NETWORKS
Press Conference
On April 8, as the UN climate talks came to a close, civil society organizations held a press conference with JSAPMDD Regional Committee Member Rex Varona joining the speakers' panel.
The press conference highlighted the heavy-lifting done by developing countries at the talks, including that, in total, developing countries are doing more to reduce emissions than developed countries.
"Rich countries are still refusing to guarantee their commitment to the Kyoto Protocol and their emission cut promises are far away from what is needed in line with science and equity," said Mohamed Adow, Senior Advisor Global Climate Advocacy, Christian Aid.
Press Conference
JSAPMDD member Ahmed Swapan joined the panel of speakers in a press conference on April 5 hosted by Friends of the Earth International tackling the issue of climate finance.
Swapan said JSAPMDD denounces the appointment of the World Bank as trustee for the Green Climate Fund. "The World Bank does not have any credibility to be involved in climate financing given its long track record in promoting and funding fossil fuel projects that exacerbate climate change. In addition, it is involved in promoting false solutions to the climate problem," he said.
On the last day of a series of protest actions in front of the UNESCAP building, JSAPMDD members on April 5, donned T-shirts and waved flaglets with the words "World Bank Out of Climate Finance" to emphasize their opposition to the World Bank being named as interim trustee for the Green Climate Fund established during the UNFCCC talks in Cancun last December 2010.
According to a statement by JSAPMDD, the World Bank has a history of financing and promoting policies with harmful consequences to people and communities such as the privatization of essential services like water.
"Cut your emissions, we demand reparations now! Annex 1 pay your due, No to pledge and review!", these were the key messages chanted by JSAPMDD members during its second day of protest actions right outside the gates of the UNESCAP building.
Carrying cardboard cut-outs shaped as scissors with the demand for the US, EU and Annex 1 countries to cut their GHG emissions, the JSAPMDD demonstrators said on April 4 that they reject any proposal that dilutes the common but differentiated principle and agreements on emission reductions.
JSAPMDD leaders criticized the decisions reached in Cancun where the US suggested that countries submit voluntary commitments in emissions reduction contrary to the UNFCCC principle.
In the afternoon of April 3, JSAPMDD members joined the demonstration of the Thai Working Group on Climate Justice in front of the UNESCAP building.
Val Vibal of the Freedom from Debt Coalition as well as the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice spoke out during the rally to highlight the demands of JSAPMDD in view of the climate talks being conducted by the United Nations.
In solidarity with the Thai groups, JSAPMDD also issued a statement circulated to the media stressing its demand for reparations from rich industrialized countries for the latter's climate debt owed to South or developing countries.
