You can’t have missed some of the really alarming policy announcements from the Government recently, especially the decision to grant 100 new drilling licences in the North Sea. Moreover, the UK plans to drop its flagship £11.6bn climate and nature funding pledge, the UK’s contribution to meeting the global $100bn (£78.6bn) a year commitment to developing countries.
Protest from environmental groups seem to be disregarded and civil servants have even been told not to engage with Greenpeace.
Meanwhile, heatwaves, fires and floods are reported daily. The reality of the climate crisis is there for all to see and it’s clear that the effects are far worse in many of the poorest countries which have done least to cause the problem. Think of the small island states which are disappearing to sea level rises.
Last year at the UN climate talks, COP27, an agreement to pay loss and damage was regarded as a major breakthrough, but nearly a year has gone by and there are few pledges and no clear timetable. Meanwhile the fossil fuel companies which are causing most of the damage, are raking in huge profits.
COP28 (30/11 to 12/12) will take place in Dubai, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, a leading oil and gas producer. And the official chosen to preside over the summit – Sultan Al Jaber – is the chief executive of the country’s national oil company, Adnoc, which is planning a big expansion of production capacity. There is also going to be a huge contingent of fossil fuel companies, which many believe should be banned.
If you want to read a bit more about this issue, see: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/01/leak-uae-presidency-un-climate-summit-oil-gas-emissions-yemen
So how do we respond?
There’s a call for action around the UN Climate talks in New York 15-17 September, including a ‘March to End Fossil Fuels’ in New York: https://fightfossilfuels.net/
And a day of action on Make Polluters Pay on 23/9 https://makepolluterspay.co.uk/mpp-action-day
Also national action during the COP28 talks. We’ll be gathering in Guildhall Square wiht stalls, music, speakers and hten march up Commercail Road.
The Big 5 fossil fuel companies (Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Shell and TotalEnergies) have played a particularly big role in causing global heating, contributing to over 11% of global historic carbon emissions between them. Collectively, they could owe as much as $8 trillion in climate damage to the global south.
So, a coalition of groups are calling on the UK government to tax big polluters to fund climate compensation for the global south.
For the Portsmouth area, we have decided
- To ask as many local groups as possible to support our letter to all the local MPs.
- To encourage as many people as possible to write individually to MPs.
- To organise a photo-opportunity in Guildhall Square on 15/9 at noon at which we hope lots of groups will be represented.
- To send the letter and photo to the press as well as to MPs.
- To have a big event in Guildhall Square with stalls, music, speakers and a march during the COP28 talks – probably 2nd or 9th December but the national plans are not yet finalised.
Action on climate is urgent – we can’t let the fossil fuel companies off the hook here.
If your group is happy to consider signing the letter, please contact us at havclimate@gmail.com and we will send it on.
Havant Climate Alliance 