Blog by Emily Arasim and Osprey Orielle Lake
At the close of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP22 climate talks in Marrakech, the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International reaffirms that women around the world stand at the forefront of the climate crisis, and are leading the way forward to address issues of social and ecologic justice, build a just transition to renewable energy, and to create a livable future for all. They stand in diversity, strength, resistance and love to denounce exploitation of the Earth and her peoples – taking action both within the UNFCCC and governmental processes, and with their communities, on the frontlines, in the streets, in the fields and in the forests.
Women for climate justice will not wait for stagnated politicians nor rely on change within broken systems – we will continue to make our struggles and solutions known within the ‘halls of power’, and we will simultaneously push back and move forward to build the other world that we know is possible. Frontline, Indigenous and grassroots women from the Imider movement in Morocco to the Amazon rainforest in South America – from Standing Rock in the US, to Small Islands Nations of the Maldives and Marshall Islands, and countless places in between are all calling for an end to extractivism and immediate action to protect water, land and climate for all generations present and future.
There were several bright spots at the climate talks that will open doors in the process as we go forward, yet for the most part, as we have seen time and again, peoples and women’s movements worldwide are clearly stating that government action is not nearly ambitious enough given the urgency of the climate crisis we face. Despite being promoted as the “COP of action” – the past two weeks were filled with far too much familiar talk and hollow calls for ‘ambitious action’ left unfulfilled.
The United Nations itself confirms that under the Paris Climate Accord, which calls for action to limit global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 degree Celsius, current commitments by governments take us to a catastrophic 3 degrees rise. This is a reality that the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network, and our frontline, grassroots and Indigenous women partners and allies across the world simply refuse to accept.
Coming out of COP22, we denounce lack of action by wealthy countries and nations of the Global North, who continue to skirt their historic responsibility to act and provide meaningful support to those nations who are experiencing the life or death impact of the climate crisis now, and who have contributed the least to the accelerating degradation of the Earth’s ecosystems.
While many wealthy nations of the world continued to drag their feet and avoid serious commitment to climate action or financial support throughout COP22, forty seven developing nations united to create the Climate Vulnerable Forum and declare their intention to lead the green transition and work towards 100% renewable energy. We celebrate this positive momentum, and look forward to following this process to ensure that the transition that unfolds is just, decentralized, democratized and sustainable.
For a safe and livable world, we know there can be no more new fossil fuel development. Despite the ceaseless calls and actions of civil society leaders, this vital truth has not been fully acknowledged or acted upon by the majority of our world governments represented at COP22.
More over, climate talks in Morocco included unprecedented involvement of corporate interests who have consistently fought meaningful climate action, funded climate change denial and whose fundamental mission to extract and burn as much fossil fuels as possible stands in direct contradiction to the aims of the UNFCCC COP process. Representatives of fossil fuel, mining, water privatization and industrial agriculture companies had a strong presence and access to most key meetings in Marrakech, including closed-door meetings with national representatives.
As we reflect on COP22, we are pleased to see some important forward momentum on the inclusion of gender-responsive climate action into the discourse of the climate negotiations. At long last, member states are no longer debating why gender is important, but rather seeking to understand how it can be acted upon. As member states seek to integrate gender into their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC’s), WECAN and our global partners and allies highlight the importance of projects not only designed for women, but by frontline women themselves. The gender components of the Paris Agreement have been hard fought for over years by the dedicated efforts of the Women and Gender Constituency.
In light of the recent election of a climate skeptic and strong fossil fuel proponent as the next U.S. president, we also welcome the efforts and actions by the global community to reaffirm committed climate action despite political roadblocks and the dangerous implications of a Trump presidency. The Marrakech Action Proclamation is an important and strong show of global unity, however like the Paris Agreement itself, it is not binding and represents goals that we have yet to see negotiators and members states put urgent and ambitious action behind given the rapid increase of global warming already being felt around the world.
We know that the international community and global peoples movements will move forward with or without full U.S. involvement, however, should the U.S. rescind on its Paris Agreement commitments, it will risk becoming a pariah state, and will show itself to be opposed to justice, peace, and the very life of future generations. Even though the Paris Agreement is flawed and we do not support the false solutions promoted within it, it is imperative that the U.S. remain in the process and not abandon millions of people to accelerating climate chaos and disaster. Along with growing civil society networks, WECAN will continue to advocate ceaselessly for action by the U.S. regardless of the presidency.
We know our fight has just become exponentially larger, but we will never give up. We stand ever firmer in our commitment to protect and defend Mother Earth, courageous defenders of the land, all species, and the very web of life itself.
