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Caroline Muturi, coordinator of IBON Africa said: “These findings tell us that the dynamics within these spaces remain fundamentally colonial. Cops have become an avenue for these corporations to greenwash their polluting businesses and foist dangerous distractions from real climate action.” Read more
IBON International, however, assailed the summit’s decision to let the World Bank host the fund for the next four years despite resistance from developing nations.
“Our position as IBON International is that the World Bank is not fit as host of the LDF given its history of financing fossil fuel projects, donor-driven lending model and undemocratic governance structure,” the group told Inquirer.net.
IBON noted that the LDF should instead be hosted by a stand-alone operating entity with a board composed of delegates from developing countries, affected communities, and civil society organizations.
In its opening statement at Cop28, the group, along with other Philippines-based organizations, pointed out that developing countries contribute the least to climate change but suffer the most. Read more
Jennifer del Rosario-Malonzo, executive director at Ibon International, a service institution working with social movements and civil society organisations, noted “militarism, wars and occupation contribute immensely to global carbon emissions.”
“That is why climate justice is linked with the struggle for just peace and upholding of human rights. Developed countries are miserly in committing to climate action, but pour billions of dollars into wars and military aggression,” she continued.
Malonzo underscored: “As we confront big polluting governments and corporations here at COP28, we also raise critical issues that are deeply connected to our struggle for climate justice – such as the sharp contrast between the billions of dollars being poured by wealthy countries to fund Israel attacks on Gaza, against the pennies earmarked for reparations to frontline communities and climate-related loss and damage. It shows how human rights and lives are sacrificed for profit and plunder.” Read more
IBON International pointed out that the climate crisis threatens the human rights of millions of poor people around the world and asked accountability from governments to hold “big polluters” accountable.
“Millions of poor people who have done the least damage to the environment and climate contend with worsening weather extremes and slow-onset disasters: super typhoons, droughts, rising sea levels, and floods,” the group said in its opening statement at COP28.
“Yet world leaders’ ambitions remain grossly inadequate. Several climate talks have passed and governments have done very little to equitably phase-out fossil fuels and hold the big polluters accountable,” the group’s statement continued.
IBON stated that despite hosting numerous climate conferences, the persisting issue is that corporations and “big polluters” can still dictate terms that serve their own interests.
One of the solutions that the group proposed is for the “institutionalisation of measures that will limit corporations’ access to and influence on climate policy making and governance,” saying that the common folk and marginalized groups are the ones who are central to shaping climate policies. Read more