AEPF joined a mass public action during the Global Strike Action September 20-27 in Bangkok. Along with our local partners especially the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development, there were demonstrations, posters, twitter storms in front of the UN Building in Bangkok. AEPF activists in these four brief videos argue that climate justice is linked with social justice. The main demand is that the world collectively and fairly find ways to stop the use of fossil fuels.

Please find some of the videos for the same below:

‘Friends of the Earth’ at the AEPF #GlobalStrikeAction (September 20-27, 2019)
Edo from ‘Friends of the Earth’ represents a network of more than 400 Indonesian Civil society groups is part of the AEPF #GlobalStrikeAction (September 20-27, 2019) action on climate emergency in Bangkok.

Global Campaign for Social Justice at the AEPF #GlobalStrikeAction (September 20-27, 2019)
Nathan Thankim of the Global Campaign for Social Justice, joins AEPF #GlobalStrikeAction (September 20-27, 2019) outside the UN Building Bangkok, demanding social justice as necessary for climate justice

Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) at AEPF #GlobalStrikeAction (September 20-27, 2019)
Liddy Nacpil from the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development with AEPF and others during the UN Week on Climate Justice and # Global Strike Action (September 20-27, 2019). Lidy says that climate emergency demands that the use of fossil fuels should end.

Portuguese activists at the AEPF #Global Strike Action (September 20-27, 2019)
Portuguese activists join the AEPF #GlobalStrikeAction (September 20-27, 2019). The main demand is that the world collectively and fairly find ways to stop the use of fossil fuels.

People from 150 countries are demonstrating to their governments to take urgent action to stop climate change. To end use of fossil fuels.

AEPF and it’s partners are part of this extinction rebellion. In this historic week Sept 20-27, 2019.

October 6, 2016

Draft CONCEPT NOTE for CLIMATE and ENERGY
Asia Europe Peoples Forum, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, July 4-6, 2016

The climate crisis has already reached the level of a planetary emergency. At nearly one-degree Celsius increase of the global average temperature since pre-industrialization – climate change has already been causing massive loss, destruction and destabilization of ecosystems and communities all over the world but most especially in the South.

Several years ago, climate justice movements were calling for urgent actions that would keep temperature rise to below one degree Celsius. Many scientists are now saying that this is no longer physically possible. They say there is still a chance to stabilize the earth’s temperature to below 1.5 degrees Celsius but this will require huge changes and achieving very high targets in the short term.

The Paris Climate Agreement forged last December 2015 stipulates this 1.5 degrees Celsius limit as the aspirational goal of all parties to the agreement. This is being hailed as an important achievement – as indeed this is the most ambitious goal every agreed to by governments. However, the concrete mitigation targets submitted by governments that form a major part of the Paris Agreement fall very short of this 1.5 degree goal. The collective impact of these national targets condemn the world to a 3-degree rise in global temperatures.

More than every, addressing climate change urgently requires peoples movements to intensify, scale up and escalate all efforts for a comprehensive transformation of the global capitalist system which gave rise to this crisis. Such efforts must also aim for concrete short term and medium term victories. What the world will do in the next 5 to 12 years will determine whether the 1.5 degree limit will still be possible, whether we will still have a chance to prevent climate catastrophe.

A crucial sector where major changes should take place immediately and where complete transformation should be completed the in the soonest possible time is Energy.

Many communities and movements in Asia and in Europe are fighting long-standing battles to stop dirty energy and harmful projects. Others are engaged in resisting privatization and corporatization of energy services and fighting for peoples’ right to energy for their basic needs. And increasingly, movements across these energy issues are uniting around calling for the transition to renewable, efficient and democratic energy alternatives for people and communities – as swiftly as possible in a just manner that ensures that workers and communities are not displaced and dislocated — as all are being made aware of the urgency of addressing climate change. Studies indicate that if we are to keep temperature rise to below 1.5 or even 2 degrees – there is just a fixed amount of carbon the world can still emit which requires that most of the current fossil fuel reserves should be kept in the ground.

A dangerous response to the climate crisis is the promotion of false solutions. The danger stems from the following 1) these solutions do not represent real or reliable results 2) these solution become an excuse or a substitute for taking real effective actions 3) these solutions carry other dangers and other harmful impacts on people and the environment 4) these solutions exacerbate inequality and make it possible for elites and corporations to gain profit from climate change and its impacts.

The sessions on Climate and Energy at the AEPF will involve an exchange of information, analysis and perspectives on the Climate Crisis and transformation of Energy Sytems.

There will be three sessions.

