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corporate accountability
"They Are Killing the Paris Agreement": Civil Society Slams COP26 Failure and Demands Bold Action in Final Hours
On the last scheduled day of COP26, against the backdrop of civil society protests and unmitigated outrage at lack of equity, urgency, and ambition by world "leaders" and wealthy nations, climate justice leaders slammed the proposals currently being discussed in the final hours of the negotiations.
Nov 12, 2021
On the last scheduled day of COP26, against the backdrop of civil society protests and unmitigated outrage at lack of equity, urgency, and ambition by world "leaders" and wealthy nations, climate justice leaders slammed the proposals currently being discussed in the final hours of the negotiations. As the clock ticks on COP26 and the window closes to keep warming below 1.5oc, the climate justice movement has provided an alternate decision to governments--there is still time to act.
As government negotiators exchanged diplomatic niceties and congratulated COP26 President Alok Sharma on his tremendous "leadership," civil society filled the halls, protesting the great injustice that COP26 is shaping up to be, and condemning the empty promises of supposed "world leaders," who while pledging to keep 1.5 alive fail to deliver on any meaningful pathway to do so.
While Mr. Sharma sought to cross the t's and dot the i's on a deal described as "the worst deal for climate change," (Ivonne Yanez, Accion Ecologica), climate justice activists from around the world poked holes in Sharma's so-called "success" and left nothing unsaid at a presser convened by Demand Climate Justice and Friends of the Earth International. The deal on the table is a death sentence for millions of those on the frontlines.
Despite all the cause for anger, activists who have been fighting for real action since COP1 reminded people that this is no time to give up. Until the gavel at COP26 drops, and way beyond, we must continue to fight. Hope lies in the hundreds of thousands of people around the world who took to the streets earlier this week to demand justice, and in those fighting on the global frontlines to stop extractivism.
Ivonne Yanez, Accion Ecologica:
"What has been approved [at COP26] is probably the most land grabbing ever during a COP or during any climate change negotiations. All of these net zero emissions, all of these nature-based solutions, all of the agreements about forests, the agreement about methane--everything that they are approving will be carbon offsets. There will not be enough land and enough oceans...that will provide enough carbon offsets for all of the plans that will be approved here."
Asad Rehman, War on Want:
"The wealthiest have said that their coffers are empty, treating climate finance as if it were some loose change to be found down the back of the sofa. Whilst in the last decade alone, they've created $25 trillion in quantitative easing to protect their own industries and economies. If only the poor were the banks that we would not be talking about the unmet sums of $100 billion.
Under this UK leadership, this has not been the 1.5 degree COP--it has become closer to the 3 degree COP. And the UK has continued to treat critical issues such as loss and damage as if it's an act of charity: burning someone's home and then offering to buy them a door knob.
In 2021, this new text may have plenty of warm words to acknowledge and "urge" when what we really needed was will, and what we needed when your house is on fire. And for those trapped in that fire, not for us to acknowledge that there is a fire or that we should ring the fire brigade, but to actually act."
Meena Raman, Third World Network and Friends of the Earth Malaysia
"[This draft decision] is massively killing the Paris agreement...No finance, no technology transfer, no adaptation, no loss and damage. If you think that this is what we should be applauding, please, you have to look at it again...There is absolutely complete dishonesty and hypocrisy...You can fool some people sometimes, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. And you cannot fool the climate justice people anymore. We have seen through this illusion and smoke."
Mary Church, Friends of the Earth Scotland
"Neither [Scotland nor the U.K.] are on track to meet their inadequate climate targets, and both have come up with plans that rely on fantasy techno-fixes to keep the fossil fuel industry going while hiding behind a smokescreen of 'net zero' and false solutions. The good news, however, is that all over the country, communities are resisting...The people understand what needs to happen, even if the politicians refuse to say no to their friends in the fossil fuel industry. And it's this kind of resistance, the kind of people power that we've seen here in the corridors of COP26, today that is growing here in Scotland, here in the U.K. on every continent."
Sara Shaw, Friends of the Earth International
"We are witnessing the 'great Glasgow get-out'. After making a series of flashy announcements full of caveats and loopholes, rich countries and the UK COP Presidency are rushing to close a deal that heaps responsibility for emissions cuts on developing countries, without providing the money they need to move away from fossil fuels. At COP25 in Madrid, big polluters like Shell, Total and BP launched offsetting schemes for so-called 'nature based solutions'. Now, at COP26 we see nature-based solutions in all but name bang in the middle of the draft agreement. But there simply aren't enough land and trees in the world to soak up the emissions that big polluters are planning."
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COP26: Just transition, or just greenwashing?
