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I want to start this email with a bit of a different note than usual, as I have tough news to share. Our dear colleague and climate champion Hoàng Thi Minh Hồng, has been unjustly imprisoned in Vietnam since May 31. She is the fifth high-profile climate activist in Vietnam who has been charged with tax evasion in the past two years. Her place is not in jail. We stand in solidarity with Hong & climate defenders everywhere!
The several actions and campaigns you will read below are a testament to the importance of protecting crucial rights, such as the freedom of protest and speech. Everyday, somewhere in the world environmental and climate activists are threatened or harmed due to their fights to protect their communities and our planet. It should not be that way. There is no climate justice without human rights.
I hope the good news below bring you energy to stay strong with us, for our climate and in solidarity to fellow activists as Hong!
P.S. This is also the month we are celebrating 10 years since an inspiring and groundbreaking event happened: Global Power Shift. From June 24th to 30th 2013, we brought 500 young activists from over 130 countries together in Turkey for a week of trainings. Many of them became climate leaders that have been shaping our movement since then – Hong was one of them! Read more here.
Why don’t you join our Fossil Free mailing list for all the latest stories on climate organizing from around the world? Stories that matter. Campaigns that inspire. All delivered directly to you every month!
In Case You Missed It
Standard Bank time to break free from EACOP!
So far, 27 banks and 23 insurers have dropped their support to the pipeline. We need Standard Bank to join them and stand on the right side of history. The pressure is on, and together we can make a difference.
Climate activists in front of the Standard Bank headquarters in South Africa.
Photo-credit: 350.org
A financial PACT Summit
Last week in Paris world leaders came together on the PACT Summit, a high-level summit to discuss making the financial system more equitable, with wealthier nations stepping up to pay their fair share and consider debt forgiveness for countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Of course, we couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. Our team in France, along with partners arranged a series of engaging actions and made our demands: make them pay to fund solutions. We kicked off with a dynamic Live Panel featuring some of our favorite activists, including Vanessa Nakate, Luisa Neubauer and Disha Ravi. We took it up a notch by orchestrating an exciting stunt where an invisible banner transformed the iconic Eiffel Tower into a symbol of renewable energy resembling a wind turbine. And to wrap up our string of actions, we assembled a visual spectacle to convey our demands loud and clear: an end to fossil finance and a rapid and equitable transition towards a renewable future.
350.org, and others welcomed leaders from around the globe to Paris by transforming the Eiffel Tower into a massive wind turbine, in a statement calling for leaders to end fossil fuel finance in their forthcoming pact. Photo-credit: Christophe Petit-tesson
Rising voices for a greener future
Our friends from 350 Asia and 350 Pilipinas joined forces with other organisations and communities right outside the Asian Development (ADB) headquarters. Why? Because that’s where the 18th Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) was being held.
The ACEF is where the clean energy game-changers from corners of Asia and the Pacific come together to strategise. The forum champions national and multinational corporations as the leaders in the energy transition. They’re pushing for some seriously unsustainable stuff. We’re talking fossil gas, waste-to-energy, hydrogen, and experimental tech like ammonia co-firing and carbon capture and storage.
The demands from activists are simple, ADB needs to phase out fossil fuel support and prioritise real sustainable energy projects. It’s time for a greener future.
Members of @350_Asia and @350Pilipinas joined other civil society organisations and communities outside the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters. Photo-credit: Aurora Malaya
Fiji supports the call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty
This month, policymakers and diplomats got together in Bonn, Germany, for one of the meetings ahead of COP28 – the so-called Intersessional sessions. That’s where they assess where we are in reaching the goals of the Paris Agreement and subsequently correct the course. During a side event at the conference, Fiji made a powerful statement reaffirming its commitment to the Port Vila Call for a Just Transition to a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific. They expressed strong support for a negotiation of the treaty. Fiji is leading the way towards a sustainable future, and joining the other Pacific islands – Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The People vs. Fossil Fuels Coalition
In June, activists in the United States took the country by storm, demanding real climate action from Biden to end the era of fossil fuels. The People vs. Fossil Fuels coalition organised a national week of action from June 8-11, 2023. They united, raised their voices, and called for a climate emergency.
The timing of the actions couldn’t be more critical: that week, the Canadian wildfires could not be ignored, with smoke reaching as far as New York. The pollution caused by these wildfires served as a burning reminder of the urgency to tackle climate change and the destructive consequences of fossil fuel dependence.
The fight continues. We’ll keep pushing for impactful climate policies, holding out leaders accountable, and working towards a planet we can proudly pass on.
One to Watch
Talking about the Canadian wildfires, this unfortunately isn’t some isolated incident. It’s clear that the climate crisis is not a distant problem – it’s right at our doorstep, demanding our attention.
The momentum to take action must not stop until our governments worldwide break free from their addiction to coal, gas and oil. As our world literally burns, we must redirect the funds invested in fossil fuels towards clean, sustainable energy solutions.
Our friends in Canada are taking matters into their own hands and organising an emergency day of action. This is no drill, my friends. It’s an all-out emergency, and we have to step up and make our demands.
Use Your Power
Even if you’re not in Canada, you can join the pressure for making the fossil fuels industry pay for the damage they are causing. We’re witnessing the devastating impacts of climate change more frequently than ever before. And while we’re dealing with consequences and trying to make ends meet, the fossil fuel giants are raking up in massive profits. Frankly, it’s just not fair.
We need change, and we need it now! It’s high time these oil corporations pay their dues by taxing their excessive profits. Can you imagine what we can do with that money, accelerate the transition to clean, renewable energy that benefits everyone.
Add your name today and let’s create a livable future together!
Skill Up Your Activism
Why haven’t we solved the climate crisis yet?
This month, we’re shaking things up and challenging you to take a moment or two to yourself this burning question.
We took the opportunity to chat with some of our awesome colleagues, both current and former to hear their thoughts on the matter. Let’s just say, they brought some fascinating angles to the table.
No spoilers here. So sit back, relax and enjoy the read:
IN OTHER NEWS
- Debt relief urgent for poor countries hit by climate shocks, says IMF chief
- The climate crisis is on track to push one-third of humanity out of its most livable environment
Quote of the month
“With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you’re connected to the sea.” #WorldOceansDay
— Sylvia Earle, American Marine Biologist