Session One:

1. The current state of play in the climate front and the requirements for stabilizing the earth’s temperature at the safest level still possible — below 1.5 degrees –
2. What these mean for the transformation of energy systems

Session Two

1. The current energy situation in Asia and Europe
2. What movements are doing for energy transformation – resisting dirty energy and breaking free from fossil fuels, opposing false solutions, working for swift and just transition to renewable energy systems for communities and people

Session Three

1. Exploring and developing concrete joint strategies and strengthening joint actions in the next months and years

Note: The Thematic Cluster ‘Climate Justice – Towards Sustainable Energy Production and Use’ is being coordinated by Rivers Without Boundaries (Mongolia), Asian People’s Movement on Debt and Development, Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF), and Transnational Institute (The Netherlands).

April 30, 2016

By AEPF Working Group, Sitftung Asienhaus, May 2, 2016

The climate movement has picked a struggle it seemingly can not win: 80 per cent of all fossil fuels have to stay in the ground if to avert catastrophic climate change yet fossil fuels remain a large share of the global energy sources; science demands a substantial cut in global emissions within a few years yet bold policies and global treaties are missing; policy makers invite business and corporations to round tables and global negotiations while business strongly oppose any far reaching climate policies; while new fossil fuel mega projects are in the pipeline millions of people lack access to affordable clean energy.

And yet the climate movement has grown substantially in the past decade: Opposing new mega projects, resisting against the fossil fuel’s industry to dig deeper and further, lobbying governments and politicians to ban environmentally destructive practice, and raising voices of those mostly affected climate change, Naomi Klein has coined the term “blockadia”. But blocking every single coal fired power plant will neither be possible nor will it lead to the substantial change needed. Climate change is not only a matter of keeping carbon in the ground or merely a matter of staging loud protest every time climate deals are sealed. It is a question of social justice, a question of power and it demands nothing less than a systemic change in production and consumption patterns, fundamentally addressing power relations between and within countries.

The climate movement is currently at the stage at which it has to move out of its climate silo and link up with other struggles. Struggles for freedom of movement, the fight against gentrification, austerity measures and cut in public services, protest against corporate influence or the need to avert another free trade agreement are important battles. People need to have the right to safely cross borders, whether they flee from war torn countries or whether the loss of livelihoods and environmental destruction is the driving force. The fight against rising prices for basic needs such as housing, transport or medical treatment are in line with the struggle against rising costs for energy for basic human needs. And the resistance against corporate influence, whether it is in secret trade negotiations or global or national legislation processes, is similar to the one against energy corporations seeking profit by wrecking the climate, receiving state subsidies and transferring prices to consumers.

The struggle for climate justice is about making sure that fossil fuels remain in the ground. But it is also about making sure that those people affected have voice in decision making processes. People need to be able to have a say on whether a new coal fired power plant is being build, on what kind of jobs are needed, or how we can move away from a system of resource exploitation and environmental destruction and what a just transition shall look like.

In Europe, radical movements for climate justice have emerged that work with civil disobedience strategies, energy democratisation initiatives and deinvestment. We reject the European Unions claim to be a “leader” in the fight against climate change. While European countries congratulate themselves for timid support of renewable energy, the same companies, banks and governments are investing heavily in new coal and extractive industries in Asia, for example in Indonesia and Mongolia. European movements need to connect up with Asian activists to confront this hypocrisy and to transnationalise their strategies. There is also a lot to be learnt from each other in terms of successful initiatives and modes of resistance. More fundamentally, we need to discuss and perhaps reconcile different perspectives – including resource nationalism, neo-extractivism, climate debt, degrowth and socio-ecological transition – in a way that reflects differential and uneven development. AEPF can be a platform to facilitate and initiate such a discussion.

August 17, 2014

Scheduled to take place Sep. 1-2, the conference will provide world leaders with “a first-hand opportunity to experience climate change and poverty challenges of small islands.”

For low-lying atoll nations particularly, the high ratio of coastal area to land mass will make adaptation to climate change a significant challenge.
According to the United Nations, the political leaders are expected to announce “over 200 concrete partnerships” to lift small islanders out of poverty – all of whom are facing rising sea levels, overfishing, and destructive natural events like typhoons and tsunamis.
“We are working with our partners – bilaterally and multilaterally – to help resolve our problems,” said Ambassador Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaia, permanent representative of Samoa to the United Nations.
“You don’t have to bring the cheque book to the [negotiating] table,” he added. “It’s partnerships that matter.”
The issues on the conference agenda include sustainable economic development, oceans, food security and waste management, sustainable tourism, disaster risk reduction, health and non-communicable diseases, youth and women.
The list of 52 SIDS covers a wide geographical area and includes Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bahrain, Nauru, Palau, Maldives, Cuba, Marshall Islands, Suriname, Timor-Leste, Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu.
The conference is expected to adopt a plan of action, also called an outcome document, ensuring some of the priorities for SIDS. A preparatory committee, co-chaired by New Zealand and Singapore, has finalised the outcome document which will go before the conference for approval.
Responding to a series of questions, Ambassador Karen Tan, permanent representative of Singapore to the United Nations, and Phillip Taula, deputy permanent representative of New Zealand, told IPS SIDS have “specific vulnerabilities, and the difficulties they face are severe and complex. The small size of SIDS creates disadvantages.”
These can include limited resources and high population density, which can contribute to overuse and depletion of resources; high dependence on international trade; threatened supply of fresh water; costly public administration and infrastructure; limited institutional capacities; and limited export volumes, which are too small to achieve economies of scale.

