Here’s the scoop: Over the weekend, and continuing today, obstructionist governments doing Big Polluters’ bidding have been ramping up their efforts to end any discussion of industry conflicts of interest—for good.
These governments, like the U.S., EU, Australia, and Norway, have been disregarding the clear, united calls from the climate justice community inside the talks as well as the voices of people like you from all over the world on the outside calling to kick Big Polluters out.
Today at #SB50Bonn, the UN climate negotiations, young people took to the streets to DEMAND climate justice now.
That starts with #PollutersOut and #PeopleIn 💪🌈🌍 pic.twitter.com/Qivo7J1TKo
— UKYCC (@ukycc) June 21, 2019
The good news is that governments from countries on the front lines of climate change have been standing firm against this relentless obstruction.
The Least Developed Countries (LDCs), a bloc of governments that negotiate shared positions at the climate talks, know how much is at stake. They know Big Polluters are fueling a crisis that is already taking a toll on their people’s lives and livelihoods. And they know Big Polluters must not write the rules any longer.
So on Saturday, after obstructionist governments one by one took the microphone to try to take up space to avoid talking about a conflict-of-interest policy, a representative from the LDCs spoke out. In no uncertain terms, he demanded governments address the issue. And the LDCs continued to hold the line through negotiations today—even as we know Global North governments are ramping up pressure behind the scenes.
We need to show the LDCs that people around the world are with them in solidarity. And, just as importantly, we need to make sure the obstructionist Global North governments—like the EU—get the message.
That’s why we and our allies need you to make a call to the EU’s offices in Washington, DC today and first thing tomorrow.
The EU likes to play good cop to the U.S.’ bad cop in these negotiations—but they can only get away with it if no one is paying attention. Raise your voice with us—and stay tuned for more updates on our blog.
This blog post is part of “Polluters out, people in!“–our series of dispatches from the global climate talks in Germany. Read more here.