As climate change threatens people and the planet, COP26 poses a crucial opportunity to solidify commitments that will protect life in all its forms. While heads of state preemptively congratulate themselves on the success that this year's climate talks will be, millions of people, especially across the Global South, are suffering the impacts of the climate crisis, global vaccine apartheid, and ever-growing inequality.
Oct 26, 2021
As climate change threatens people and the planet, COP26 poses a crucial opportunity to solidify commitments that will protect life in all its forms. While heads of state preemptively congratulate themselves on the success that this year's climate talks will be, millions of people, especially across the Global South, are suffering the impacts of the climate crisis, global vaccine apartheid, and ever-growing inequality.
What's the cause for celebration among the corporate elite and heads of state? The growing popularity of 'net zero' pledges, which are the fossil fuel industry's latest marketing attempt to convince the public that they can realize 'carbon neutrality.' In reality, these schemes are just Big Polluters' 'get out of jail free card' to avoid truly cutting emissions to zero or answering for decades of deception about their role in fueling the climate crisis. Later this week, CEOs of Exxon, Chevron, BP America, and Shell will be called in front of the U.S. Congress to answer for decades of deception.
" Big Oil not only lied to the American public about the reality and dangers of the climate crisis, they continue to churn out propaganda that downplays their central role in the greatest existential threat to humanity of our time," says Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA), chair of the Oversight Environmental Subcommittee, hosting this week's Congressional hearings. "The fossil fuel industry's 'net zero' campaign is just one more way Big Oil is trying to deny responsibility for their central role in climate disruption, as extreme weather, flash floods, fires and record breaking temperatures wreak havoc for life on earth. Thursday's hearing is the fossil fuel industry's Big Tobacco moment and just as it was for Big Tobacco, Big Oil must know they're no longer going to be able to lie and get away with it."
But these polluters will continue to parade a 'net zero' agenda at COP26, as revealed in Still a Big Con: How Big Polluters are using 'net zero' to block meaningful action at COP26, new research out today from Corporate Accountability, Corporate Europe Observatory, Global Forest Coalition, and Friends of the Earth International. In the lead-up to this year's negotiations, all boasting 'net zero' pledges, BP and Shell have each met with UK officials more than 50 times; Microsoft continues to hold contracts with Exxon while sponsoring COP26; and BlackRock, still heavily invested in coal, is both lobbying the EU and advising it on climate finance.
"Big Polluters have pulled out all the stops promoting their flakey 'net zero' plans on the road to COP26, from schmoozing decision-makers and sponsoring conferences to rubbing shoulders with the Queen of England." says Pascoe Sabido, researcher with Corporate Europe Observatory. "But look behind their vague ambitions and you see a chilling future of climate chaos and continued planetary destruction. These climate criminals should have no seat at the table while they continue to try and burn it down. Why has the UNFCCC not kicked them out already?"
While polluters are playing their cards via governments and greenwashing gambits, this year's Conference of the Parties is no game of Monopoly. Billions of lives are at stake, no matter how much Big Polluters stand to profit from continued delay of climate policy that can protect people and the planet.
Leonela Yasuni Moncayo, youth activist with UDAPT (Union of Affected Peoples by Chevron/Texaco), speaks from her firsthand experience in Ecuador. "The Amazon, my community and I, our skin shows the destruction and disease that big polluting companies have left in their wake. My present and future cannot depend on the will of corporations. They have shown that they will stop at nothing to make a profit, even when our rivers fill with oil, our lungs with gases, our bodies with cancer, our plants with poison and the air with smoke."
Without drastic action by governments at the UNFCCC and at home, the corporations that brought us this crisis will retain access to those decision-making spaces at COP, where rules for real solutions, as well as dangerous distractions like carbon markets, could get finalized. It's impossible to write strong climate policies with polluters in the room--but there is already a strong international precedent for protecting policy from industry influence.
"The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) provides tools that can protect policymaking from interference by the tobacco industry--which prioritizes profits over the health of the public and of the planet," explains Dr. Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC. "Some features of the WHO FCTC that make it a strong protector of public health--such as articles on liability and conflicts with commercial and other vested interests--may also help to protect climate policy from industries that pose a danger to people and the planet."
As evidenced by the strength of the WHO FCTC, negotiating international policies without industry interference can save lives. Further, in place of any empty 'net zero' scheme brought forward by the likes of BP and Microsoft, there are real solutions that governments can deploy. People most directly impacted by these intersecting crises are closest to the solutions, as on the African continent.
