncertain futures and are concerned—particularly in Antioch—that people will not return, and the historic city will lose its lively Christian presence.

“Much time and effort is going to be put into the reconstruction of people’s homes and churches and buildings, and so forth,” assured Pillay. “One of the great things happening at the moment, from what we have seen, is the great ecumenical collaboration. The churches are all working together.”

Being in Türkiye during Holy Week was an important time for reflection, Pillay concluded.

“I could reflect on the suffering of Jesus and then reflect on the suffering of people who have been displaced from their homes and their livelihoods, and where the earthquake has robbed them of their continuity of life,” he said.

ACT Syria appeal 2023

“ACT Alliance, WCC delegation on solidarity visit to Türkiye” (ACT/WCC news release 6 April 2023)

More photos of the solidarity visit

ACT Alliance, WCC delegation on solidarity visit to Türkiye

A delegation from the World Council of Churches and ACT Alliance is visiting Türkiye this week, expressing solidarity and support for churches on the ground responding to grave needs in the wake of the 6 February earthquake.

Visiting communities in southern Türkiye from 4-6 April, the delegation met with churches in Mersin, Iskenderun, and Antioch, including communities in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople, Latin Catholics and others.

“The visit is tremendously symbolic during western Holy Week, and during the last week of Great Lent in the eastern calendar,” said WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay. “It is really sad to see the devastation and damage brought about by the earthquake in Türkiye. Apart from the destruction of buildings, homes, properties and churches are the emotional and psychological scars endured by many people who have lost loved ones and almost everything.”

Pillay said: “We visited Mersin, Iskenderun, and Antioch. I was deeply broken to see most of Antioch totally destroyed and now very empty. Church leaders are very concerned about the diminishing numbers of Christians in Türkiye and now whether Christians will return to this land that has so much of biblical history.” He added “We pray that they would be able to continue to sustain a lively Christian presence in this very historic city.”

“The greatest need right now is to provide housing for the displaced people and funding to rebuild the destroyed cities,” underlined Pillay. “The churches are trying to build temporary houses for people and seek assistance.”

In the wake of the earthquake, there is grave need related to the lack of food, water, and healthcare, and many first responders continue to work under extremely aggravated circumstances.

The quake in Türkiye and Syria caused enormous destruction in terms of both lives and property: in Türkiye alone, 45 thousand people died under the over 230,000 collapsed buildings, 1.7 million were forced into tents, nearly 3 million were made homeless, and the livelihoods of some 9 million people were severely affected.

ACT Alliance general secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria said: “In the aftermath of the earthquake, churches did what they have always done—opened their doors, their hearts, and their hands to help their neighbours who were affected by this tragic event.”

Bueno de Faria added, “During this visit, we have seen the commitment of the churches to this work, to continuing to serve those impacted by the earthquake in the spirit of ecumenical diakonia.” He concluded, “The need of international financial support is critical, as the reconstruction will take time and will be costly.”

ACT Alliance partners and many other churches across the world have raised funds and sent humanitarian experts to conduct assessments and prepare relief, many closely cooperating with local partner organizations in the region.

According to an ACT Alliance situation report, the priority needs of earthquake-affected people are rehabilitation and repair of damaged homes, mental health and psychosocial support, food assistance, hygiene and dignity kits, shelter, water, sanitation, food, and cash assistance.

Many children continue to exhibit signs of distress, and there remains a significant need for psychosocial support services, recreational activities, child-friendly spaces, medical aid, and services for people with disabilities and the elderly.

Pillay concluded, “We encourage the WCC members and others to offer continued prayers and support for the people in Türkiye and other parts of the world affected by earthquakes and disasters. During this time of Easter, we are reminded that the suffering servant is with the suffering people of God on earth. May the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, give us hope and peace in these troubled and difficult times. In Christ is our hope!”

The WCC-ACT delegation is comprised of Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, general secretary, World Council of Churches; Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, general secretary, ACT Alliance; and Laki Vingas, archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and former elected representative of minority foundations in Türkiye.

More photos from the trip can be found here.

ACT’s revised Syria 2023 appeal, which includes the earthquake response, can be found here.

The WCC’s article on the appeal can be found here.

