Katherine V Robinson, Action Aid
As world leaders head to Paris next Monday for the most important climate change conference— COP21, civil society organisations, citizens and activists from all over the world are mobilising this weekend, marching in all major cities to call for a progressive climate agenda that ensures that the harmful social and environmental effects of climate change are reversed, and the people and countries that bear the brunt see climate justice.
From Australia, Denmark, and the UK, to Senegal and South Africa, ActionAid International will be taking to the streets for the People’s Climate March to demand “Climate Justice. People Power!”
ActionAid South Africa (AASA) will be marching in solidarity with Earthlife Africa— an organisation which has been organising this march in South Africa every year for the past decade to protest against the impending climate disaster, fuelled by and world governments’ lack of commitment to climate change and renewable energy. AASA will march with Earthlife Africa this Saturday, starting at West Gate Taxi Rank in Marshalltown Johannesburg at 10 am, to end the Eskom Regional Offices in Smit Street in Braamfontein at 13:00. According to a statement by Earthlife Africa this is year’s march to Eskom is in protest of the over-reliance on coal power for South Africa’s electricity. “Earthlife Africa Jhb’s 2015 climate march demands that the South African Government reduces its local emissions drastically and immediately in order to play its fair share in global climate change mitigation. But more importantly, Earthlife Africa Jhb’s climate march culminates its long standing campaign against South Africa’s addiction to coal-fired electricity generation, and the associated coal climate criminals.” “Eskom and Sasol alone have earned South Africa the title of being the 13th highest emitter of greenhouse gas in the world, and the highest in Africa. A title which has brought the vast majority neither development nor wealth”, explains Dominique Doyle, Earthlife Africa-JHB Energy Policy Officer.
AASA also works closely with mining affected communities, more specifically our partner, Mining Affected Communities United in Action (MACUA). These communities that have no access to electricity yet they bear the most direct cost on their health and safety. AASA takes a hard line when it comes to the abuses perpetrated by mines against local communities, especially coal mining, what AASA dubs “dirty power.”
AASA’s Mining and Extractives coordinator, Christopher Rutledge says, “The battle for climate justice is inextricably linked to social justice and at AASA, our core work is supporting local communities in claiming their rights to dignity and a clean environment.
Furthermore, the People’s Climate March comes at a poignant time in South Africa. We are facing a serious drought and water crisis in most parts of the country, paralleled with climate extremities like hail the size of tennis balls damaging crops and property. This thrusts citizens deeper into food insecurity. As always, poor people, particularly women are the hardest hit. Fatima Shabodien, ActionAid South Africa Country Director says that COP21 coinciding with 16 Days of Activism is especially significant. “Violence against women is systemic, tied in with the violence of climate injustice. It is rural women that bear the greatest burden of climate change and poverty, yet women’s voices are largely excluded from negotiations at the local and global level. Furthermore, because women shoulder the disproportionate burden of domestic responsibilities, climate change leaves women and girls more vulnerable to gender-based violence. All this only serves to reinforce other forms of inequality and marginalisation. Climate change is matter of life and death for women both in city centres and the country side.
Pooven Moodley, ActionAid International’s Head of Campaigns, echoed these sentiments saying, “Women must have full participation in all aspects of climate policy, actions and solutions, including decision making power over financial investments.” He added that in a very unequal world and a very unequal South Africa, climate change will further exacerbate inequality and injustice. “The new global climate agreement must include a Global Goal on Adaptation and a stronger institution to address loss and damage. Finance for climate change adaptation in developing countries should be increased from the 2013 level of US$3-5 billion per year, to at least US$50 billion per year by 2020. This is a matter of justice not charity!”
In South Africa, we have seen how powerful youth are, and young people across the world are also mobilising for climate justice because they are the ones inheriting this catastrophe. Wadzanai Mudzongo, an Activista from Zimbabwe says “Climate change affects us all, but it doesn’t affect us equally.” Wadzanai is part of ActionAid’s youth campaigning network, who has travelled to Paris for the Conference of Youth, where 5000 young people from around the world have come together to influence the climate negotiations.
photo credit: United Nations Photo via photopin cc