The Progressive

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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Jennifer K. Falcon, Indigenous Environmental Network, jennifer@ienearth.org

Delay Means Death, Indigenous Environmental Network Responds to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report

WASHINGTON
Today, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released part two of their report on climate change. The IPCC is the group designated by the U.N. to assess the science related to climate change and its effects. The sixth assessment titled "Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability," is a dire warning about the continued consequences of inaction. It shows that climate change is already a grave and mounting threat to the well being of everyone on the planet, especially Black, Indigenous and people of the global majority who lack the needed resources to adapt. The report again warns that our addiction to fossil fuels has caused climate warming at a rate not seen in at least the past 2000 years. By continuing to make false promises world decision makers have put us on course to reaching global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius within the next two decades.
Indigenous Environmental Statement on IPCC Report
With this latest report, the IPCC has once again laid the science bare, the planet is warming at faster rates than earlier predictions indicated, which is not news for Indigenous peoples for this report merely reinforces what Indigenous peoples have been saying all along. But given this report it is disgusting that the United Nations continues to ignore its own science by pushing false promises like the carbon markets in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and that so-called developed countries of the world continue fossil fuel expansion. These false solutions do not address our crisis at its root and continue the violation of Indigenous Peoples rights across the globe. Capitalism and greed has put humanity at risk and more innocent lives will be lost so fossil fuel executives can line their pockets.

Earth's ecosystems are declining globally at unprecedented rates with one exception-- on average these trends have been less severe or avoided in areas held or managed by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities where three-quarters of the land-based environment and about 66% of the marine environment has been significantly altered by human actions.

Now's the time to fight for all of humanity, the land, the sky, the water and the spiritual integrity of Mother Earth.

Established in 1990 within the United States, IEN was formed by grassroots Indigenous peoples and individuals to address environmental and economic justice issues (EJ). IEN's activities include building the capacity of Indigenous communities and tribal governments to develop mechanisms to protect our sacred sites, land, water, air, natural resources, health of both our people and all living things, and to build economically sustainable communities.