These initiatives within the system have furthermore created alliances with other sectors of society, trade unions, consumers, city dwellers, teachers, and researchers, all of whom are striving towards sustainable ways of life.

United Nations (UN) and Conference of Parties (COP)

We need to address the UN negotiations on Climate Change, and the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The lessons from previous rounds of negotiations are not very promising. Despite the high-profile schemes for concerted action launched first in the 1992 Framework Convention on Climate Change of Rio de Janeiro and later in the 1997 Kyotoprotocol, results are meagre and the problems have not been solved. Indeed, it has worsened as the principles, targets, and timelines of both the Convention and the Protocol have made little headway.

The same big corporate interests that are largely responsible for causing the climate crisis appear to have immense influence on climate policies at the national and global level. We strongly oppose this undemocratic influence of corporate lobbyism in the current COP-negotiations. Contrary to this, we call on states to put in place an appraisal mechanism for all policies and policy instruments under the UNFCCC, to ensure inclusive and deliberative multi-stakeholder processes that repair existing inequalities, whether based on gender, colour, age, disability or other forms of discrimination in the COP-negotiations. We demand that COP15 reach an agreement that will initiate the restoration of the environmental, social, and economic balance of planet Earth by means that are environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable and equitable, and finally come up with a legally binding treaty.

Our demands

We are raising our voices to the leaders in the UNFCCC to put forward the people’s demands and alternatives.

1. Phasing out fossil fuel: We call for a clear strategy for dismantling the fossil fuel era within the next 30 years, which must include specific milestones for every 5-year period. We demand an immediate cut in GHG emissions of industrialized countries of at least 40% compared 1990 levels by 2020.

2. Reparations and compensation for Climate Debt and crimes: We demand full reparations for southern countries and those impoverished by northern states, TNCs, and tax-haven institutions. By this, we partly address historical injustices associated to inequitable industrialization and climate change, originating in the genocide of indigenous nations, transatlantic slave trade, colonial era, and invasions. This must be accompanied by an equally clear strategy for compensating impoverished people for the climate and broader ecological debt owed by the enriched. A global and democratic fund should be established to give direct support to the victims of climate change. Developed countries must provide new, mandatory, adequate, and reliable financing as well as patent-free technologies so that developing countries can better adapt to adverse climate impacts and undertake emission reductions. This would allow developing countries to play their part in curbing climate change, while still meeting the needs and aspirations of their people. International financial institutions, donor agencies, and trade mechanisms should have no part in reparations.

3. An immediate global ban on deforestation of primary forests and the parallel initiation of an ambitious global tree-planting program based on native and diverse species in partnership with indigenous peoples and forest-dependent communities. Similarly, a ban on large-scale industrialized fishing methods and a return to primarily local and sustainable fishing practices. Finally, a ban on land grabbing by foreign interests and the full acceptance of people’s sovereignty over natural resources.

4. We express strong opposition to purely market-oriented and technology-centred false and dangerous solutions put forward by many corporations, governments, and international financial institutions. These include nuclear energy, agro-fuels, carbon capture and storage, Clean Development Mechanisms, biochar, genetically “climate-readied” crops, geoengineering, and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) as currently defined by the UNFCCC. These only produce new environmental threats, without really solving the climate crisis. Carbon trading and offsetting are also false and unjust instruments, because they treat a common planetary resource – the atmosphere – as a commodity that can be owned and traded. So far, the system has not proven its merits, and by allowing rich countries to offset their reduction obligations, it has maintained this unjust and unsustainable system.

5. Equitable tax on carbon emissions: Instead of the regime of tradable emission quotas we demand an equitable tax on carbon emissions. Revenues from this carbon tax should be returned equitably to people, and a portion should be used to compensate and contribute to finance adaptation and mitigation. This is, however, not a substitute for repayment of already accumulated climate debt. This compensation and funding should be unconditional and free of market mechanisms and financial institutions. Reduction of emissions must be strongly encouraged by a briskly increasing, transparent carbon tax, in addition to direct regulations to drive the phase-out of fossil fuels, while enabling safe, clean and renewable energy.

6. Multilateral institutions and TNCs: Unjust, unsustainable, and unaccountable global economic and financial institutions like the WTO, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), regional development banks, donor institutions, and trade agreements should be replaced by democratic and equitable institutions functioning in accordance with the United Nations Charter, that respect people’s sovereignty over resources, and promote solidarity between people and nations. A mechanism for strict surveillance and control of the operations of TNCs should be created as well.

Finally, we commit ourselves to a full and active involvement in carrying our sustainable transitions of our societies along the lines put forward in this Declaration.