WECAN is recently returning from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 in Glasgow, Scotland. We look forward to sharing with you our experience at the COP.
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Despite Government Failures at COP26,
Peoples Movements Continue Rising to Transform our World
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“It’s not a fight for the future, it’s a fight for the present.”
Helena Gualinga, Kichwa Youth Climate Activist from Sarayaku
in the Ecuadorian Amazon and WECAN COP26 Delegate
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Welcome to the WECAN COP26 report back. We have divided the report back into two sections, the top section contains analysis of COP26 outcomes, and the bottom section shares WECAN events, actions, advocacy efforts, protests, and media coverage from COP26. |
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The outcome of this year’s United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 in Glasgow, Scotland, produced a plethora of public and private sector announcements as well as the Glasgow Climate Pact. These announcements and pledges could potentially move countries a step forward in addressing the climate crisis—yet, they gravely lack the urgent action and ambition needed to cut emissions commensurate with staying below 1.5 degrees warming; and most of them continue to severely sideline civil society’s calls for climate justice and rights-based approaches.
Women and feminists are at the forefront of our movements and on-the-ground solutions, and WECAN was at COP26 to demonstrate and ensure our voices and solutions were centered within the negotiations and on the streets through our advocacy efforts, side events, press conferences, and direct actions. Attending international forums such as COP26 is one part of WECAN’s multifaceted strategy to address the climate crisis and the root causes of environmental degradation and socio-economic inequalities. We recognize the importance of governments coming together to address the climate emergency, and yet we know that most of the urgent forward progress is in the hands of the people —with community-led solutions, on-the-ground projects and movement building for global climate justice.
Every day of the two-week convention, peoples' movements and civil society powerfully showed up to shift the narrative at COP26 and provide a vision moving forward grounded in just climate solutions that combat systemic inequity and harms to the Earth.
With this in mind, we join many voices from global peoples’ movements in expressing extreme disappointment and frustration with the COP26 outcomes that ultimately push forward further capitalist, racist, colonial, and patriarchal policies, which continue harming frontline communities and women first and worst. Countries that have contributed the most to global warming were busy making declarations and grand statements containing countless loopholes while they avoided real action and leadership to provide loss and damage, fossil fuel phase outs, and many other demands of those on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the climate talks continue to reflect unjust systems that are central to the root causes of the climate crisis, such as neoliberal economic models that drive the destructive commodification of nature, and the implementation of market-based mechanisms that most often harm people and the planet. In light of this, WECAN intentionally participates in the UN climate talks to further an inside-outside strategy as we hold governments, corporations, and their financial backers accountable. It is vital that civil society continues to hold space and intervene with an inside strategy, or COP outcomes would be far worse for our communities and the Earth.
At COP26, governments continued to peddle ‘nature-based’ solutions, carbon offset schemes, and net-zero policies and approaches that do little to hold countries accountable, but instead allow countries to carry on with climate-destructive business as usual. Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Environmental Ambassador, WECAN COP26 Delegate and Board Member, spoke out about carbon offset schemes during one of the WECAN COP26 press conferences:
“What do we want for the seven generations to come? Don’t they have a right to have air to breathe? Then quit the carbon trading schemes, quit thinking you can buy and sell the air and it is going to be okay. The United Nations is doing that right now in Article 6, they have already commodified the trees, the earth, the water; and now they have entered into this carbon trading nonsense.”
The climate negotiations are influenced by patriarchal ideologies that suppress the critical relationship between gender equity, women’s leadership, and climate solutions. Just 16% of COP26 leadership was women. While the exact numbers are still in flux, we do know that for COP26 and all past COP’s women’s leadership has always been underrepresented. In the lead up to COP26, Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director noted: “Business as usual is not what is needed. By reproducing gender inequity rather than challenging it, the COP26 leadership team is leaving out a critical solution for addressing and mitigating the worst impacts of the climate crisis.”
“Colonialism caused climate change. Our rights and Traditional Knowledge are the solution.”
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Indigenous peoples from around the world lead the COP26 Coalition People’s Climate March
in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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We also want to highlight the serious inequities that proliferated at COP26, making this one of the most exclusive climate talks in recent history. Vaccine apartheid and the COP26 leadership’s failure to plan an equitable forum led to large numbers of advocates, particularly from the Global South, being locked out of participation at this vital international forum. We know the voices and leadership of our colleagues and partners in the Global South and from frontline communities are crucial for equity and justice at COP negotiations.
In Glasgow, WECAN organized opportunities for global women leaders to speak for themselves and demonstrate their calls to action and just solutions rising up from frontline communities. Women, feminists and gender diverse leaders from around the world presented successful climate solutions, and shared struggles for justice. Movement leaders discussed their in-depth political analysis, plans for systemic change, and held actions throughout the two weeks of the COP— including actions critiquing Article 6 and loss and damage, and raising awareness of the dangerous influence of the fossil fuel industry on governments, and the epidemic of Missing Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) and two-spirit relatives.
At the close of the climate talks, nearly 200 nations agreed to adopt the Glasgow Climate Pact, which the COP26 Presidency has billed as ratcheting up ambition and “keeping 1.5 alive.” While the Pact is the first climate agreement to explicitly mention reduction of coal usage, it fails to include oil, gas, and other fossil fuels. And, the final language on coal was weakened to state ‘phase down’ instead of ‘phase out,’ leaving larger questions around how to measure the reduction in coal.
During COP26, governments also finalized the last remaining elements of the Paris Climate Agreement rulebook.
While governments failed to meet the urgency of this moment, the global climate justice movement made clear that all of our struggles are interwoven and that the only way we can succeed in addressing the climate crisis is by directly addressing roots causes: colonization, patriarchy, racism and capitalism and by centering the leadership of Indigenous peoples, women, people of color, and frontline communities. We demand governments commit to just climate action, and we will continue to work ceaselessly and fiercely for solutions of women and frontline communities—working together to fight for Mother Earth, the health of our communities, and generations to come.
Please read further to learn about outcomes from the negotiations, our WECAN delegates, events, actions, protests, and advocacy at COP26.
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FALSE SOLUTIONS AND NET-ZERO TAKE CENTER STAGE AT COP26 |
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Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Environmental Ambassador, and WECAN COP26 Delegate and Board Member at an action inside the COP26 Blue Zone calling for no net-zero and no false solutions.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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Throughout the entirety of COP26, we saw countries and businesses compose commitments within net-zero frameworks and approaches. Net-zero commitments seek to balance current emissions with emissions removals, to balance out the global carbon budget. However, more often than not, net-zero has been used to further perpetuate false solutions, while countries continue to pollute and expand fossil fuel infrastructure.
Within the net-zero framework, governments are planning to advance ‘nature-based’ solutions, which focus on land-based offset schemes, and seek to put a price on nature. ‘Nature-based’ solutions are a part of the wider market-based mechanisms that include carbon pricing, nuclear power plants, mega-dams, geo-engineering, bioenergy, forest offsets, carbon trading schemes, and carbon capture and storage.