Let it be known that diverse women around the world are not going to stop speaking out and demonstrating until we keep 80 % of fossil fuels reserves in the ground, stop deforestation and ocean pollution, implement gender equality, respect Indigenous rights and the rights of nature, and finance a just transition to 100% renewable energy. Our red line has been crossed, and we are rising. We will not stand idly by as temperatures continue to increase and Indigenous peoples and land defenders continue to be criminalized and persecuted.
It must be recognized that 80% of the bio-diversity left on Earth is in Indigenous lands and territories and Indigenous peoples put their bodies on the line every day to protect theses lands, forests and waterways. First and foremost we all should be supporting our Indigenous allies because they should not be facing brutal violence as they fight to stop the destruction of their homelands and life-ways, however, we also need to understand that everyone’s survival is interwoven and we cannot live without water, forests and air, and it is paramount that we fight together for Indigenous rights as a central climate solution. It is a tragedy that Indigenous rights was only left to the preamble of the Paris Accord and not the operative part of the text.
While our WECAN analysis places emphasis on the many flaws and failures of COP22 and the UNFCCC process, we reaffirm our continued commitment to action within and outside of climate talks and negotiations. We stand to make sure women’s voices are heard; to expose polluters and false solutions; to offer just solutions; and to spark vital conversation around topics including seed saving, soil and farming, tree planting, Indigenous sovereignty, ending market mechanisms and neoliberal economic models, rights of nature, Traditional Ecologic Knowledge, overconsumption and lifestyle change, and gender equality and women’s leadership at the forefront of all climate decision making.
EXPLORE this Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network blog for further information on the actions, events and advocacy work that WECAN and allies participated in while on the ground in Morocco over the past two weeks.
Women Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change – Marrakech
On November 14th, the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network held a large public event in downtown Marrakech, gathering together worldwide women leaders to speak out against environmental and social injustice, draw attention to root causes of the climate crisis, and present the diverse array of visions and strategies with which they are working to shape a healthy and equitable world.
Over the course of four panel discussions and several keynote speeches, women leaders from Morocco, sub-Saharan Africa, Pacific Island Nations, North America, South America, Europe and Continental Asia spoke on diverse issues including women, seeds and soils; women’s resistance to fossil fuel extraction; women and forests; oceans; Indigenous struggles for sovereignty and Earth protection; violence against women land defenders; Traditional Ecologic Knowledge; and women’s leadership in climate policy and strategy, amongst many vital topics.
We send the deepest gratitude to all of the outstanding speakers who shared their stories, struggles, calls to action and plans for real just action to address the climate crisis and global violations of human, Indigenous and nature’s rights. The event filled us and many who attended with inspiration, collective power, collaborative strategies andstrength to continue ahead with the enormous work we must all engage in order to build a healthy and just world.
‘Women Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change – Marrakech’ featured: Her Excellency Hilda C. Heine (President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands); Honorable Mary Robinson (Mary Robinson Foundation: Climate Justice; Former President of Ireland); Neema Namadamu (SAFECO; Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network Democratic Republic of Congo); Rachida Outouchki (Amazigh Representative of the High Atlas Foundation, Morocco); Amina El Hajjami (Amazigh Representative of the High Atlas Foundation, Morocco); Ruth Nyambura (African Eco-Feminists Collective; No REDD in Africa Network; Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Kenya); Alicia Cahuiya (Huaorani Peoples, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador); Simone Lovera (Global Forest Coalition, Paraguay); Diana Lopez (Southwest Workers’ Union; Global Grassroots Justice Alliance, USA); Jacqui Patterson (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Environmental and Climate Justice Program, USA); Thilmeeza Hussain (Former Deputy Ambassador to the UN from the Maldives; Climate Wise Women; Voice of Women, Maldives); Kalyani Raj (UNFCCC Women and Gender Constituency Representative, India); Nicole Oliveira (350.org Latin America, Brazil); Natalie Isaacs (One Million Women, Australia); Diana Donlon (Center for Food Safety, USA); Cecilia Flores (Abya Yala Women Messengers, Aymara Peoples, Chile); Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner (Climate Change Activist / Poet, Marshall Islands); Kayla DeVault (Shawnee/Anishinaabe Peoples, SustainUS Delegation, the Diné Policy Institute, USA); and Osprey Orielle Lake (Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network, USA).
The event was opened with traditional Amazigh (Berber) songs by Yamna Oulamine and Nejma Ait Mansour of Morocco. We were also very honored by the presence of Fatima Khalloufi and Aicha Abouh, two Amazigh women leaders of the community of Imider, Morocco, who are at the heart of one of the countries most critical movements, working for over 5 years to protect the water, life and Indigenous rights of the people of Imider from a disastrous silver mining operation on their land.