EarthAction

Sir David Attenborough as the recipient of the Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today that Sir David Attenborough will receive the Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to research, documentation, and advocacy for the protection of nature and its restoration.

Sir David Attenborough’s career as a broadcaster, natural historian, author, and environmental advocate spans over seven decades. He is most famous for his work with the BBC’s Natural History Unit, including landmark documentaries such as Life on Earth, the Living Planet, Our Planet and Our Blue Planet. In addition, his renowned advocacy work to preserve and restore biodiversity, transition to renewable energy, mitigate climate change and promote plant-rich diets contribute to the realization of many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The award is the UN’s highest environmental honour, and celebrates those who have dedicated their lives to tackling crises like climate change, species loss and pollution. To date, the Champions of the Earth has recognized 106 laureates, ranging from world leaders to technology inventors. They include 26 world leaders, 64 individuals and 16 groups or organizations.

The Press Release may be viewed here: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/david-attenborough-receives-uns-most-distinguished-environment-award

Feature Story may be viewed here: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/un-recognizes-broadcaster-attenborough-lifetime-achievement-award

David Attenborough exclusive interview with UNEP ED Inger Andersen: https://youtu.be/2YoLsUt4F58

Profile Video: https://youtu.be/Vlvn23rSt0M

Should you have any questions or further clarification please contact UNEP´s Director of Communication, Mr. Daniel Cooney, [email protected]

Radhika Ochalik

Secretary of Governing Bodies

Director, Governance Affairs Office

UN Environment Programme

Climate Advocacy Campaigns Turned Best Practices

In our latest post, we asked our Country Managers to describe a best practice example from their countries that began with an effort to advocate for a policy change and resulted in a change in government policy.

 

The effort needed to have certain characteristics such as a focus on a climate related problem that could be documented, a measurable goal that could be defined in terms of a concrete policy, and an organization that advocated for the policy. The organization could be a community group, an NGO, an industry association, or even a branch of government seeking to influence another branch.

 

The description needed to include a summary of the strategy and process that the organization(s) went through in order achieve their climate goal, a description of the organization that adopted the policy, and what made the campaign so successful.

 

READ THE REPORT

 

A summary table and full reports by country can be read here.

 

Climate Scorecard reports on emission policies and programs of leading greenhouse gas emitting countries, and advocates for policies that reduce these emissions. You can make a donation here.

Action Solutions & Partnerships to Revitalize Our Oceans - United Nations World Oceans Day

NGOCSD-NY in association with its partners present:
"Action Solutions & Partnerships to Revitalize Our Oceans"

Thursday, June 29, 2023, 1pm - 3:30pm, EDT

Our annual observance for UN World Oceans Day / Month this year will include a panel of experts with their innovative initiatives for revitalizing our Oceans. Together, we are engaging stakeholders from various sectors to develop sustainable action solutions and partnerships for the UN 17 SDGs. Building on the momentum generated by the successful negotiations of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, we look forward to future success to protect our environment from the impacts of climate change and plastic pollution, especially the impacts of rising sea levels on coastal communities. We are focused on achieving the UN2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, “To Leave No One Behind” and the UN Summit of the Future.

Read More

Anti-dam groups troop to NCIP over FPIC inconsistencies, conduct dam exposure tour

Filing of petition and complaints at the regional office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples-Cordillera (NCIP-CAR)

Dam-threatened Kalinga tribes along with advocates trooped to the regional office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples- Cordillera (NCIP-CAR) to petition the dams proposed along the Saltan river in Kalinga.
 

Indigenous peoples from the municipalities of Pinukpuk, Balbalan and Tabuk in Kalinga mark this year's International Day of Action Against Dams and for Rivers (IDAAD) with a petition filed against JBD Water Power Incorporated's (JWPI) hydroelectric power projects at the NCIP regional office in Baguio City today, March 14, 2023. Said petition seeks the nullification of the result of the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) among the Limos tribe last February 9, 2023, whatever the results may be, on basis of inconsistencies in the process.

