Transcript GGJ Durban Report-back - Grassroots Global Justice Alliance

DURBAN REPORTBACK
UN Climate talks – COP17
Durban, South Africa
Grassroots Global Justice delegation
GGJ Delegation
 Jen Soriano and Michael Guerrero, GGJ staff
 Francisca Porchas, LCSC and Bus Riders Union, LA
 Ahmina Maxey, East Michigan Environmental Action Council,
Michigan
 Teresa Almaguer, PODER, San Francisco
 Jill Johnson, Southwest Workers Union, San Antonio
 Treston Davis-Faulkner, Jobs with Justice
 David Gonzales, Just Transition Alliance
 Rosalinda Guillen, Community to Community Development,
Belingham
Friend of GGJ—Sara Mersha, Grassroots International, Boston
Copenhagen—COP 15
 Copenhagen—
Copenhagen Accords
system change, not climate change
Cochabamba
Cochabamba Accords
Universal Declaration on the
Rights of Mother Earth
Cancun—COP 16
Cancun
Climate Finance—World Bank
controlled
NO REDDs
Durban—COP 17
Durban
Kyoto or not?
Million Climate Jobs and
NO REDDs and
What is UNFCCC COP17/CMP7?
COP17/CMP7 is the 17th edition of the Conference
of the Parties of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (COP) and the 7th
Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of
the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP)
Meet “annually to assess progress in dealing with
climate change” – from official website
What is UNFCCC COP17/CMP7?
Their solution is carbon trading using programs such
as:
 REDD - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation
and forest Degradation
 CDM - Clean Development Mechanisms
Durban Oil Refinery
What is UNFCCC COP17's solution to this problem?
CARBON TRADING
GGJ Goals
• Call on the U.S. State Department to:
 Set binding targets of 50% carbon emission reduction by
2017 (Cochabamba People’s Agreement)
Drop carbon-market false solutions and adopt
Cochabamba People’s Agreement and the Universal
Declaration on the Rights of Mother Earth
Reject, don't reroute, and deny, don't just delay - the
TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline
GGJ Goals
•
Expose REDDs and other false solutions to climate change that
masquerade as conservation but are actually the
commodification of forests, soil, and oceans.
•
Advance rights-based solutions from people of color,
indigenous and poor and working class communities in the US
who are disproportionately impacted by environmental
racism and climate disruption
•
Develop relationships and strategies with international social
movement allies including international trade unions and
organizations working against carbon trading and so-called
“green” capitalism towards Rio+20
Outside – People's Space
People's Space was at University of Kwazulu-Natal
– Served as an open and inclusive venue where national
and international civil society organizations were able to
network and define their own responses to COP17
Food Sovereignty – Rosalinda Guillen of Community to
Community Development
Million Jobs – Treston Davis-Faulkner of Jobs with Justice
Waste Picker – Ahmina Maxey of the East Michigan
Environmental Action Council
Food Sovereignty (Rosalinda’s slide)
Food Sovereignty spaces – Rosalinda Guillen of Community
to Community Development
World of Work Pavilion
World of Work Pavilion—series of dialogues regarding key
areas of economic activity escalating greenhouse gas
emissions (GHGs) which causes climate change and possible
solutions worth the trade-union movement and working class’
support
Exp. extreme energy extraction (oil, coal, tar sands),
renewable alternative forms of energy (namely solar and
wind), transportation (of materials and people).
World of Work Pavilion
Million Climate Jobs space
 A people’s movement strategy to solving the economic
and ecological crisis.
 Rooted in public sector good job creation to promote a
just transition from a high-carbon economy to a sustainable
and fair economy.
 National campaigns underway in SA and UK.
 Potential in the US?
Global Alliance of Wastepickers
 Wastepickers are apart of the informal recycling sector in many
developing countries
 The Global Alliance of Wastepickers and Global Alliance of
Incinerator Alternatives brought representatives from Senegal,
Costa Rica, South Africa, and India who were demanding an
alternative to Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM)
 CDM backed incinerator and landfill gas companies are pushing
wastepickers off land because they are competition for trash
 Incinerators are hazardous to the environment and health of
communities around the world, and through these alliances we
continue to work to get rid of them
Inside – COP17 (Tom’s Slide)
COP17 space - Tom Goldtooth of Indigenous Environmental
Network
Global Day of Action & Food Sovereignty marches
Toxic tour of South Durban
Toxic Tour - Rally in front of oil refinery
Toxic Tour - Police presence in front of oil refinery in riot gear protecting the 1%
Suggestions for Rio+20
Inside Strategy
– political 101 training before Rio for the delegation
– target US delegation and US-based NGOs
Outside Strategy
– Host at least one workshop, collaborate with
international allies
– clear inside / outside strategy with demands, possible
focus on carbon markets