Market-based mechanisms are a false solution to curb catastrophic climate change and deforestation. As an example, these mechanisms allow big polluters to continue to poison communities at sites of extraction and at points of distribution and processing by buying up pollution permits from forests around the world and simultaneously continuing dirty pollution practices in a different country. Simultaneously, pollution permits or offsets in forest areas can lead to land theft and dispossession from Indigenous and local communities. These ‘solutions' enable polluters to keep polluting, while Indigenous and frontline communities suffer the consequences. At COP26, Indigenous peoples, frontline communities, feminists, and many others from civil society persisted in advocating against false solutions and the net-zero paradigm.
In Glasgow, Parties finalized Article 6 of the Paris Climate Agreement, which is concerned with how countries are to mitigate and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by operationalizing market and non-market based solutions. Yet, Parties only chose to focus on creating and establishing market-based mechanisms for reducing emissions.
Thanks to Indigenous and frontline communities and civil society organizations, the final text for Article 6 includes protections for human rights, Indigenous rights, and gender equity, including an independent grievance mechanism. While negotiators worked hard to exclude these important rights in the final text, civil society advocates ensured these would not be left out. This is one of many vital reasons it is important that we participate in these challenging COP processes.
While we renounce market-based mechanisms and the entire purpose of Article 6, we know that safeguards must be included across all articles of the Paris Climate Agreement. We reject and oppose any articles that enable counterproductive carbon markets and do not include safeguards for Indigenous rights, human rights, gender justice, and ecological integrity.
Rather, we need to enact policies and programs that align with a Just Transition, Indigenous sovereignty, feminist principles, and implement successful frameworks already created by civil society, that invest in just, renewable and regenerative energy and economies, while disrupting and challenging predator capitalism. It is imperative that governments and financial institutions adopt Just Transition policies and frameworks moving forward. |
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PROTECTING GLOBAL FORESTS |
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Women of the WECAN DR Congo Women for Forests program work together planting trees and protecting old growth forests in the Congo Basin. Photo Credit: WECAN International |
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Global forests remain vital to efforts to combat the climate crisis. Living forests create and maintain the cycles of air, water and soil that sustain the Earth and our communities. Forests are also home to more than 80% of the world’s plant, animal, bacteria and fungi diversity, and more than 1.6 billion people rely directly on forests for food, fresh water, clothing, traditional medicine, and shelter.
While we appreciate the global commitment to protect forests, we are wary that these commitments, like many of the declarations and announcements made at COP26, have no clear pathways for real action; or, that they may be implemented in a manner harmful to Indigenous and local communities.
We are also concerned with countries using forests as part of ‘nature-based’ solutions. Forests of the world are facing unprecedented disaster due to long-term trends in rising global temperatures, attacks on Indigenous rights, as well as the rush for short-term profits from agricultural commodities such as beef, soy, palm oil, timber, and paper. An important response to address these issues, specifically in the Amazon rainforest is the Indigenous-led Amazonia 80 by 2025 Declaration which seeks to defend 80% of the Amazon by 2025. Many thanks also to our friends at Amazon Watch who continue to advocate for the protection of the Amazon, and are supporting this declaration alongside many others.
At COP26, WECAN organized the "Indigenous Women Leaders Send an Urgent Call to Action for the Amazon in Crisis” COP26 press conference, where Indigenous women from the Amazon presented and shared their struggles and experiences of fighting to protect their forest territories, and literally risking their lives to do so. (For more information, see section below, “Speaking Out Boldly: WECAN Events during COP26”).
“Indigenous peoples resist the extraction of natural resources with our bodies, with our lives. Our contribution to tackling climate change must be recognized. Our solutions must be heard.”
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Kichwa women leaders of Sarayaku in the Ecuadorian Amazon declare a state of emergency after COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo via SARAYAKU DEFENSORES DE LA SELVA
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The Amazon is at a critical tipping point and Indigenous communities and scientists are ringing the alarm bells!
Numerous studies have shown that the most effective ways to protect biodiverse regions, such as the Amazon rainforest, is to protect the rights and sovereignty of Indigenous peoples. It is imperative to implement policies and frameworks, such as those included in the Escazú Agreement and the UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Free, Prior and Informed Consent, protection of Environmental Defenders, access to decision making, and justice mechanisms are vital to climate justice.
During our WECAN formal UN side event, WECAN also shared successful updates on our Women for Forests program in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Neema Namadamu leads our programming in forest protection, reforestation and food sovereignty efforts. The Congo Basin is the second largest tropical rainforest in the world. The women of WECAN DRC continue their flourishing tree nurseries growing over 25 local tree varieties. We have also initiated a food sovereignty component to the program since the pandemic, and local women are now caring for gardens to increase food security in the area. |
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UPLIFTING WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP AT COP26 |
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Taily Terena (Terena Nation), Brazilian Indigenous Leader, and Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director at the COP26 People’s Climate March in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo Credit: WECAN International |
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Globally, across movements, women stand on the frontlines of global efforts to defend the land and heal our world. In every sector from renewable energy initiatives and fossil fuel divestment campaigns, to agroecology and urban sustainability projects — women are at the helm, working to change humanity’s current destructive trajectory.
Still, our voices often go unheard, even though we are speaking and acting with great strength and leadership. A recent UN report found that 74% of speaking time at the UN climate negotiations is taken up by men. Since the COP26 announcement last year, WECAN has been collaborating with the SHE Changes Climate campaign to address the continued gender disparities at the UN climate talks. Historically, women continue to be disproportionately excluded from these spaces, and WECAN continues to participate in COP precisely because we are dedicated to ensuring the voices, strategies, and solutions of women most impacted by the climate crisis are included at the UN climate talks and across the climate movement and policy-making spaces.
WECAN reaffirms our commitment to bring women and feminist voices to the forefront, as well as unyielding action to expose the root causes of the climate crisis to help usher in just climate solutions commensurate to the level of the multiple interlocking crises we face. At this crucial juncture in time, it is imperative not only to broadly lift up women and feminist voices and leadership, but to very specifically center the voices of women from the most impacted communities: Indigenous women, women of color, and women from low income communities and Global South countries. These women and their communities have a long history of resistance and knowledge of the land and can offer solutions and effective responses to climate change and environmental crises. Uplifting and adhering to their leadership is not only morally right, but essential for the health of people and the planet.
The UNFCCC held a workshop on the Gender Action Plan (GAP), which was adopted at COP25, to encourage Parties to appoint and provide support for national gender and climate change focal points (NGCCFP) for climate negotiations, implementation and monitoring. We look forward to continuing to push forward the GAP in upcoming international forums and ensuring governments include gender-responsive policies in decision-making.
On the COP26 Gender Day, several governments also made announcements and pledges to promote gender equity within their climate commitments. As with many of the announcements at COP26, we look forward to holding governments to account, and ensuring funding and support is delivered to women who are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
Women united together are a strategic, powerful, and beautiful force that is often not recognized or supported – yet, women are key to making the societal, economical, political and ecological changes we need. These points of leverage need to be recognized and acted upon.