ACT Armenia Forum issues statement on closure of humanitarian Lachin corridor

The ACT Armenia Forum draws attention to the massively deteriorating humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, and has issued this statement:

Since December 11, 2022 Azerbaijan has blockaded the region of Artsakh by closing the only humanitarian corridor (the Lachin corridor) and cutting gas supplies to the region. With these actions, Azerbaijan is creating a dramatic humanitarian crisis and emergency situation for 120,000 ethnic Armenian residents, including 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly and 9,000 people with disabilities, who are in critical need of food, medication and all life necessary goods.

1,100 people (of which 270 are minors) are unable to return to their homes, and 350 people are unable to receive medical treatment. This situation is a blatant violation of the tripartite agreement that ended the six-week war of 2020, of international humanitarian and human rights law, and of the most fundamental moral principles.

All parties, without exception, must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and take constant care to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure so that they are protected, their houses preserved, and essential services remain.

COP27 concludes with a big breakthrough for the most vulnerable

Climate-induced loss and damage, situations where adaptation is inadequate or no longer an option, is a growing threat around the world, especially in vulnerable communities. Over 30 years ago small island states tried to bring this topic onto the UN climate agenda. At the end of the UN Climate summit in Egypt, COP27, we can finally celebrate that Parties have agreed to establish a fund and to mobilise support to address these losses and damages.

Mattias Söderberg, co-chair of the ACT Alliance Climate Justice group says: “ACT Alliance is very happy for this political breakthrough. Those most affected by climate change should no longer feel forgotten. The global community has acknowledged their needs and agreed to act.”

“We join all global south negotiators in celebrating the COP27 commitment to a loss and damage facility,” says Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, general secretary of ACT Alliance. “This is the result of their determined action over many years, supported by civil society and faith actors.”

However, there are few other results from the summit to applaud. “As faith actors on the front lines, we see the impact of inaction on God’s creation,” says Bueno de Faria. “We know that urgent action is needed to address the impacts of climate change, which more and more affect the poorest and most vulnerable people, those who have done the least to contribute to climate change. It seems that Parties at COP do not understand or are oblivious to the urgency of the climate emergency.”

Mitigation

Report after report has been released showing that mitigation actions currently announced by the countries of the world are nowhere near ambitious enough to keep global temperature rise to 1.5C. Yet the level of ambition at COP27 to accelerate these efforts slowed rather than increased. ACT is especially missing a clear call for the phase-out of all fossil fuels and clear shift to 100% renewables, which is not too astonishing given the extremely high presence of fossil-fuel lobbyists in Sharm el Sheik.

“It is not acceptable that the rights of Indigenous peoples and human rights have been sidelined in the new agreement on carbon markets,” says Dr. Marianna Leite of ACT Alliance. “Similarly, the back-and-forth on the need to ground solutions in international law and science was appalling. We need to move away from false solutions and call out parties which have been obstructing negotiations and pushing for clearly ineffective solutions such as the so-called ‘circular carbon economy’.”

Adaptation

COP26 in Glasgow laid the path for increased financial support to help communities adapt so they can better survive droughts, storms, and the changing climate. The proposed doubling of adaptation finance would help address the urgent needs of subsistence farmers, fisherfolk, and many other communities.

“It is inexcusable that a year after agreeing to double adaptation finance, that promise cannot be advanced at COP27,” says Kata Kuhnert, youth delegate from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. “Support to help vulnerable states and communities adapt to more frequent and extreme weather events impacted by climate change cannot wait.”

Gender, Indigenous and Human rights

The rights of women and girls, in all their diversity, as well as the rights of Indigenous peoples and human rights were often sidelined in negotiations. These rights are virtually invisible in the texts agreed upon related to climate finance, mitigation and adaptation. “An intersectional gender lens cannot be an afterthought,” says Manal Shehade, ACT Alliance MENA Gender Community of Practice Chair and COP27 delegate. “The truth is that without finance, there will be no gender transformative climate action and without gender justice there is no climate justice.”

Action that does not address the gendered dimensions of the climate emergency can further exacerbate inequalities. At COP27, we needed to see gender-inclusive policies being mainstreamed. Instead, we witnessed the watering down of language and further delays. The discussions on the Lima Gender Work Programme and its Gender Action Plan were expected to be deferred to Bonn in 2023, due to disagreement between Parties on the related support required. This resulted in a pause in negotiations, and then in the final hours, an ‘agreed’ text was ‘bulldozed’ through.

