Call to the Dutch government: Put climate justice first at COP28
From late November, governments from around the world will gather for the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. Together with 15 Dutch international organizations, including Simavi, we are making an urgent call to the Dutch government to put climate justice first.
At the United Nations climate summit, governments must take new steps to mitigate the climate crisis and meet the 1.5-degree target. Indeed, climate problems are increasing every day: last September was the warmest ever recorded worldwide, and floods and forest fires are ravaging people and nature from Europe to Asia. More and better action is therefore more crucial than ever.
Fundamentally unfair
Societies that have contributed the least to the causes of climate change, are already facing its dangerous consequences. As adapting to these adverse impacts requires both social and economic capacity, they are least resilient to deal with them. At the same time, prosperous nations both bear the responsibility for the greatest part of global emissions and are more resilient to adapt. This, in its core, it fundamentally unfair.
Joint position paper
Together with fifteen Dutch international NGO's, Simavi is calling for a just COP28. With a joint position paper to the Dutch government, we ask for climate justice to be the starting point for all negotiation topics.
The position paper makes recommendations on seven topics that will be discussed during COP28:
- Overarching: address agenda conflicts and conflicts of interest and promote inclusiveness and gender equality.
- Climate damage: operationalize an inclusive Loss and Damage Fund to adequately address climate damage.
- Fossil fuels: establish a time-bound phase-out of all fossil fuels through a fair transition.
- Climate finance: scale up climate finance and set frameworks for a new target starting in 2025.
- Adaptation: promote the Global Goal on Adaptation with a concrete framework.
- Global Stocktake: use the Global Stocktake process for ambitious and equitable climate action.
- Carbon Markets: Re-evaluate carbon markets and their role in strengthening environmental integrity.
We believe that together we can work toward a sustainable future for all. The Netherlands can play a leading role by working for a fair world in which sustainability is ensured for today, tomorrow, both here and elsewhere.