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KEEPING FOSSIL FUELS IN THE GROUND |
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WECAN COP26 Delegation and allies during Finance Day at COP26 calling for an end to financing and insuring fossil fuels. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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Ending the era of fossil fuels remains a key demand of WECAN in domestic and international climate policy. We know that one of the quickest ways to cut emissions is to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Nevertheless, fossil fuel production continues to expand unabated, with governments enabling expansion despite their climate commitments. Renewed commitments at COP26 still puts the world perilously past 1.5 degrees of warming.
Tragically but not unexpectedly, fossil fuel lobbyists continue to hold a grip on the negotiations. It was revealed by our friends at Global Witness that at the climate talks in Glasgow there were 503 delegates representing the fossil fuel industry, larger than any one country delegation.
While the Glasgow Climate Pact historically includes language for the first time on fossil fuels, the language is very weak and was watered down over the course of negotiations. We are also disappointed that only coal was mentioned with the exclusion of oil and gas. This allows historically large emitters, like the U.S. and other countries to produce and expand oil and gas production, and to not be held accountable for their role in perpetuating the climate crisis.
All through COP26 we saw many announcements, pledges, and commitments to end fossil fuel production and financing. The United States and the European Union announced the Global Methane Pledge, which brings together over 100 countries representing 70% of the global economy, to cut emissions of greenhouse gas methane by 2030. Thirty-nine countries (and counting) also committed to end new direct public support for the international fossil fuel energy sector by the end of 2022. While this is an important step, the pledge still allows for these countries to continue the production of fossil fuels and infrastructure in their own countries. For the United States, like other countries, we see how investment in domestic fossil fuels leads to violations of Indigenous and human rights, increased adverse health impacts for women in frontline communities, and the ongoing poisoning of water, land, air, and soil.
Additionally, we saw financial institutions and businesses join the announcement bandwagon. During COP26, over 450 corporations representing $130 trillion assets joined the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), which is stated as, “bringing together the financial sector to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy.” However, GFANZ commitments fail to even mention fossil fuels, again fixating on ‘net-zero’ paradigms and false solutions that will not deliver true zero emissions.
We need immediate action by all governments and financial institutions to implement a rapid and steep decline of fossil fuel production. Investment in fossil fuels is simply not compatible with addressing the climate crisis. Current science reports show that the world needs to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 to contain global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
During the last days of COP26, 11 governments and regions announced the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, the world’s first diplomatic initiative designed to address the top cause of the climate crisis: fossil fuel production. We appreciate these governments and regions, led by Costa Rica and Denmark, for joining civil society in calling for an end to fossil fuels.
We are also honored to be on the Steering Committee for the Fossil-Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, which was a prominent discussion at the COP. WECAN will continue to push for all governments to take action for a phase out of fossil fuels, justice for frontline communities, and investment in a regenerative and just transition.
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REPARATIONS FOR CLIMATE HARMS: DELIVERING ON CLIMATE FINANCE AND LOSS AND DAMAGE |
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A sign outside the COP26 venue bringing awareness to the topic of loss and damage.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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In 2009, at COP15 in Copenhagen, nations came together and agreed on the historic climate financing of $100 billion a year by 2020. This agreement was further affirmed by the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, and extended to provide $100 billion every year to 2025.
The agreement calls for wealthy nations, many of which have historically contributed most to global greenhouse gas emissions, to provide $100 billion in climate finance by 2020 for countries— many in the Global South— that are most impacted by climate change but have contributed least to emissions.
Ultimately, countries have failed to meet the $100 billion goal, falling short every single year since 2013. Going into COP26 WECAN joined advocacy efforts and action calls for wealthy countries to strengthen their commitments to climate finance as well as loss and damage.
Wealthy countries, primarily from the Global North, did not rise to the occasion on loss and damage or climate finance, blocking critical movement forward and watering down language in the Glasgow Climate Pact that called for a fund to be created for loss and damage.
We call for wealthy countries to pay their debt to the world. The money exists. We know for example, that many wealthy countries have outsized military budgets or are providing billions in climate adaptation for their own countries. |
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CIVIL SOCIETY REMAINS POWERFUL DESPITE EXCLUSIONARY EFFORTS |
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Civil Society walk-out action at COP26 after the People's Plenary, November 12, 2021.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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The entire process to participate in COP26 was mired with difficult and confusing processes from the UK COP Presidency.
From the initial call for this COP to be exclusively in-person, we had concerns of who would be eligible to travel to Scotland and participate. Every week, new updates would come out about vaccination requirements, “red list” travel policies for those in the Global South, visa requirements, the rising cost of lodging and travel, and so much more. Due to these barriers, this was one of the most exclusive COPs in recent memory and many leaders from the Global South and communities severely impacted by climate change were not able to join physically, and their vital leadership was indeed missed.
Additionally, once on the ground, it was shared that civil society would be restricted in plenaries or negotiating rooms, with rules and regulations constantly changing. Of course, we understood the need for extra precautions due to Covid-19, yet, there were uncalled for barriers for civil society engagement. Nevertheless, while the COP26 presidency sought to restrict our power and advocacy, the constituencies and civil society groups spoke out loudly for the critical need for climate justice and urgent climate action.
We recognize and honor the youth leadership that organized in Glasgow, as they continued to push courageously for urgent climate action and demanding government accountability. Friday’s for Future led a powerful strike on November 5, in the middle of the COP26 negotiations, where Helena Gualinga, WECAN COP26 Delegate spoke at the rally. The future of today's youth and upcoming generations hang in the balance as the impact of the climate crisis is revealed with more alarming force every day.
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Helena Gualinga (second right), Kichwa Youth Climate Activist and WECAN COP26, and other young women leaders from the Ecuadorian Amazon meet Greta Thunberg at the Youth Climate Strike
on Friday, November 5, 2021. Photo Courtesy Helena Gualinga
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We celebrate the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC) in working to bring together global feminists to advocate for gender equity and women’s human rights and to ensure these rights are included and acted upon in international climate policies and programming.
Please read responses here from advocates of the Women and Gender Constituency in regard to the final outcomes at COP26. We will continue to unapologetically and boldly demand governments take the urgent action needed to meet this climate crisis.
We honor the ongoing development of the Disability Caucus. During the final days, civil society held a People’s Plenary, where the Disability Caucus gave its first formal intervention. Jason Boberg of Aotearoa (New Zealand), delivered the intervention, stating
“When we say that disabled people are left behind in climate change, do not mistake this for a metaphor. When climate disasters hit, disabled people are literally left to die. This is a choice governments make every time you develop climate responses, policies, and communications without us.”
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Members of the first annual gathering of Indigenous Knowledge Holders at COP26 in Glasgow.
Photo Courtesy Casey Camp-Horinek
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We also want to highlight the historic first annual gathering of Indigenous knowledge holders. The session brought together Indigenous peoples from around the globe to discuss vital knowledge and solutions for addressing the climate crisis. We are honored that Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Environmental Ambassador, and WECAN COP26 Delegate and Board Member, participated as a representative from Turtle Island (the United States).