Finance

The report led by Canada and Germany showed that developed countries had only managed to mobilize USD 83bn per year, rather than the 100bn promised by 2020. The expectation, that a clear plan for delivery of the shortfall so far and how to keep the promise in the upcoming years, would be established, was not met, only a vague call to meet the obligations remained. Efforts by parties to agree on which nations should be contributing funds to finance mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage work led to disagreement as historic emitters and middle-income countries with growing current emissions sparred over who should be included in the category of contributors.

There have been a number of pledges from states towards climate finance, but not at the scale needed to address the critical needs of communities and whether they are additional and new as requested – is questionable. In addition, there was little progress on climate finance, including adaptation and loss and damage finance. Without this finance, the Global South cannot adapt to the climate emergency and the debt situation will get worse.

“At COP27, there has been a lot of political posing with no real change to the status quo or accountability for the wrongs of the past,” says Prof. Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, ACT Alliance Ambassador for Climate Justice. “At the end of the day, if polluters do not commit new and additional finance to tackle the current crisis—without further increasing the debt burden of vulnerable countries — their commitments will be nothing but empty words and they dramatically leave countries alone with the damages they have causes and continue to cause. This is irresponsible and lacks solidarity, regardless of their lip service to it.”

Conclusion

Savanna Sullivan, Program Executive for Youth for the Lutheran World Federation says that “To secure a safe planet for future generations, we need bold decisions for climate justice from all. We need to involve youth in the discussions. Not only do they bring important ideas and perspectives to negotiations and conversations now, but they are also the ones who will be in the room forty years from now. The investment we saw at COP27 in youth leadership and participation is an investment in the future of our planet.”

“Delays in international cooperation mean a delay in action in communities, where people are losing their homes, livelihoods, and even their lives every day. This cannot continue,” concludes Bueno de Faria. “We must keep our eyes on 1.5C and the deep emission cuts needed to get there, and on ensuring that climate justice is at the heart of all the work of this and all COPs.” And, equally important, Bueno de Faria added – “developed countries need to immediately operationalise and, therefore, mobilise new and additional finance for the newly created loss and damage funds.”

Press release: Faith leaders urgently call for increased ambition in closing days of COP27

November 17, 2022

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

Faith leaders from around the world at COP27 have watched with concern as the negotiations have stalled and not pushed for more ambition to prevent the drastic consequences predicted if global temperature rise goes past 1.5C, to support the most vulnerable communities and nations facing the brunt of climate change’s impacts today, and to ensure that human rights, a gender lens, and indigenous people’s knowledge are enshrined in the structures and work of the UNFCCC and its parties as they confront the climate emergency.

Faith leaders have issued today an urgent call for increased ambition in the final days of COP27.

“While negotiations stall, people are dying and livelihoods are being lost as a result of the impact of climate change,” the statement reads. “Time is running out and it is unacceptable if world leaders do not take clear and decisive action within the few remaining days of COP 27.”

The faith leaders, drawing on the call from the Interfaith Talanoa dialogue at the beginning of COP, the faith leaders are calling on leaders at COP27 to preserve all of God’s Creation by:

Recognizing the urgency of the crisis
Establishing a new funding facility for Loss and Damage
Richer countries meeting their commitment to $100bn annually for adaptation and mitigation
Wealthy countries canceling debt, provide adequate new finance, and a L&D facility
Ensuring gender is not siloed but a clear gender transformative climate action lens be applied in all climate work

XXXX

Media contact:
Simon Chambers, WhatsApp +1-416-435-0972

A phase out of fossil fuels must be combined with scaled up climate finance for a just transition

All around the world, people are marching, they are chanting, advocating, demanding that world leaders do what it takes to Keep 1.5 alive. Negotiators at COP27 must heed those demands.

ACT Alliance, a global network of 147 churches and agencies doing humanitarian response, development and advocacy work in over 125 countries, is on the front lines of vulnerable communities who have done the least to cause climate change yet face the worst of its impacts.

“Even with global temperature rise at 1.2, the world is seeing more frequent and severe climate-induced disasters- droughts, storms, and more,” says Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, general secretary of ACT Alliance. “ACT members support communities in preparing for, surviving, and recovering from such events. We know the challenges. And the need of local communities.”