"Africans are clear: we must set the agenda for African policymaking, not corporate shills," says Aderonke Ige, Associate Director at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa. "It is we who experience vaccine apartheid and climate disaster. 'Net zero' is a death sentence for Africans. COVID-19 remains a mortal threat. Not only do we demand life--we demand to be in leadership on real solutions to addressing these crises."
It's time for governments around the world to reject dangerous 'net zero' distractions--and boldly advance a plan for real zero, real solutions, and a just, livable future.
Speakers included:
- Pascoe Sabido, researcher at Corporate Europe Observatory, on key takeaways from original findings about polluter influence at COP26.
- Dr. Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, on legal precedent from tobacco control policy and potential applications in international climate policy.
- Representative Ro Khanna of California (D-17), spoke about the upcoming House Oversight Committee hearings on Big Oil's historic disinformation campaign, and the importance of fossil fuel accountability efforts.
- Leonela Yasuni Moncayo, 11 year old youth plaintiff in the case of gas flaring in the Ecuadorian Amazon against the Ecuadorian state, and member of UDAPT (Union of Affected Peoples by Chevron/Texaco) on the urgent need for action to address historic harms and protect a livable future.
- Aderonke Ige, Associate Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, on the need for real solutions over corporate greenwash.
The event was moderated by Scott Tully, a member of Glasgow Calls Out Polluters (GCOP), a grassroots group organizing for climate justice at COP26.
Speakers are available for additional questions or comments upon request.
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Corporate Accountability Statement on Veolia/Suez Merger Agreement
Apr 12, 2021
Below is a statement from Corporate Accountability Water Director Lauren DeRusha (she/her) on the developing situation:
"After decades of failed water privatization deals that put profit over people, communities around the globe--from Pittsburgh, U.S. and Osorno, Chile; to Gabon and the halls of the United Nations--have soundly rejected the corporate control of water.
This agreement would not only result in more consolidated corporate control of water by Veolia in Europe, but also leave behind a 'new Suez.' 'New Suez's' apparent focus on water privatization promises many of 'old' Suez's abusive practices in the places it will operate, including many Global South regions. If history is our guide, the results of this merger will undoubtedly be unjust. The best way to make sure all people have access to water, is for people--not corporations--to control it.
People will fight every step of the way to not only prevent the consolidated corporate control of water, but also for a future where access to water is guaranteed--not bought and sold."
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Congress Just Introduced the Answer to America's Water Woes With Unprecedented Support: The WATER Act of 2021
77 Members of Congress and 540 Groups Unite to Endorse the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability Act of 2021
Feb 24, 2021
As America's communities continue to face oppressive water rates amidst a haunting pandemic, Rep. Brenda Lawrence and Rep. Ro Khanna introduced federal legislation today that would transform America's water infrastructure and ensure affordable, safe, and clean public water for all in this country. Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act of 2021 is the comprehensive solution to America's escalating water woes. And Americans overwhelmingly support it.
The People's Water Project, a group dedicated to passing the WATER Act, joined 73 U.S. House representatives, 4 U.S. Senators, and a diverse coalition of 540 justice, labor, environmental, and advocacy organizations in endorsing the legislation. The organizations include ACRE, AFSCME, Consumer Reports, Corporate Accountability, Earth Justice, NAACP, Flint Rising, Food & Water Action, Citizens Action Coalition, In the Public Interest, United Steelworkers,The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans, and UAW, among others.
"The crisis in Texas illuminated how vital access to running water is for human survival. And the COVID-19 pandemic has put on display the unjust reality of America's water affordability, reliability, and equity crisis. Now, Congress finally has a real solution with the WATER Act of 2021," said Brittany Alston, Deputy Research Director of Action Center on Race & The Economy. "The only way to combat America's water crisis is with this type of bold, reparative change that both challenges corporate power and addresses water affordability, accessibility and quality across the entire country, especially in low-income and BIPOC communities. We thank Representatives Brenda Lawrence and Ro Khanna, Senator Sanders, and every Congressional cosponsor for stepping up for America's families today."
The WATER Act of 2021 creates a WATER Trust Fund that would dedicate $35 billion each year to grant programs and to the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs. These programs include a specific focus on providing support for rural and small municipalities, Indigenous communities, and low-income Black and brown communities who face disproportionate water issues.
Additionally, the WATER Act can create upwards of 1 million jobs at a time our country needs them most and will require the use of U.S.-made iron and steel on water system projects. It also applies prevailing wage law and encourages union labor to all projects funded by the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Fund programs.