The Traditional Ecological Knowledge of agriculture, seeds and biodiversity held by Indigenous communities is indispensable for confronting climate change, while at the same time, Indigenous Peoples are disproportionately harmed by fossil fuel development, deforestation, extractive industries and climate impacts. In every step of the Just Transition, the rights of Indigenous Peoples must be upheld and the leadership of Indigenous Peoples respected.
We look forward to supporting and continuing to work with all constituencies to uplift the rights of communities and the planet, and we celebrate the powerful work of diverse peoples’ movements, both virtual and in-person, from around the globe that continues to ensure a spotlight on these important negotiations and the need for the voice of the people to be heard.
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PEOPLES MOVEMENTS WILL CONTINUE RISING TO TRANSFORM OUR WORLD FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND MOTHER EARTH |
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Women and Gender Constituency marching out of the COP26 venue during the People's Plenary and COP26 walk-out, Friday, November 12, 2021. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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During COP26 we witnessed many historic announcements and commitments, pushing governments toward stronger climate action than ever before. In the Glasgow Climate Pact, a critical article requests countries come to COP27 with even more updates to slash emissions and accelerate ambition, and not wait for a 5 year marker.
Additionally, with most countries ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement, it is now legally binding, and countries can be held accountable in national courts for lack of action on the climate crisis.
While we have country commitments, we have yet to see real action from governments-- action that is desperately needed now, not in 5, 10, or 15 years. Commitments are not enough, when our very lives and planet are on the line. This is why we need to continue working inside and outside of government spaces to stop extractivism, and instead build and develop climate solutions that center a vision of justice and health for people and planet.
At the closing days of COP26, on November 12, constituencies and movements came together to demand climate justice and denounce the COP26 process. Constituency representatives spoke out during a People's Plenary about Indigenous rights, gender justice, human rights, just climate solutions, stopping false solutions and much more.
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Ta’kaiya Blaney (Tla’Amin First Nation) speaks during the Indigenous Peoples Constituency intervention at the People’s Plenary at COP26 in Glasgow. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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After the People's Plenary, we marched through the COP26 venue, chanting and making our voices heard in a civil society and constituency-wide walk-out action. Our hope lies in the people's movements that continue to rise and advocate for climate justice despite government efforts to silence us. |
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Left Photo: Indigenous peoples lead the civil society walk-out on one of the final days of COP26 and met with an outside rally led by Fridays for Future. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International.
Right Photo: Feminists from the Women for Gender Constituency join the civil society walk-out
on one of the final days of COP26 and met with an outside rally led by Fridays for Future.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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Our continued participation in the U.N. climate talks stems from the knowledge that women are facing the impacts of climate change first and worst, but are simultaneously building and leading solutions in their communities, fighting to protect Indigenous rights and knowledge, preserving seeds and biodiversity, defending their territories from mining and fossil fuel extraction, and rejecting false solutions while advocating for a just transition to a renewable, regenerative energy future. We will continue to support feminist and women’s leadership and amplify the solutions of women and frontline communities, working together to fight for Mother Earth and the health of our communities.
It is vital that we participate in the UNFCCC process to demand that governments commit to action that is commensurate with the urgency of what global scientists, Indigenous peoples, and community leaders are telling us. We will continue to work tirelessly beyond COP26 and keep pressure on global governments to commit to real climate solutions that uplift women's leadership, Indigenous rights, rights of nature, feminist economies, social and racial justice, decolonization, community-led solutions, and current and future generation's right to a healthy and just future. Our collective efforts at the local, regional, national and international levels could not be more urgent, and our courage to act boldly and fiercely could not be more needed.
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OVER 100,000 PEOPLE IN GLASGOW MARCH FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE AT COP26 |
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Indigenous peoples from around the world lead the COP26 Coalition People’s Climate March
in Glasgow, Scotland. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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On November 6, 2021, The WECAN Delegation joined over 100,000 people to march through Glasgow, Scotland calling for urgent climate action and climate just solutions. WECAN Delegates marched as part of the Indigenous Bloc and Feminist Bloc, calling for no more fossil fuel expansion, Indigenous rights, forest protection, divestment from fossil fuels, gender just climate policies, no more false solutions, system change, and for all governments to declare a climate emergency. |
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Left Photo: Sônia Guajajara, Executive Coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) at the front of the COP26 Coalition People’s Climate March, in the Indigenous Bloc.
Photo Credit: WECAN International
Right Photo: Indigenous leaders from around the world led the COP26 Coalition People’s Climate March through the streets of Glasgow, Scotland during COP26. Photo Credit: WECAN International
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Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, and Katherine Quaid (Confederated Tribes of Umatilla), WECAN Communications Coordinator during the COP26 Coalition People’s Climate March in Glasgow, Scotland.
Photo Credit: WECAN International
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At the closing rally of the march, Sônia Guajajara, Executive Coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) and WECAN COP26 Delegate spoke to over 100,000 people who attended the protest (see images below from APIB). Watch her closing remarks here. |
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ACCELERATING TOWARD COP26:
EVENTS IN THE LEAD UP TO THE UN CLIMATE TALKS
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During the Assembly, thousands of attendees from around the world joined us throughout the week to hear from 100+ climate leaders across 20 unique panel sessions. We discussed struggles, solutions, and visions for climate justice. We also delivered a powerful Call to Action to governments and financial institutions worldwide, signed by over 140 organizations, representing millions of people globally. The Call to Action shared a list of necessary action steps for urgent climate action, please be welcome to read the statement here.
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Alongside the Call to Action statement, WECAN also released a list of recommended frameworks and initiatives for governments and financial institutions that are in alignment with the 1.5 Paris Agreement target and an equitable path forward.
Following the Assembly, Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Founder and Executive Director, was invited by Abdulla Shahid, President of the UN General Assembly from the Maldives, to speak to world governments at an urgent one-day High-level Thematic Debate entitled “Delivering Climate Action: for People, Planet & Prosperity” at the UN Headquarters in New York. The event was hosted by the UN President of the General Assembly on October 26 to call for hope and ambition in the lead up to COP26.
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Osprey made it clear in her intervention (pictured right) :
"No more sacrifice people, no more sacrifice zones."
On her way to the UN climate talks, Osprey also was interviewed on France 24 discussing the role of women’s leadership at COP26, please see the interview here. |
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SPEAKING OUT BOLDLY:
WECAN EVENTS DURING COP26
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During COP26, WECAN delegates participated in many high-level events both inside and outside of the COP26 venue. WECAN hosted a formal UN side event and several press conferences.
COP26 WECAN Formal UN Side Event: Women for Climate Justice Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change
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Global women leaders at the COP26 WECAN Formal UN Side Event: "Women for Climate Justice Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change." Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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At this official UN Side Event, grassroots, frontline and Indigenous women leaders, alongside representatives from international climate justice organizations, spoke out to address root causes of interlocking crises and the need for solutions based in a climate justice framework, including forest and biodiversity protection, Indigenous rights, agro-ecology, fossil fuel resistance, protection of women land defenders, and community-led solutions.
