Climate Action
La solidarité internationale en question
Si les pays riches peuvent s’adapter à la hausse des températures « par le simple réglage d’un thermostat », pour reprendre la métaphore du prix Nobel de la paix sud-africain Desmond Tutu, les pays en développement affrontent des difficultés autrement plus dramatiques. Une réflexion sur la solidarité internationale en tant que conscience éthique.
Climat et justice sociale
Dans le débat public sur le changement climatique, on a tendance à présenter les technologies vertes comme la solution miracle ou la panacée. On oublie souvent un détail : il est essentiel que leur développement aille de pair avec la justice sociale. « Ce que nous n’avons toujours pas compris et qu’il est essentiel de comprendre, c’est qu’il ne s’agit pas seulement de réchauffement climatique, mais de réchauffement climatique dans un monde inégal et injuste », déclare Thiagarajan Jayaraman. Selon l’expert indien, sans égalité et équité, autrement dit sans paix et sécurité, on ne peut pas efficacement lutter contre le changement climatique.
Le climat, nouveau sujet du droit
Citoyens et ONG sont de plus en plus nombreux à travers le monde à pousser la porte des tribunaux, clamant l’injustice climatique. L’ampleur inédite prise récemment par ces contentieux mérite qu’on s’y arrête. Ils forgent l’opinion publique et constituent une forme de pression sur les États et les industries qui les sort de leur inertie.
UN environment at work. Making environmental law work for planet and people
Violations of environmental law, including environmental crimes, can undermine sustainable development and the achievement of agreed goals and objectives at all levels. Though hundreds of treaties, national laws and regulations exist to address environmental problems, there are major challenges when it comes to implementing and complying with them. The fifth Global Environment Outlook reported, for example, that significant progress has only been made on four of the 90 most important global environmental goals and objectives. The consequences of this shortfall can be seen in the increasing environmental pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, air and water pollution, and soil degradation, among others. These environmental impacts all have far reaching economic and socialconsequences and contribute to poverty and growing social inequalities.
Strengthening environmental justice
Being rich in natural resources is a tremendous blessing for Indonesia that brings prosperity and hope to the people. In addition to being the world's largest archipelagic country, Indonesia hosts a tropical forest area of more than 120 million hectares, the most extensive in Asia and the world's third largest. Indonesia is also abundantly rich in maritime resources potential: ocean comprises no less than twothirds of the country’s territory. Together, these ecosystems comprise immense mega biodiversity across the country’s extensive rain forests and rich coastal and marine areas.
De actualidad: La Sudáfrica de Mandela: ¿sueño o realidad?
Veinticinco años después del advenimiento de la democracia, Sudáfrica ha realizado progresos extraordinarios hacia la construcción de una nación unida. Pero materializar la visión de Nelson Mandela de un país que pertenece a todos quienes allí viven todavía requiere mucho esfuerzo, afirma el juez Jody Kollapen. Árbitro y víctima de casos de racismo (en octubre de 2003 se le negó un corte de pelo), este defensor de derechos humanos sigue siendo optimista.
Undermining progress
In 1990, at the end of the bush war in Angola and Namibia, we fought criminals and militants involved in trafficking natural resources, who were hiding from the government and police. Of course both these authorities harboured some corrupt individuals: we vividly recall handing over armed suspects to a local police chief in an African border town, only for them to be let out again – with their assault rifles – the day after we left. But now things have changed for the worse.
Take the lead on lead
Environmental injustices are mostly experienced by low income groups who are at the receiving end of poor technologies and banned chemicals, and whose main preoccupation is survival. They handle unknown chemicals using their bare hands, and lack sufficient knowledge of their toxicity. In most cases, the chemicals pose significant health risks to them, their families and nearby communities. The resulting chemical wastes are disposed of directly into the immediate environment. There is little regulation, and access to state social protection, training and social services is limited.