And the world needs action. Now. To make sure global temperature will not increase above 1.5C.

“A climate summit that gives up on 1.5 will be a failure,” says Mattias Söderberg, chair of the ACT climate justice group. “Just seven years ago in Paris, we committed to strive for 1.5. But each year we delay, we stall, we avoid, and the time horizon for urgent action shrinks each day.”

A big step towards achieving 1.5 would be to keep fossil fuels in the ground. While we desire a phase out of fossil fuels, ACT supports the reality at COP27 as some parties rally behind the idea of “phasing down all fossil fuels.” A phase down is one step closer to what is needed- phasing out fossil fuels and transitioning to renewables, but Söderberg notes,””Such a phase down will not be possible without commitments from developed countries to support developing ones to phase down fossil fuels.“

Many countries depend on income from fossil fuels, and a transition away from fossil fuels will thus have big impact on the economies.Global transformations are needed to keep 1.5 alive. Phasing down- and ideally phasing out- fossil fuels to keep 1.5 alive must be complimented by adequate finance commitments to support just transition in developing countries.

Bueno de Faria concludes, “We would like to see a COP27 outcome including commitment to the phase out of all fossil fuels. It should be accompanied by an equal commitment from developed nations to mobilise the needed finance to make it possible. This will be a big step towards keeping 1.5 alive, and meeting the needs of the most vulnerable, including women and girls, who daily face the consequences of inaction on climate change.”

XXXX

Media contact:
Simon Chambers WhatsApp: +1-416-435-0972 simon.chambers@actalliance.org

Call from voices of faith around the world to COP27

15 November 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY

Call from voices of faith around the world to COP27

People of faith present at COP27 and around the world joined together on November 6 for a Talanoa dialogue, discussing a variety of aspects of climate justice and their call for progress in the negotiations at COP27. Representatives of faith groups, including youth, indigenous, and voices from around the world, will share key aspects of the Talanoa. Participants at COP from faith backgrounds bring the experiences of communities on the front lines of the climate emergency, they bring a moral dimension to the debate, and they also bring technical expertise through their engagement in combatting climate change and in climate justice advocacy

84% of the world’s population ascribe to a faith tradition, and faith communities are part of all communities in the world. They work as part of these communities together with local leaders and communities to address the impacts of climate change. The Interfaith Liaison Committee brings together faith constituencies working to achieve climate justice to raise their voices together and share their stories from their traditions and experiences around the world.

What: People of faith representing a range of faith traditions, countries, ages, and gender share calls from the 100+ people of faith who took part in the Talanoa dialogue on Nov 6, 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Who: Rt. Rev. Marc Andrus, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California (USA)
Ms. Maureen Goodman, Brahma Kumaris representative to the United Nations (UK)
Ms. Kata Kuhnert, Lutheran youth (Canada)
Imam Saffet Abid Catovic, ISNA Office for Interfaith and Community Alliance and Government Relations (USA)

Rev. Henrik Grape, Senior advisor on Care for Creation, Sustainability, and Climate Justice for the World Council of Churches – Moderator

Where: Press conference room (Luxor) and online

When: Tuesday, November 15, 2022 16h30-17h00

Why: Faith communities bring concrete experiences of the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable people, including women and girls in all their diversity and people on the move, who have done the least to cause climate change and are facing the brunt of its impacts. Faith groups are on the front lines, responding to climate change through mitigation, disaster risk reduction, adaptation, and more.

# # # # #

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

Press release: Launch of the Multi-Faith/Multi-Sector Alliance for Climate Action (MFSA) at COP27

November 15, 2022

Launch: the Multi-Faith/Multi-Sector Alliance for Climate Action (MFSA).

Please join us for the formal launch of an innovative new alliance, the Multi-Faith/Multi-Sector Alliance for Climate Action (MFSA).

The alliance will be a neutral bridge between existing multi-faith actors and their coalitions, and key secular actors (including governments, multilateral organizations, the private sector, civil society organizations, and media).

When: Wednesday, November 16 14h00 (Cairo time)

Where: IFRC Pavilion- Blue zone (beside UNFCCC and Egypt Pavilion) COP27, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Online on Youtube: Multi-faith/Multisector Alliance for Climate Action at COP27

Refreshments.

