Dear friends,
Over the next two weeks, world leaders and stakeholders will be gathering in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt to deliberate and come up with solutions to avert global climate catastrophe and reduce the effects of the ongoing disasters that are changing lives daily.
With this year’s theme focusing on the urgent need to move from negotiations and planning to implementation, the demands are louder and clearer; #ENOUGHTALKMOREACTION!
This is the 27th session of the largest global conference specially designed to respond to climate change, and people have once again put their future in the hands of leaders to dismantle barriers and hindrances that impede swift climate responses and justice. We do not want to relive the experiences of previous COPs, we want this to be a turnaround.
Going into COP, activists and stakeholders have their respective demands channelled through their representatives. These demands are not just fancy words meant to pull media attention and applause. Each word that forms a sentence, is a charge for action, for something that is very basic and essential; the right to life.
As we bring to the forefront of discussion facilities and actions that accelerate swift and just climate responses, it is paramount that we bring to attention the inequality of response in issues related to women and girls, eco-anxiety, youth inclusion, and loss and damage which are all critical for a just climate action.
People have had enough and communities are living life on the verge. From Pakistan to Australia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, China, the US, Western Europe etc, virtually every country has a unique story to tell about climate impacts, and at this point, one might say time is running out to act but for the people that are experiencing the catastrophic impacts in real-time, time is already up!
Finally, as we are all working together to achieve climate justice both locally and globally, our friends in Egypt and the rest of us participating virtually will continue pushing leaders and corporations to act more appropriately, and as well keep working on various projects to ensure that climate justice is inclusive and diverse.