NGOs, SOCIAL MOVEMENTS WALK OUT OF WARSAW TALKS

The Warsaw Climate Conference, which should have been an important step in the just transition to a sustainable future, is on track to deliver virtually nothing. In fact, the actions of many rich countries here in Warsaw are directly undermining the UNFCCC itself, which is an important multilateral process that must succeed if we are to fix the global climate crisis.

The Warsaw Conference has put the interests of dirty energy industries over that of global citizens.

Organizations and movements representing people from every corner of the Earth have decided that the best use of our time is to voluntarily withdraw from the Warsaw climate talks. Instead, we are now focusing on mobilizing people to push our governments to take leadership for serious climate action.

Organizations and movements representing people from every corner of the Earth have decided that the best use of our time is to voluntarily withdraw from the Warsaw climate talks. This will be the first time ever that there has been a mass withdrawal from a COP.

When: 1.30pm, Wednesday 21st of November 2013

Where: Outside Food Court in C2 level 0

What: Short statement by participating NGOs

Who:

Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director, Greenpeace International

Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation

Harjeet Singh, International Coordinator – Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Adaptation ActionAid International

Samantha Smith, Leader, Global Climate & Energy Initiative, WWF International

Asad Rehman, Head of International Climate, Friends of the Earth (Europe)

BACKGROUND

The leaders of participating organisations will hold a short press conference outside the food court on level 0 starting at 1:30; at about 2pm, they will start walking through the conference centre to the exit on Level -1 (to go down the stairs outside).

Simultaneously, all participating observers will also leave their posts inside the conference centre and make their way to the exit on Level -1.

This will be a peaceful walk out.

Leaders will be available for interviews outside the conference centre as required.

For further information, please contact:

GREENPEACE

Martin Kaiser, email: martin.kaiser@greenpeace.de, mobile: +49 171 878 0817

OXFAM

Anna Ratcliff, email: anna.ratcliff@oxfaminternational.org mobile: +44 (0) 779 699 3288

ITUC

Anabella Rosemberg: Annabella.Rosemberg@ituc-csi.org; mobile:

ACTIONAID

Brandon Wu, Email: Brandon.Wu@actionaid.org, mobile: +1 202-730-5974