As COP27 nears, environmentalists call on rich countries ‘to pay climate debt’
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 October) — Environmental groups urged rich countries that are contributing largely to greenhouse gas emissions to provide additional climate funds as reparation to developing countries severely affected by the climate crisis.
Ruel Kenneth Felices, digital campaigner of the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability, Inc. (IDIS), told MindaNews on Monday that environmental advocates are demanding that rich countries “pay their climate debt and deliver additional non-debt-creating climate finance as reparations for their historical role in causing the climate crisis.”
“As COP27 is just around the corner, we must take this opportunity to raise our calls, push our demands and compel governments, global institutions and corporations to take urgent and necessary actions for the people’s survival. We will also call and raise awareness on the emerging and other environmental issues in the city,” he said.
COP27 or the United Nations Climate Change Conference will gather world leaders to “take action towards achieving the world’s collective climate goals as agreed under the Paris Agreement” from November 6 to 18 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
He said green groups are organizing a bicycle ride titled “Climate Finance Now! Reparation for Climate Debt!” at 5 a.m. on November 6 to express their solidarity and to highlight the gravity of the climate crisis as well as the urgency for bold, ambitious, just and equitable climate solutions.
A similar event will be simultaneously held in Cagayan de Oro City, Quezon City, Cebu and Batangas, according to him.
He added that countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Thailand, South Korea and Sri Lanka will also initiate similar events.
Felices said they also hope to raise awareness on the worsening impact of climate change and to pressure governments and corporations to take urgent actions to address the global crisis.
He added that they want to highlight the environmental issues in Davao such as the prioritization of the waste-to-energy project by the local government, call for more sources of clean energy, and address solid waste management issues, including plastic pollution.
He added that around 150 bikers are expected to join the cycling event, which will start at the Freedom Park along Roxas Avenue in the city.
Rara Ada, area coordinator for Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), told Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday that organizers wish to highlight the impact of the climate crisis during the bicycle ride not only in Davao City but also in other parts of the country.
She said they are hoping for a coordinated action from the highly industrialized countries to address the climate crisis.
Ada said more than 50 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions came from countries belonging to the Global North or the highly industrialized nations “but developing countries like the Philippines are the ones bearing the brunt of the climate crisis through strong typhoons.”
Felices identified the Global North as composed of the wealthy and technologically advanced countries like the United States, nations of the European Union and Japan, among others.
“Apparently, they have the greatest contribution to the historical and present greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. The concept of this call is for these countries from the Global North to deliver climate finance to the Global South,” he added.
Global South refers to those technically and socially less-developed countries, basically located in Africa and Asia. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
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