With the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report painting a clear and very worrying picture regarding man-made climate change in mind, it is clear that we need to urgently scale up climate action and pursue low-carbon development and strategies. The transition to an energy system powered by clean fair renewable energy is a crucial part of this challenge.
National and local governments as well as NGOs and civil society organizations met in Warsaw (Poland), between 11 and 22 November 2013, at the Warsaw Climate Change Conference. While countries have decided to advance the engagement of local governments in the global climate regime - including facilitating the exchange of experiences and best practice between cities and local governments in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and climate change adaptation- about 800 activists included social movements, trade unions and major environmental, development and youth groups, such as Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Oxfam, WWF, , as well as many others walked out of the COP19 in protest at the lack of ambition of industrialized countries at the talks, and in solidarity with people affected by climate change around the world. They expressed frustration at the corporate capture of the talks by big polluters, and the undue influence of multinationals over the process pushing for short-term economic interests over environment and citizen protection.
'Civil society organisations didn’t leave the UNFCCC process, one of the most democratic multilateral space, but aim to put more pressure on governments worldwide' said Susann Scherbarth, of Friends of the Earth Europe and Coordinator of the CO-POWER Project, and continued 'To have any hope of tackling our climate crisis, we need to see urgent and ambitious action, led by those who caused the problem. The EU must commit to binding climate and energy targets for 2030, a 60 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions and ambitious energy efficiency and renewables targets.'
Friends of the Earth International sets out their vision of a climate-safe, just and sustainable energy system, read more here. For more information on the Local Governments Climate Roadmap process at the Climate talks in Warsaw, click here.
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