"We have a moral and ethical obligation to ensure that all people have access to clean and affordable water," said Mary Gutierrez, Founder and Director of Earth Ethics. "For years, pre-COVID 19 and recent natural disasters, we have seen the inequities in the distribution of water, the WATER Act addresses these inequities. The WATER Act ensures that all communities, low-income, BIPOC, have access to clean and affordable water. Let's not forget that we can expect to see additional impacts to our existing infrastructure with increased intensity and frequency of storm events due to climate change. It's time to act now to address our failing infrastructure before more adverse environmental and public health impacts occur."
Over the past 50 years, federal funding for water has declined by more than 80% on a per capita basis. As a result, water rates have skyrocketed and are now unaffordable for millions of households in the U.S. When households are unable to pay these exorbitant bills, states often allow water service shutoffs.
In the face of COVID-19, a disease that has led public health officials to urge frequent at-home hand washing, only 43% of the U.S. population are protected from water shutoffs, and hundreds of local and state moratoria have already expired. As a result, 57% of the U.S. population --186 million people--are at risk of losing their water supply if they cannot keep up with bill payments during an unprecedented economic recession.
"From Flint to Pittsburgh, the private water industry's failures have endangered communities. It's clear that public investment -- not privatization under any name -- is the solution to American's drinking water and wastewater infrastructure crisis. And the WATER Act is just the tool we need," said Alissa Weinman, Associate Campaign Director at Corporate Accountability. "COVID-19 has only exacerbated the long-standing harms of lack of safe water access, particularly for low-income communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color. In order to truly 'Build Back Better,' the federal government must renew its commitment to the human right to water by robustly funding our nation's water systems."
The WATER Act of 2021 not only responds to water accessibility and affordability, but also to privatization and quality. It details a path for upgrading our water systems to remove highly toxic and hazardous chemicals like lead and per-and polyfluorinated substances (or PFAS) from drinking water while also maintaining public control over these systems instead of handing over control to the private water industry and their Wall Street partners that want to commodify water for profit over public health.
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Additional quotes from People's Water Project Partners:
"Water is life. We have a sacred duty to heed the cry of the earth and the cry of her most vulnerable people. Supporting the provisions of the WATER Act, including protections specifically aimed at improving water access and affordability in BIPOC communities, is our moral duty," said Blair Nelsen, Executive Director of Waterspirit.
"From the plague of water shutoffs during a pandemic for countless families with unaffordable bills, to the recent heartbreaking scenes across the South of frozen pipes leaving millions without water to drink and bathe, it has become desperately clear that our country is in a water crisis. Grave crises require robust solutions, and this is just what the WATER Act provides," said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Action, a leading organizational supporter of the bill. "The WATER Act paves the way to rebuilding our failing water system by addressing maintenance and modernization, cleanliness and safety, affordability and social justice - all in one clean sweep. The time for Congress and the Biden administration to make this critical legislation a priority has very clearly come. Our country can't wait any longer for a functional, safe and affordable water system for every community."
"Privatization of our water systems is a threat to public health, the environment, and democracy," said Donald Cohen, Executive Director of In the Public Interest. "Water is an essential public good, not a market commodity for corporations and wealthy investors. We need direct federal investment in water infrastructure across the country. This is an opportunity for the federal government to prove it works for all of us and not just the wealthy and connected."
On behalf of all the people who are suffering the consequences of a failing for-profit system and are denied the basic right to clean, affordable water, the People's Tribune newspaper supports the Water Act," said Sandy Reid of People's Tribune.
"Access to clean and affordable water is a basic human right. But for far too long, our country has allowed water to become a market commodity," said Toni Preston, Senior Campaigner at SumOfUS. "The Water Act is a necessary piece of legislation that will finally begin to address our country's failing water infrastructure, and ensure that every person in this country has access to clean and affordable water."
"The WATER Act is the first essential step towards social and economic liberation of all people, especially for the poor and marginalized. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season generated 30 names tropical storms and 13 hurricanes, 6 of which were major hurricanes. This along with the recent winter storms that are pummeling Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi exposes the deep privation and indigence of the nation's water infrastructure. The WATER Act meets the nation's most pressing need for sustained investment into aging and unprepared water systems.," said Jessica Dandridge, Executive Director of The Water Collaborative,New Orleans.
In the U.S. Southwest - Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah - there is less rain and snowfall each year than the amount of water used in homes, businesses, and farms. As aquifers dry up, competition for scarce resources between water utilities, rural communities and agriculture leaves poorer communities at a disadvantage. In the face of climate change, with significant portions of the Southwest already under extreme drought conditions, these challenges threaten to endanger the health, safety and livelihoods of some of the most vulnerable people in our country. Federal investment in public water utilities is a critical necessity as the climate crisis looms, said Mariel Nanasi, Executive Director of New Energy Economy in New Mexico.
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