Taking practical action
Wildlife is a crucial part of natural ecosystems, and is directly related to global ecological security, cultural inheritance and sustainable development. Indeed, wildlife conservation is an important symbol of the development of human civilization. Yet, the global illegal wildlife trade is still rampant, and the international community must work together to cope with it. For years, the Chinese government has given high attention to wildlife conservation and made consistent efforts to address the illegal trade. In the first place, it has been constantly improving the laws and regulations and setting severe punishments for illegal hunting, trading, smuggling and using wildlife and its products. A new amendment of the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Wildlife Protection has increased punishment for illegal consumption and online wildlife trade. Secondly, we have well established enforcement and coordination mechanisms. Our Inter-agency Joint Mechanism for Addressing Illegal Wildlife Trade, consisting of over 20 departments, has been set up to carry out comprehensive regulation.
Greening the workforce
The climate negotiations are entering into their most intense phase. Negotiators are aiming to put together one of most complex sets of international commitments ever. This goal is an ambitious package which can deliver within the short time frame that is left for preventing dangerous climate change. Such an agreement will massively redirect investments, trigger technology transfers and mobilize billions of dollars to help developing countries cope with climate change.
African cities in action
Ninety-four megacities around the world have come together to form the C40 network. Their aim is to share their experiences of combating climate change and its effects, and to set ambitious goals for the reduction of carbon emissions.
Solar energy: Changing rural lives in Kenya
The availability of solar-powered water pumps and solar lamps have had a life-changing effect on rural communities in Kenya, providing clean drinking water and lighting while eliminating hardships, health hazards and habits that contribute to climate change. The government’s commitment to invest in clean energy has been bolstered by private companies to bring about real change, especially for those who need it most.
Our guest: Baku: Multicultural city
Several millennia old, the fortified city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, retains traces of the presence of the Zoroastrian, Sassanian, Arabic, Persian, Shirvani, Ottoman and Russian peoples. The modern city, born from the first oil boom in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, has an equally eclectic cultural heritage. Because of its bay and its proximity to caravan routes, the city has always been crossed by multiple currents. The result is an extraordinary harmonious diversity, reflected both in its architecture and its cosmopolitan spirit.
Climate crimes must be brought to justice
Climate denial has increased the risk of catastrophic global change. Should international criminal law be used against those who promote this dangerous trend? Economic and political leaders can no longer pretend it is business as usual. Whether they actively induce environmental harm or just ignore the existential threat against the survival of the human species, states and corporations must be held accountable for their actions or inaction regarding climate change
The Global Environment Facility at work. Livestock for life
Esperanza Solís is a mother, grandmother and farmer - she is also one of Panama’s true environmental champions. As secretary of the May 1st Farmer’s Settlement, she has turned her dedication to improving the life of her community into a nationally-renowned example of sustainable agriculture, proving that livestock farming and conservation can thrive side by side.
Stretching for growth
As stretch targets for the world, the Sustainable Development Goals offer a game plan for harmonizing the demands of a fast-growing human population with a dwindling finite natural resource base. Business, government and civil society need to work together in radically new ways to meet them.
Partnering with peoples
Indigenous people are disproportionately represented among the destitute; they constitute approximtely five per cent of the world's population, but make up 15 per cent of the world's poor. The majority of them have historically faced social exclusion and marginalisation. Their levels of access to adequate health and education services are well below national averages. And they are especially vulnerable to the consequences of environmental degradation.
A question of international solidarity
If rich countries can adapt to rising temperatures “with the flick of a thermostat”– to use the metaphor of the South African Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu – developing countries face far more dramatic challenges. A reflection on a shared solidarity informed by an ethical consciousness.
Bridging the gaps
In the last two years something incredibly positive has happened. The often-criticised United Nations has given the world the biggest gift: the Sustainable Development Goals. The Global Goals have moved the conversation about sustainability from “why?” to “how?”. The facts are incontrovertible – we must act, now – and the Goals lay out the agenda. Working out how to find solutions for the sustainability challenges of energy, cities, food systems, waste, water and mobility is now on everyone’s agenda.