GFC at UNFCCC COP22

7 Nov 2016 to 18 Nov 2016
Marrakech Climate Change Conference, COP 22

The 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP22) took place in Marrakesh, Morocco, from 7-18 November. The main aim of this conference was to start implementing the Paris Agreement, signed at COP21 in December 2015.

Several representatives of GFC were present and participated in a number of side-events, actions, press conferences and panel discussions. GFC also organised a two-week exhibition on the importance of providing appropriate support to community conservation and restoration initiatives, and the risks of results-based payments in this respect. A poster on the impact of meat consumption and production on climate change was featured as well. We also collaborated closely with allies in the Women and Gender Constituency, the Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change and other climate justice groups. The main events organised were:

Addressing Climate Change through Land Use: Supporting Corporations or Communities? Time to choose
This side-event was held on 9 November and co-hosted by GFC, Friends of the Siberian Forests, Movement Strategy Center, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance and Transnational Institute. Five speakers from Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations from Kenya, Uganda, Ecuador, the US and Paraguay addressed, among other things: the impacts of the private sector, public-private partnerships and forest carbon offset proposals like ICAO-REDD+; the negative impacts of monoculture tree plantations (financed as bioenergy or REDD+ plantations) on communities and women; and cases of women-led community-based practices with positive impacts on forest restoration.

Out of the Shadows Post-Paris: Animal Agriculture & Climate Change
This side-event was held on 15 November and co-hosted by Brighter Green and Humane Society International. The speakers discussed the climate and other environmental and social effects of large-scale animal agriculture and feed production, and discussed how climate change policies could address some of these impacts. Simone Lovera, Executive Director of GFC, was part of the panel and her presentation revolved around the alternatives to unsustainable livestock farming and the impacts of public-private partnerships.

Protest Against Forest Carbon Offsets for Aviation at Climate Summit
Inside COP22, Global Forest Coalition co-organised and participated in an action that opposed proposals by different sectors, including the aviation sector, to use forests and other land use activities as carbon offsets. The action demonstrated how forests are unreliable, non-permanent carbon sinks that can be affected by different issues such as droughts, fires, diseases and climate change and hence generate fake carbon. Before the action a press release and media advisory were issued and can be found here.

Climate March at COP22 in Marrakesh
On Sunday 13 November Global Forest Coalition and our allies in women’s and climate justice movements took part in the march for climate justice. The march advocated the need for urgent action on climate change, climate justice and the need to respect women’s rights and reject false solutions.