Speakers included:
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Eriel Deranger (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation), Executive Director, Indigenous Climate Action, Canada
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Helena Gualinga (Kichwa), Youth Climate Activist from Sarayaku, WECAN Youth Leader Ecuadorian Amazon
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Sônia Guajajara (Guajajara), Executive Coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), Brazilian Amazon
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Sostine Namanya, Gender & Food Security Officer, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), Uganda
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Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Environmental Ambassador and WECAN Board Member, USA
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Moderation and Comments by Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International, USA
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Left Photo: Eriel Deranger (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation), Executive Director, Indigenous Climate Action, speaking out during the WECAN Formal UN Side Event, "Women for Climate Justice Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change” at COP26 in Glasgow. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
Right Photo: During the WECAN Formal UN Side Event, "Women for Climate Justice Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change,” Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director presented the Call to Action Statement from the Global Women’s Assembly, signed by 150 organizations and delivered to governments and financial institutions worldwide during the UN General Assembly.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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Presenters at the WECAN Formal UN Side Event, "Women for Climate Justice Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change” at COP26 in Glasgow. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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COP26 WECAN Press Conference: Indigenous Women Leaders Send an Urgent Call to Action for the Amazon in Crisis |
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Speakers at the WECAN "Indigenous Women Leaders Send an Urgent Call to Action for the Amazon in Crisis” COP26 press conference. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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On Friday, November 5, Indigenous women leaders of the Amazon united to advocate for Indigenous rights and protection of forests, water, communities, and the global climate during a press conference organized by the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN).
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Amongst various topics, speakers addressed the devastating impacts of climate change and extractive industries and agri-business in the Amazon, and the importance of Indigenous rights as a climate solution. Presenters included:
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Maricela Yuri Gualinga Santi (Kichwa), Vice President of Sarayaku, Ecuador
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Sônia Bone Guajajara (Araribóia Indigenous Land of the Guajajara people), Executive Coordinator for the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), Brazil
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Helena Gualinga (Kichwa) from Sarayaku, Youth Climate Activist, and WECAN Young Women Project Lead, Ecuador
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(Moderator) Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International, USA
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Left photo: Sônia Guajajara, Brazilian Indigenous Leader and Executive Coordinator of APIB, speaks out during the WECAN "Indigenous Women Leaders Send an Urgent Call to Action for the Amazon in Crisis” COP26 press conference. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
Right Photo: Helena Gualinga, Youth Climate Activist and WECAN Young Women Program Lead, discusses climate impacts within her community in the Ecuadorian Amazon at the WECAN "Indigenous Women Leaders Send an Urgent Call to Action for the Amazon in Crisis” COP26 press conference.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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Indigenous organizations and communities, led by women, are mobilizing locally and globally to protect and defend their communities, the Amazon rainforest, and the global climate. In different regions of the Americas, women are standing up to governments that are committing gross violations of human rights, Indigenous sovereignty, and harms to ecosystems and our climate. We know that as extractive industry and agro-business power increases, human and nature rights are violated, and Indigenous women land defenders are under increased attack. We all need to step up in this struggle! Additionally, in order to implement the Paris Climate Agreement, we need to protect forests and there is no protecting forests without protecting Indigenous people and Indigenous rights.
Maricela Yuri Gualinga Santi (Kichwa), Vice President of Sarayaku, Ecuador at the WECAN "Indigenous Women Leaders Send an Urgent Call to Action for the Amazon in Crisis” COP26 press conference.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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COP26 WECAN Press Conference: Women for Climate Justice Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change |
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Speakers at the WECAN "Women for Climate Justice Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change" COP26 press conference. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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On Monday, November 8, WECAN hosted a press conference inside the COP26 venue sharing solutions and struggles for climate justice.
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Speakers included:
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Sostine Namanya, Gender & Food Security Officer, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), Uganda
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Sônia Guajajara (Guajajara), Executive Coordinator, APIB - Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil, Brazilian Amazon
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Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Environmental Ambassador and WECAN Board Member, USA
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Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International, USA
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Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Environmental Ambassador and WECAN Board Member, USA (pictured left), and Sostine Namanya, Gender & Food Security Officer, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), Uganda (pictured right) speak out at the WECAN "Women for Climate Justice Leading Solutions on the Frontlines of Climate Change" COP26 press conference. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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ENGAGEMENT WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE POLICY
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Throughout the two weeks, WECAN COP26 delegates engaged with government officials from across the globe to advocate for climate justice, Indigenous rights, an end to fossil fuels, feminist climate policies and community-led solutions. |
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Casey Camp-Horinek of the Ponca Nation, former councilwoman, Environmental Ambassador and WECAN Board Member, had the honor to meet with Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland (pictured left), and gift her with a personalized blanket from the Ponca Tribe honoring her historic position in the United States Government. Casey was able to convey the best wishes of the Ponca Tribe as well as the environmental concerns Tribal Members face. Chairman Littlecook also sent a letter of recognition and praise to Secretary Haaland as well as an invitation to attend the Tribes Annual Celebration. |
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Helena Gualinga met with Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland to discuss COP26 and impacts of the climate crisis and extractive industry her home region of Sarayaku, in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Photo below courtesy Helena Gualinga. |
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Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director (pictured below), spoke to Parliament Ministers from around the world and other global leaders at the GLOBE COP26 Legislators Summit held Friday, November 5, at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland. In her speech, Osprey called for no more false solutions, and advocated for climate justice, community-led solutions, Indigenous rights, keeping fossil fuels in the ground, and further inclusion of frontline leadership and women in decision making processes. Watch Osprey’s intervention here. |
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“We will not allow for sacrifice people, sacrifice zones, corporate colonialism, incremental transitions to renewable energy, or false solutions like carbon offset schemes instead of stopping pollution at the source. And, we actually don’t want net zero. We want real zero, and we want it now." |
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During the Global Legislators Summit, Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director spoke with former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed on the climate impacts for Island Nations and calls for urgent climate justice (pictured left).
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Sônia Guajajara (Guajajara), Brazilian Indigenous Leader, and Executive Coordinator, APIB - Articulação dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil, and other Indigenous leaders met with Prince Charles of England during an Indigenous Listening Session convened by Flourishing Diversity and Actor, Model Lily Cole. Photo via Lily Cole, “Indigenous Listening COP26.” |
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Katherine Quaid (Confederated Tribes of Umatilla), WECAN Communications Coordinator joined partners in a discussion with Senator Ed Markey (Massachusetts) to discuss the Build Back Better Bill and including Indigenous rights and feminist economic models in upcoming climate legislation. |
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Osprey Orielle Lake met with Ana Villalobos, Chief Negotiator for Climate Change from Costa Rica. They discussed climate solutions, forest protection, and women's leadership. We appreciate this time at COP to connect with delegations from around the world. |
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Along with other US organizations, WECAN participated in a meeting with the US State Department at COP26 to push for Climate Justice at the negotiations. |
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ADVOCATING FOR RIGHTS OF NATURE AT COP26 |
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In parallel to COP26, the Global Alliance for Rights of Nature (GARN) held the 5th Rights of Nature Tribunal in Glasgow, Scotland. The International Rights of Nature Tribunal is an international institution established by citizens to investigate and publicize Rights of Nature violations. The Tribunals create a forum for people from all around the world to speak on behalf of Nature, to protest the destruction of the Earth—destruction that is fostered by corporations with the governments’ compliance—and hence, the Tribunal visibilizes the conflicts and its perpetrators and makes juridical recommendations about Earth’s protection and restoration as modeled jurisprudence for frontline communities.
