Around the world the impacts of the climate crisis are revealed with more alarming force every day. The stakes could not be higher - our community safety and well being, thriving natural world, and the future of today's youth and upcoming generations hang in the balance. 

This September, WECAN International advocated for our communities and Mother Earth during the Global Climate Strikes and other actions.  While the WECAN network was striking on opposite ends of the United States, we were marching side by side, along with over 4 million others, led by fierce young activists, with a collective message, calling for an end to business as usual and demanding elected officials take action on our current climate crisis.

The youth-led strikes set the tone for a week of demanding corporate and government accountability and action during the United Nations Climate Summit, New York Climate Week, and beyond.

During the U.N. Climate Summit, w hile countries currently bearing the brunt of climate disruption displayed a sense of leadership and commitment to climate action,  the countries who have contributed most to climate chaos are failing to make strong and concrete commitments -  in fact many are planning to invest even more in coal and fossil fuel production, leading to further climate disaster.

We know that if the biggest polluters continue with business as usual, we will exceed our carbon budget and fast track our planet to well over 1.5 degree warming. At WECAN, we will continue to fight and advocate in many spaces including the United Nations climate forums, because we are committed to ensuring that girls and women, and especially frontline, grassroots, Indigenous women, and women of color from around the world, have the opportunity to speak for themselves, and share their demands, on the ground sustainability solutions, and resistance movements. These are the solutions that we need!

We are not waiting for government officials to take leadership - instead we will continue to lead our projects and campaigns in coalition with organizations across the globe to advocate and act for climate justice, the protection of our forests and farms, divestment from fossil fuels and investment in regenerative energy, the leadership of frontline women, and the rights of future generations to a healthy and just future.  In this newsletter, we cover our actions during climate week and the many campaigns, programs and advocacy efforts we are pursuing into the fall!

WECAN International outside of the United Nations during Climate Week in New York City - Photo via Clement Guerra

As part of our Divest/Invest for a Just Transition campaign and program, WECAN International took action during the United Nations Environmental Programme Finance Initiative launch of the Principles for Responsible Bankings (PRBs) on Monday, September 23rd. 

The PRBs are a set of principles providing banks with a framework for a sustainable banking system that is in alignment with the international goals set forth by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. Thus far, 130 banks having signed on, representing over $47 trillion, in 49 countries.

The PRBs are a welcome effort of the UNEP FI to engage financial stakeholders in ramping up efforts to divest from fossil fuels and invest in renewable energy, but we hold significant concerns about the goals and implementation of the PRBs. We question how the PRBs will uphold Indigenous and human rights and address the impact of climate catastrophe on women worldwide - and how banks plan to meet the urgent timeline of the crisis we face. You can find our full analysis at the button below.

	WECAN International Executive Director, Osprey Orielle Lake, advocates for concrete commitments and accountability during the Principles for Responsible Banking public launch in New York City - Photo via WECAN International/Katherine Quaid

WATCH the Facebook live-stream of the NYC Launch!

WECAN Communications Coordinator, Katherine Quaid, speaking about the role of Indigenous Rights within the climate movement during the launch of the Feminist Agenda for a Green New Deal in New York City during Climate Week.

Miriam Cisneros, President of Sarayaku in Ecuador, and Osprey Orielle Lake, WECAN International Executive Director, prepare to give testimony in  opposition to the Tropical Forest Standard in California on September 19, 2019 - Photo via WECAN International

Eighty percent of all biodiversity left on Earth is found in the territories of Indigenous Peoples, precisely because Indigenous Peoples carry vast traditional knowledge for stewarding and living in right relationship with the land, all of which has been passed down generation after generation. When offset programs are forced into forest ecosystems and Indigenous peoples lands, this critical stewardship and protection of forests is dangerously disrupted. Forest offset programs have resulted in land grabbing, and put Indigenous communities at risk of displacement and/or loss of control of their forests, their way of life, cultures, food security, and sovereignty.

Furthermore, offset programs do not result in a reduction of emissions, but rather allow polluters like oil refineries to release more greenhouse gasses and to do so legally. The IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, which was released on October 8, 2018, makes it stunningly clear that we must immediately change our trajectory and keep fossil fuels in the ground, we do not have time for false solutions. The carbon budget we have left means that we must stop putting more carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

California is the 6th largest economy in the world and the decisions and laws passed in the state have an international impact. By passing the TFS, CARB and government officials are setting a dangerous precedent that encourages other governments to follow suit. Instead we need to stop pollution at the source. The time for bold and courageous policies is now and the Tropical Forest Standard is not one of them.