Women and gender NGOs at COP 18 to hold “not in my name action” demand “fierce urgency and ambition now”

4 December 2012

For Immediate Release

Doha, Qatar:  Women and Gender NGOs at COP 18 representing hundreds of women’s organizations and women environmental leaders around the world are calling on all NGOs and delegates present in Doha to 1) sign on to a group letter/online petition to governmental representatives and https://www.change.org/petitions/commit-to-fierce-urgency-and-ambition-in-solving-the-climate-crisis

The letter (complete text below) decries the lack of sincere and effective actions on the part of the countries from the Global North and says that the COP has no legitimacy to speak on behalf of the people of the world unless they make real progress.

The letter states:

“So far, your lack of urgency to work towards the common goal of saving people and the planet has left us angered and dismayed….. Countries, when you commit to take actions, you commit to the fierce urgency and ambition needed not only for our lives and well-being but the well-being and livelihoods of all the generations to come. Only then can you truly speak for us.”

Women will be holding signs with the message “NOT IN MY NAME” emphasizing the lack of legitimacy and progress at the Doha UNFCCC talks so far.

OPEN LETTER TO GOVERNMENTS PRESENT AT THE UNFCCC COP 18 / CMP 8 IN DOHA, QATAR

4 December 2012

Dear Parties,

We need a signal from you that you care about the women, men and youth of this world. So far, your lack of urgency to work towards the common goal of saving people and the planet has left us angered and dismayed.

When you fail to make concrete commitments to scaled up and continued financing; when you cater to the interests of the fossil fuel industry over the interests of people; when you fail to stand on the side of innovation and progress and share sustainable, safe and equitable technologies; when you fail to ensure countries are enabled to adapt to and pay for the losses and damages resulting from climate change; when you fail to speak up for our rights; you do NOT speak for us.

For too long now you’ve let complacency in saving this process override ambition in saving the planet.  We are talking about 2020 but ignoring what’s happening right now!  Eight years is too long to wait. While you’re crunching numbers communities around the world are already paying.

Now is the time to act to close the finance gap; act to close the gigaton gap; to respect and embrace our shared knowledge not as commodities to own or exploit but as tools to transition to a safe, sustainable, low-carbon world; to support resilience and acknowledge and compensate the cultural and ecosystem losses that our inaction has already failed to save.

Countries, when you commit to take these actions, you commit to the fierce urgency and ambition needed not only for our lives and well-being but the well-being and livelihoods of all the generations to come.

Only then can you truly speak for us.

 

Sign on to this letter at

https://www.change.org/petitions/commit-to-fierce-urgency-and-ambition-in-solving-the-climate-crisis

Contact:           Bridget Burns              +1.914.310.3270        bridget@wedo.org

                         Ulrike Roehr               +49.179.203.1511      roehr@life-online.de

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5 Dec, 2012
Posted in Press releases, Gender Justice and Forests, Forests and Climate Change