IBON International together with other civil society and peoples’ organizations will be holding a People-Powered Climate Justice Town Hall on 11 December 2019, 13:00-16:00, Hortaleza Street, 88, 28004 Madrid, Spain.

On 2–13 December, Madrid, Spain will be hosting the 25th Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC. Originally to be held in Santiago, Chile, the venue has since been moved to Madrid, Spain after local protests and increasing social tensions in Chile forced the government of Sebastian Piñera to pull out of organizing COP25 and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. COP 25 will be taking place against the background of developed countries’ continued refusal to pay for their climate debt and the rising peoples’ clamor for system change.

There are three main political and technical agenda to be discussed at the COP 25: the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement pertaining to market-based emissions cutting systems, updating of countries’ nationally determined contributions post-2020, and review of the mechanisms for financing loss and damage due to climate change. People from the global South, who disproportionately bear the impacts of rising temperatures, are concerned that the negotiations will only further entrench corporate interest in the climate agenda and policies, allow developed countries especially big GHG emitters to evade responsibility, and pass the buck to poor and underdeveloped countries.

In the face of leaders’ neglect, the wanton abuse of limited natural resources, and destruction of our environment, people are organizing and creating innovative solutions to enhance their resiliency, curb emissions, build their power, and promote their access to and participation in the care of the commons. Yet today, these initiatives often remain unsupported and even undermined.

People Powered Climate Justice Town Hall aims to surface frontline communities’ perspectives on the climate emergency, their critique of the climate negotiation process, and to promote solidarity for their actions and struggles amid corporate capture of the climate agenda and the shrinking democratic space and attacks against environmental and rights defenders.

Come and join an afternoon of sharing, learning, and building solidarity in Madrid, Spain as we challenge the corporate capture of the climate agenda at COP 25 through people-powered climate action.

This event is in partnership with the Africaine de Recherche et de Cooperation pour l’Appui au Developpement Endogene (ARCADE), Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society (CEOCODECON), CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness (CPDE), Instituto Politécnico Tomás Katari and SERUNI – Serikat Perempuan Indonesia. #