During this 5th Tribunal, judges heard two of the most fundamental ecological cases facing the world today: the false solutions to the Climate Change crisis and the Amazon, a threatened living entity. Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, was honored to be a judge for the tribunal for the Climate Case.
Find recordings of the Rights of Nature Tribunal below:
WECAN was honored to co-organize this event with the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.
COP26 Press Conference: Report Back from the Rights of Nature Tribunal in Glasgow: Foundations for Systemic Change in Climate Solutions
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Speakers at the "Report Back from the Rights of Nature Tribunal in Glasgow: Foundations for Systemic Change in Climate Solutions" COP26 press conference. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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On Friday, November 5, in partnership with the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN) and our Rights of Nature colleagues, WECAN co-hosted a press conference inside the COP26 venue providing a report back on the recent Rights of Nature Tribunal held in parallel to the COP.
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The majority of the world’s legal frameworks treat nature as property, meaning that life-giving rivers, forests, and mountains are seen as objects to be sold and consumed. Legal systems built on the premise of Rights of Nature challenge the idea that natural communities and ecosystems are property to be exploited endlessly by humans, and instead recognize the Earth as a living, rights-bearing entity. Presenters shared details of the two cases heard by this year's Rights of Nature Tribunal, which included a case on climate change and the Amazon rainforest.
Speakers included four of the Tribunal judges who were part of the Tribunal proceedings:
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Lisa Mead, Co-Founder, Earth Law Alliance
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Atossa Soltani, Director of Global Strategy, Amazon Sacred Headwaters Initiative
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Pablo Solón, Former UN Ambassador for the Plurinational State of Bolivia
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Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director, Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International
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COLLABORATION WITH PARTNERS FOR COP26 EVENTS |
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COP26 Press Conference: Accelerating a Feminist Green New Deal |
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Speakers at the "Accelerating a Feminist Green New Deal” COP26 press conference.
Photo Credit: WECAN International
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During a COP25 press conference on November 9, a broad coalition of activists and academics presented key principles for a Feminist Agenda for the Green New Deal guided by justice and accountability, centered on frontline communities, and that reflects feminist values and upholds human rights.
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Speakers Included:
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Santra Denis, Executive Director, Miami Workers Center
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Frances Roberts-Gregory, Feminist Activist, Academic and Scholar
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Jacqui Patterson, Founder & Executive Director, The Chisholm Legacy Project
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Osprey Orielle Lake, Executive Director, Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN)
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Mara Dolan, Program and Advocacy Associate, Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO)
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Katherine Quaid (Confederated Tribes of Umatilla), Communications Coordinator, Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN)
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Left Photo: Frances Roberts-Gregory, Feminist Activist, Academic and Scholar (left), and Santra Denis, Miami Workers Center (right) preparing to speak at the "Accelerating a Feminist Green New Deal" COP26 press conference. Photo Credit: WECAN international
Right Photo: Katherine Quaid (Confederated Tribes of Umatilla), WECAN Communications Coordinator, discusses the importance of ensuring Indigenous Rights in feminist climate policy.
Photo Credit: WECAN International
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The proposed Green New Deal has sparked an important, overdue national and international conversation around the urgent work needed to confront the global climate crisis. To truly address the root causes, as well as the scope and scale of the climate crisis, the Green New Deal must be cross-cutting in its approach, steadfast in feminist principles, and strive to combat historical oppressions. |
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It must advance a transformative feminist agenda that centers the leadership of women, and acknowledges and addresses the generational impacts of colonization and anti-Black racism. It must end oppression against and be led and articulated by frontline, impacted communities – especially women of color, Black women, Indigenous women, people with disabilities, LGBTQIAP+ people, people from the Global South, migrant and refugee communities, and youth.
Jacqui Patterson, Founder & Executive Director, The Chisholm Legacy Project speak at the "Accelerating a Feminist Green New Deal" COP26 press conference. Photo Credit: WECAN international
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Advocacy with the Women and Gender Constituency |
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WECAN COP26 Delegates Carmen Capriles and Katherine Quaid (Confederated Tribes of Umatilla) with members of the Women and Gender Constituency at COP26. Photo Courtesy the Women and Gender Constituency |
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WECAN was honored to be in community with and advocating alongside the powerful Women and Gender Constituency (WGC) at COP26. We are calling for climate justice policies that bring forward gender, racial, and economic justice. Please see the key demands of the WGC here.
Throughout the two weeks, WECAN delegates joined morning and afternoon WGC caucus meetings, connected with colleagues from around the world, and collaborated on events and analysis of the negotiations.
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Left Photo: Carmen Capriles, Reaccion Climatica Founder and WECAN COP26 Delegate; Sasha Gabizon, WECF Executive Director; Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director wear masks given out by the Women and Gender Constituency reading "Feminist Climate Justice." Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
Right Photo: Katherine Quaid (Confederated Tribes of Umatilla), WECAN Communications Coordinator, co-facilitated a Women and Gender Constituency morning caucus meeting at COP26. Photo Courtesy the Women and Gender Constituency
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Projecting Change - Voices for Earth
WECAN was honored to collaborate with Projecting Change at COP26 and to have WECAN COP26 delegates featured in Projecting Change's "Voices for Earth".
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"Protecting Rights of Nature is recognizing we are nature protecting itself"
Casey Camp-Horinek
(Ponca Nation)
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Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation) Environmental Ambassador, and WECAN COP26 Delegate and Board Member, and Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, had quotes shared across the well-known Armadillo building, a part of the COP26 venue in Glasgow, Scotland. Their words joined many climate leaders from across the world and showcased calls upon governments at COP26 and the global community to see, hear, and listen to diverse global leaders calling for urgent action at this critical moment. The time for climate action is NOW. |
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"Let's totally break business as usual at COP26 and create the healthy and just world we know is possible" Osprey Orielle Lake
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Advocacy with the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty |
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Left Photo: Proponents of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty discuss ending the fossil fuel era during the event, "Transparency Accountability & Fossil Fuels" held during COP26.
Photo Credit: WECAN International
Right Photo: Tzeporah Burman , the Chair of the Fossil fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty speaks out during the event, "Transparency Accountability & Fossil Fuels" held during COP26. Photo Credit: WECAN International
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The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is an initiative to phase-out fossil fuels and fast-track climate solutions inspired by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Based on 3 pillars: |
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- NON-PROLIFERATION: Preventing the proliferation of coal, oil and gas by ending exploration and production.