They noted that geographic dispersion and isolation from markets can also lead to high freight costs and reduced competitiveness. SIDS have limited land areas and populations concentrated in coastal zones. Climate change and sea-level rise present significant risks.
The long-term effects of climate change may threaten the very existence and viability of some SIDS, Tan and Taula said in the joint interview. “SIDS are located among the most vulnerable regions in the world in terms of the intensity and frequency of natural and environmental disasters and their increasing impact. And they face disproportionately high economic, social and environmental consequences when disasters occur.”
These vulnerabilities accentuate other issues facing developing countries in general, such as challenges around trade liberalisation and globalisation, food security, energy dependence and access; freshwater resources; land degradation, waste management, and biodiversity.
Asked how many SIDS have been identified by the U.N. as in danger of being wiped off the face of the earth, they said no such assessment has yet been undertaken.
However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released its fifth assessment report (AR5), and its Working Group II has recently issued its contribution to that, on ‘Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability’.
The report warned that small islands in general are at risk of loss of livelihoods, coastal settlements, infrastructure, ecosystem services, and economic stability.
For low-lying atoll nations particularly, the high ratio of coastal area to land mass will make adaptation to climate change a significant challenge.
Some small island states are expected to face severe impacts such as submergence, coastal flooding, and coastal erosion, the report added. These could have damage and adaptation costs of several percentage points of gross domestic product (GDP).
The report notes the risk of death, injury, ill-health, or disrupted livelihoods in low-lying coastal zones in small islands.
However, the WGII report also notes that significant potential exists for adaptation in islands, but additional external resources and technologies will enhance response.
Asked if there will be a plan of action adopted in Samoa, they said the outcome document will highlight the challenges that SIDS face and actions that SIDS and their partners will take to address these challenges.
“The theme of the conference, sustainable development of SIDS through genuine and durable partnerships, recognises that international cooperation and a wide range of partnerships involving all stakeholders are critical for the sustainable development of SIDS.”
As host, Samoa has made it clear that “no partnership is too small to count but what is essential is that they have clear targets, outputs, planned outcomes and timelines.”
Meanwhile, Afu Billy, capacity building volunteer at Development Services Exchange in Solomon Islands, told IPS the experiences that would be shared during the conference will be invaluable for small island states as they learn from each other how they are dealing with these issues and also learn from the international community on how they too are addressing these priorities of SIDS.
The fact that the conference will be bringing together governments and non-government stakeholders, including the private sector, provides a learning opportunity and one that will pose collaborative efforts on how everyone can work together in partnership to assist SIDS.
The conference will also create a space for civil society organisations (CSOs) to have an independent voice and also for governments to hear their views, she noted.
This may create further collaborative initiatives between governments and CSOs for sustainable developments in the SIDS.
Asked whether she expects any concrete outcome, Billy said the idea to form partnerships among all stakeholders including the governments to assist SIDS to do things for themselves “is one outcome that we anticipate the conference delivering.”
Any plan of action that the conference adopts should be inclusive of all stakeholders, she added.
“There should be emphasis on SIDS doing things for themselves to ensure sustainable development and that stakeholders and partners are seen as ‘friends’ who come to their rescue when they get bogged in a ‘rut’ but then let’s them carry on with what they are doing after being ‘rescued’”.
This is to alleviate or minimise donor dependency but also promote sustainable development.
“We expect better and stronger official development assistance (ODA) to be directed on development effectiveness rather than on a dominant aid effectiveness approach,” she said.
“Finally, we expect that the issue of reducing corruption and increase transparency at all levels will be an overarching subject at the Conference and sound recommendations to alleviate corruption will be adopted and incorporated into the Plan of Action,.”

Edited by: Kitty Stapp

The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@aol.com
http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/08/swamped-by-rising-seas-small-islands-seek-a-lifeline/

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