Time to Act on Climate, Ministers Told at UN Climate Assembly

Today ministers from around the world gathered at the UN General Assembly to discuss climate change received an unprecedented statement by social movements of climate-impacted communities from the global South as well as faith, labor, environmental, and anti-poverty groups representing tens of millions of people from around the world. [1]

Friends of the Earth International together with trade union body ITUC, faith groups such as CIDSE, social movements such as LDC Watch, The Bolivian Platform on climate change and the Asia People's Movement on Debt and Development - together with global NGOs such as Oxfam, Action Aid and Greenpeace, produced the joint statement sent to the president of the UN general assembly and key ministers including the French environment minister, who will preside over the Paris UN climate talks. [2]

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The statement, titled The People's Test on Climate 2015, sets out the minimum needed from the climate summit due at the end of the year in Paris, and is seen as a 'people's climate test'.

Asad Rehman, international climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland said : "All around the world we are seeing the devastating effects of the climate crisis. But we are also witnessing an unprecedented movement of people calling for urgent and concrete action to protect people and our planet."

"Our leaders should pay close attention to the joint statement delivered by global trade unions, faith groups, NGOs and social movements. This alliance is unprecedented and agrees on the urgent steps needed to address the climate crisis."

"The people's test on climate sets out the key demands on transformation of our energy system, protecting the right to food and water and help for those being impacted by climate change."

"It is a clarion call for justice and sends a clear message to political leaders that we will not accept empty promises at the UN climate summit in Paris. This is not just a powerful moral and political demand for people power. It is the roadmap for what is needed and what politicians will be judged on in Paris," he added.

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] The statement is available in English, French and Spanish at https://peoplestestonclimate.org

[2] For more information see : https://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/06/26/nothing-less-systemic-trans...