- GLOBAL DISARMAMENT: Phasing-out existing stockpiles and production in line with Paris 1.5C goal.
- PEACEFUL TRANSITION: Fast-tracking solutions and a just transition for every worker, community and country.
Tzeporah Burman, the Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, advocated for the Treaty at many events and sessions. We are honored that earlier this year, Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, joined the Steering Committee for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Osprey Orielle Lake also attended a strategy session to advance the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. At COP26 we worked with global leaders to continue advocating and building support for the Treaty.
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COP26 People's Summit: Questioning the Paris Agreement in Feminist Pathways towards a Just and Equitable Transition |
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On Tuesday, November 9, WECAN co-hosted a virtual event, "Questioning the Paris Agreement in Feminist Pathways towards a Just and Equitable Transition," alongside APWLD - Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, ESCR-Net, and the COP26 People’s Coalition.
This interactive session brought together the analysis and stories of resistance and resilience of grassroots women leaders and feminist advocates from across regions, struggles and generations who are directly confronting the human rights impacts as well as the structural drivers of the climate crisis and other intersecting crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic. The speakers discussed feminist visions emerging from peoples’ movements, consider the relevance of the Paris Agreement in this context, and discuss strategies, solutions and alternatives towards shaping a healthy and equitable future.
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SHE Changes Climate Day: Champions of Solutions
The voices of grassroots, frontline, and Indigenous women and gender-diverse leaders could not be more important. Only 16% of the COP26 UK Leadership team is women. Women, feminists and gender-diverse leaders continue to be underrepresented in the international decision-making space.
Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, joined SHE Changes Climate and many brilliant women leaders on November 9, for a day of live panels and interviews at The Pipe Factory in the art district of Glasgow. She spoke on a panel titled, “Activist Sisters,” highlighting why women are crucial in climate leadership.
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Panelists at the SHE Changes Climate Day event, “Activist Sisters,” held during COP26.
Photo Courtesy SHE Changes Climate
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DIRECT ACTIONS AND SOLIDARITY WITH ALLIES |
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Mobilizing for Climate Action
Throughout the two weeks, the WECAN delegation took action inside and outside of the UN climate talks to hold governments and corporations accountable for the climate emergency; to pressure governments and banks to end the era of fossil fuels and stop deforestation; to call for further gender justice; to demand Indigenous rights, and human rights inclusion in Article 6; and for governments to take urgent climate action. Please see photos below of some of the many actions we participated in alongside allies.
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Left Photo: Great Grandmother Mary Lyon (Ojibwe) Elder and Movement Leader, Eriel Deranger (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation), Executive Director of Indigenous Climate Action, and Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, during a People vs Fossil Fuels rally with the Build Back Fossil Free Coalition (of which WECAN is a member) outside the COP26 venue, calling for an end to fossil fuel extraction and upholding Indigenous rights. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
Right Photo: Carmen Capriles, Founder of Reaccion Climatica and WECAN COP26 Delegate advocates for real climate solutions at an action held during COP26. Photo Courtesy Carmen Capriles
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At the start of COP26, Minga Indigena, a collective of Indigenous communities from North and South America, made a powerful statement, marching into COP26 to meet with Carolina Schmidt, President-designate and advocate for the inclusion of Indigenous voices in international decision making.
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Left Photo: Representatives of the Minga Indigena arrive at the Blue Zone of COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland to deliver their list of demands and meet with government officials. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
Right Photo: Longtime allies, Gloria Ushigua (Sápara), Coordinator of the Sápara women's organisation Ashiñwaka, and Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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Missing Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Action
"They look at us just as disposable, just like they look at our frontline communities as sacrifice zones. Man camps move through, they set up in hotels and motels. They bring drugs and alcohol, they steal our women through direct kidnapping and through enticements, and then they are never found again."
Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), USA
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Indigenous women leaders speak out about the epidemic of Missing Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) during an action held at COP26. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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We must end violence against the land, and violence against women.
On November 9, we took action inside and outside of COP26 in Glasgow in memory of Missing Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), girls, and two-spirit relatives. We were honored to support this action coordinated by Indigenous Climate Action. Indigenous women continue to face huge risks as they stand up against corporations and governments polluting and degrading Mother Earth in their territories. First hand experiences and ample evidence shows a link between the presence of resource extraction workers who live in temporary 'man camps' and violence against Indigenous women and girls, further exacerbating the MMIW epidemic. |
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In both photos above, Indigenous women leaders from the Amazon speak out during the COP26 Missing Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) action about violence against land defenders in their territories.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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Women land defenders from Latin America spoke out alongside Indigenous women leaders from Turtle Island (USA/Canada) to share the threats and violence they experience when taking action for the protection of their territories.
Latin America is one of the deadliest regions for environmental land defenders. In 2020, there were 227 lethal attacks on land and environmental defenders– with the majority taking place in Latin America. Combined with entrenched colonial and patriarchal policies, individuals threatened are oftentimes Indigenous peoples and Women Environmental and Human Rights Defenders (WEHRD) fighting for the protection of their communities and lands.
Watch live streams from the event at the links below:
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Left Photo: Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Ponca Nation Environmental Ambassador, and WECAN COP26 Delegate and Board Member speaks about how the fossil fuel industry has fueled the MMIW epidemic in her community. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
Right Photo: Great Grandmother Mary Lyons (Ojibwe) Elder and Movement Leader shares about the impacts of MMIW along the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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Divest from Fossil Fuels - Actions at COP26 |
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Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, with divestment allies at an action calling for no more fossil fuel financing, outside the Glasgow Finance Alliance on Net Zero Reception.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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WECAN is advocating for governments and financial institutions to stop financing and subsidizing fossil fuels and instead invest in and protect our climate and communities!
Governments continue to push for false solutions and paradigms like net-zero and carbon offset programs, which will not cut pollution at the source or curb global emissions. It is far past time to break free from the fossil fuel economy and invest in community-led solutions, and rights-based approaches.
On November 3, WECAN Delegates took action with allies outside the Glasgow Finance Alliance on Net Zero (GFANZ) Reception in Glasgow.
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Left Photo: Divestment activists outside the Glasgow Finance Alliance on Net Zero (GFANZ) Reception in Glasgow during COP26. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
Right Photo: People unfurl a banner reading CODE RED, closing down the road, outside the Glasgow Finance Alliance on Net Zero (GFANZ) Reception in Glasgow during COP26.
Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
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GFANZ is a global coalition of leading financial institutions committed to accelerating a net-zero economy. But, net-zero will not deliver true zero emissions— which is needed to address the climate crisis— instead allowing financial institutions and governments to carry on with fossil fuel business as usual. Watch a livestream from the action here.
