VIDEO about EnvironmentDirect Action posted on December 9, 2011 by Tim McSorley

"COP17 has been a failure": Leading climate justice activists speak out in Durban

→Durban 2011

On Dec. 8, with just a day and a half left to negotiations at COP17 in Durban, climate justice activists from around the world spoke out about the failings of the conference and the inability of government's to put aside national interest, and economic interests, in order to reach a strong, binding and effective agreement.

In particular, they took aim at the 'Green Economy,' which focuses predominantly on market mechanisms and profit motives in order to address climate change. Tools like carbon offsets and the carbon market have yet to show that they can effectively curb green house gas emissions, and with it global warming and catastrophic climate change. In fact, internal studies of the World Bank, which is the interim trustee of the Green Climate Fund, has shown that more that half of the projects undertaken in Africa so-far have been counter-productive.

Speakers called on governments to disregard profit motives and, taking on the terms of the Occupy movement, to distance themselves from the 1% in favor of funding actual solutions.

Speakers include:
Anne Petermann, Moderator, Executive Director, Global Justice Ecology Project
Desmond D’sa, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance
Kandi Mosset, Indigenous Environmental Network and GGJA
Ricardo Navarro, Friends of the Earth El Salvador

Credits:
Camera and editing: Maude Prud'homme
Audio recording and editing: Tim McSorley