Interviews can be made available with:

Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, General Secretary, ACT Alliance

MEDIA CONTACT: Simon Chambers, ACT Alliance, WhatsApp: +1-416-435-0972 or simon.chambers@actalliance.org

A long way to go at COP27

COP27 has reached its halfway point, and there is a long way to go if this conference is to conclude with strong steps forward for climate justice.

“We must not get distracted by technical and procedural discussions,” said Rudelmar Bueno de Faria. “The parties must keep the needs of the most vulnerable people, including women and girls in all their diversity, indigenous people, and those in developing nations, at the forefront of their negotiations, and the decisions of this COP must provide the finance, voice, and seats at the table for them.”

ACT Alliance is a faith-based organization, and like all faith groups, ACT’s members are present in communities before, during and after disasters, including climate-induced ones. “Churches and other communities of faith are best placed to know the situation and to be first responders,” said Mattias Soderberg, co-chair of ACT Alliance’s Climate Working Group. “As integral parts of the communities where we work, we know that all people are part of their communities, including youth, women, and indigenous people. Climate resilience requires communities too, and those communities must include the voices of all.”

ACT Alliance notes that there is not enough progress in many workstreams.

Mitigation- keep your eye on the prize

A strong, climate justice focused result on mitigation must keep focused on the need to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C. To achieve this, we must think outside the box, looking at economy-wide emissions cuts, nature-based solutions, locally led processes, and other innovative methods as work to enhance mitigation ambition. We must not allow backtracking of progress so far to keep 1.5 alive, but ensure we keep the bar within reach.

Article 6- human rights at the centre

Human rights, gender responsive text, and the inclusion of indigenous peoples in the processes are necessary to a good result on Article 6. In addition, mechanisms must be transparent and clear, avoiding double counting or inclusion of false solutions.

Gender- a weak tea so far

The text on gender is weak language to date. States are “encouraged” rather than “urged,”, and the strongest commitments are listed as “voluntary.” The language must be stronger! It is important that finance is availed to strengthen gender responsiveness in climate action.

“Women and girls did not volunteer to be more impacted by climate emergencies. We want to see their involvement in all levels of leadership and decision-making processes for climate actions”, said Margareta Koltai, policy adviser from Act Church of Sweden.

Adaptation- missing in inaction?

COP27 was touted as an adaptation and implementation COP, but there has been very little movement on either topic. The decision to double adaptation funding made at COP26 in Glasgow is a good one, but the question remains of who is benefiting from the funds. We need good quality adaptation finance flows, with grants rather than loans, and where funds reach the people who need them most: the vulnerable people who have done the least to cause climate change yet face the worst of its impacts.

Finance- 17 billion short and counting

While we applaud the decision to double adaptation finance, we underscore the importance of funding being new and additional, not being drawn from other incredibly important work, including humanitarian response and ODA. We call on developed nations to meet their commitment to 100 billion dollars per year, not the 83 billion that Canada and Germany reported in week 1. And we know that the majority of these billions are loans that much be paid back, and most of the funds are taken from existing aid budgets, leaving less funds for projects supporting education, healthcare and democracy.

“We know that the needs for adaptation and loss and damage will continue to grow, and that 100 billion is not nearly enough,” said Cornelia Füllkrug-Weitzel, Special Envoy for Climate Change of ACT Alliance. “People and communities are impacted by climate induced disasters every day, and support must be available to communities to adapt and recover.”

Loss and Damage- stepping stones to a solution

ACT is pleased that loss and damage was included in the agenda for COP27, but having it on the agenda is not enough. COP27 must agree to the need for loss and damage finance- new and additional financing, in the form of grants, not loans Once COP27 agrees to the need for finance, work can continue towards COP28.

From deliberation to action

“As we start the second week, we remind our political leadership that we are at a tipping point,” said Julius Mbatia, global climate justice program manager at ACT Alliance. This year’s global climate talks must set decisions that facilitate implementation to secure our planet and the lives of those vulnerable to climate impacts. We need no more failed commitments, shifting blame and burden. It is time we repurpose this process from deliberations to action.”

Media contact

Simon Chambers WhatsApp: +1-416-435-0972 simon.chambers@actalliance.org