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From left to right: Mary Lyons (Ojibwe) Elder and Movement Leader, Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation) Environmental Ambassador and WECAN COP26 Delegate, and Eriel Deranger (Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation), Indigenous Climate Action Executive Director at an Indigenous-led action at JPMorgan Chase offices in Glasgow calling for divestment from fossil fuels during COP26, November 2021. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International |
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Chase bank joined the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, a component of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). As part of its “net-zero” commitments, JPMorgan Chase has pledged to reduce operational carbon intensity by 35% by 2030, and to reduce end-use carbon intensity by 15%. Yet, the bank continues to pour billions of dollars into fossil fuel projects that are directly impacting Indigenous territories across the world, from the Wet’suwet’en peoples in North America to the Sarayaku and Waorani peoples in the South American Amazon.
Watch live streams from the event at the links below:
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Left Photo: Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation) Environmental Ambassador, and WECAN COP26 Delegate and Board Member speaks out at an action at JPMorgan Chase offices in Glasgow calling for divestment from fossil fuels during COP26, November 2021. Photo Credit: Katherine Quaid/WECAN International
Right Photo: Action at JPMorgan Chase offices in Glasgow calling for divestment from fossil fuels during COP26, November 2021. Photo Credit: WECAN International
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Throughout COP26, we also held a strong focus on the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota. Along with other U.S. civil society members, we spoke with U.S. delegates to bring awareness to the human rights violations and environmental damage caused to waterways along the Line 3 pipeline. Advocates held a Line 3 event in the U.S. action center pavilion, please see here. |
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Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN Executive Director, also spoke with White House National Climate Advisor, Gina McCarthy (pictured above) about the violations and harms along the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota as well as ending any new fossil fuel projects in the US. |
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Water Ceremony
Indigenous leaders led a healing water ceremony mid-way through the climate talks on the banks of the River Clyde, which runs throughout Glasgow.
WECAN COP26 delegate Casey Camp-Horinek helped lead the ceremony alongside Mary Lyons, Ojibwe leader, Chief Judy Wilson, and Bineshi Albert, CJA Executive Director. The Ceremony was organized by Indigenous Climate Action and Indigenous Environmental Network.
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Left Photo: Indigenous women leaders led a healing water ceremony mid-way through the climate talks on the banks of the River Clyde, which runs throughout Glasgow. Photo Credit: WECAN International
Right Photo: Casey Camp-Horinek (Ponca Nation), Environmental Ambassador, WECAN COP26 Delegate and Board Member co-leads a Water Ceremony during COP26.
Photo Credit: WECAN International
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RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THE HIGHLANDS AND ANCESTORS OF SCOTLAND |
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At the end of our time in Glasgow, WECAN team members travelled to Kilmartin Glen on the west side of Scotland to pay our respects to the land and ancestors of Scotland. The area spans 5,000 years with a multitude of cairns, standing stones, carved rock, stone circles, and temples. These were and are sacred spaces where pre-colonial peoples lived in balance with their homelands.
We stand in solidarity with the people of Scotland and their powerful history. We pay homage to these beautiful lands that held us and offered space for healing after two weeks of intense negotiations at COP26. WECAN supports our relatives all over the world in deepening their relationship and healing with the Earth as an essential climate solution. With our communities and lands in our hearts, we continue ever forward.
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HONORING THE WECAN COP25 DELEGATION |
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CASEY CAMP-HORINEK
Ponca Nation, Turtle Island, USA
Casey Camp-Horinek of the Ponca Nation is a community leader, long-time Native rights activist, environmentalist and actress, and WECAN board member. As traditional Drumkeeper for the Ponca Pa-tha-ta, Woman’s Scalp Dance Society, Camp-Horinek helps maintain the cultural identity of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma for herself, her family and her community. She has been at the forefront of grassroots community efforts to educate and empower both Native and non-Native community members on environmental and civil rights issues. She has raised her voice and taken action in countless forums across the world, and is a leader in the Rights of Nature movement.
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SÔNIA BONE GUAJAJARA
Brazilian Amazon
Sônia Bone Guajajara is a Brazilian Indigenous leader. She is the Executive Coordinator for the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB), and comes from the Araribóia Indigenous Land, of the Guajajara people. She graduated in Arts and Nursing, apart from being a specialist in Special Education by the State University of Maranhão. She was a candidate for Vice-President of Brazil in the 2018 Elections; coordinator of the organizations and articulations of the indigenous peoples of Maranhão (COAPIMA); and of the Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB). In 2015, she received the Order of Cultural Merit from the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Culture.
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HELENA SIREN GUALINGA
Kichwa, Ecuadorian Amazon
Helena Siren Gualinga is a youth social activist, of Kichwa-Indigenous and Swedish origin. She is known for her advocacy for climate and environmental justice. Helena is a WECAN Young Women Program Lead.
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NEEMA NAMADAMU
Democratic Republic of Congo *Virtual Delegate*
Neema Namadamu is a visionary peacemaker from Bukavu, South Kivu Province in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where she advocates for peace, women’s rights, rights for persons with disabilities, rights for Indigenous pygmy peoples, and Rights of Nature. Neema is the WECAN Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As WECAN DRC Coordinator, Neema leads workshops and trainings with local women to address deforestation, build women’s leadership, support Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and protect the rich ecosystems of the Itombwe rainforest. In June of 2012 Neema was selected as one of three World Pulse journalists for their annual Live Tour of the U.S., where she spoke before the U.S. Department of State, the Clinton Global Initiative, and was interviewed by CNN.
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CARMEN CAPRILES
Bolivia
Carmen Capriles is a founding member of Reacción Climática and the WECAN Coordinator for Latin America. She is from La Paz, Bolivia and started Reacción Climática in 2010, as a volunteer organization which aims to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change on the Andean region. She has actively participated in different UN processes like the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement, with special emphasis on women's rights and gender equality - and most recently in the Escazú Agreement, advocating for Environmental Defenders. Carmen holds a degree from Bolivia as an Engineer in Agriculture, as well as a degree in Sustainable Rural Development from Egypt.
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OSPREY ORIELLE LAKE
United States
Osprey Orielle Lake is the Founder and Executive Director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) International. She works nationally and internationally with grassroots and Indigenous leaders, policy-makers and scientists to promote climate justice, resilient communities, and a just transition to a clean energy future. She serves on the Executive Committee for the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature and heads-up WECAN’s advocacy work in areas such as Women for Forests, Rights of Nature. Fossil Fuel Divestment, and UN Forums. Osprey is the author of the award-winning book, Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture with Nature.
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KATHERINE QUAID
Confederated Tribes of Umatilla, Turtle Island, USA
Katherine Quaid is the Communications Coordinator for the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN). She was born and raised in rural central Oregon and is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla. Her dedication to climate justice is tied to the lands of her ancestors and the many communities nationally and around the world that are fighting for a healthy future. Katherine is passionate about sharing her voice for justice, and collaborating with frontline women across Turtle Island (USA) and globally in resistance movements and climate solutions.
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Below is a selection of some of the media highlights for the WECAN COP26 Delegation and the Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network:
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For the Earth and All Generations,
Women's Earth and Climate Action Network
(WECAN) International Team
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S T A Y C O N N E C T E D |
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