 

 

According to Elma Tuazon, representative from the Limos tribe and lead convenor of the Sumkad ti Umili para ti Matagoan, Karbengan, Aglawlaw, Daga ken Dayaw (SUMKADD), the petition submitted is nullifying "the decision-making process/meeting for the Limos Ancestral Domain activity on February 9, 2023 related to the Saltan Hydroelectric Power Project", proposed by the JWPI along the Saltan River in Kalinga. "We have sinced petitioned against these dam projects along the Saltan River since 2022, we are reiterating our opposition to these proposed dam projects."
 

Resolutions against the JWPI dams were adopted by several barangays in Balbalan and the municipality of Pinukpuk as early as February of 2022.
 

A dialogue with NCIP CAR Regional Director Atty. Atanacio Addog was also conducted, where the demands for NCIP's accountability and strict monitoring of the FPIC process were floated. Continuing talks between the petitioners and NCIP will soon determine the outcomes, but petitioners remain wary of NCIP's expected actions considering that Addog is one of the accused in the administrative charges including 158 counts of estafa, falsification, and use of falsified documents filed by the dam-threatened Isnag indigenous peoples of Kabugao on December 2022 and January 2023.

 

 

Dialogue with NCIP Regional Director Atanacio Addog at the NCIP Regional Office in Baguio City.

 

Dams Learning Exchange
 

Prior to the petition filing, the petitioners from Kalinga were accompanied by delegates coming from dam-threatened communities in Kabugao, Apayao for a two-days Dam Learning Exchange. The Indigenous peoples delegation conducted an educational tour at the Ambuklao Dam site in Bokod, Benguet.

 

 

Ocular visit of delegates to the Ambuklao Dam. Ptr. Virgil Aniceto of the Regional Ecumenical Council of the Cordillera (RECCORD), who spent a long time of service in Bokod, explained the parts of the dam and the resulting damages at the time of its construction and beyond.

 

Bokod town Mayor, Honorable Thomas Wales, in his message to the delegates during their courtesy call said, "Think of the next generation, not only the now. Consider them when you make your decision regarding those projects. Our decision should not limit the future generations' options for development as they see fit for them. This is for the sake of us all."
 

In the community exchange, Ambuklao Barangay Captain Monroe Galasgas related the experience of their community during the building of the then government-owned 75MW Ambuklao Dam through the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR). "We had to leave our community. Some of our families were relocated to Nueva Vizcaya and Palawan however, our families eventually returned to Ambuklao because the relocation site was undeveloped," he said.
 

The dam was decommissioned in 1999 due to silt accumulation. It resumed operation in 2011 after it was rehabilitated by SN Aboitiz. It was since then upgraded to 105MW capacity. SN Aboitiz now owns and manages the facility, but last January this year, it was reported that Bokod indigenous peoples rejected the company’s bid to continue the said dam’s operation through a resolution of non-consent submitted to the provincial office of NCIP Benguet.
 

According to the community, a large portion of the lands covered by the dam compound are part of their ancestral domain. "We are still reclaiming some of our lands until now," Galasgas added.
 

"A lot of our questions have been answered regarding the long-term impacts of dam on the lives and livelihood of people," said Eusebia Luban, an Isnag woman from Kabugao, Apayao who attended the dam expo and tour.
 

"Balunen me dagitoy nga adal tapno ibingay mi met kadagiti kakailian mi," she added.
 

#OurRiversOursToDefend

#LetOurRiversFlowFreely

#DefendCordilleraPH

UN General Assembly calls for an end to the war in Ukraine

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution late last night (Feb 23), calling for an end to the war and demanding Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter.

Coming just hours before the war entered its second year, the resolution was adopted under the Uniting for Peace mandate, which provides the possibility for the UN General Assembly to take action to address acts of aggression or other serious threats to international peace when the Security Council is blocked by the veto power of one of the Permanent Five Members.

The UNGA resolution, entitled Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine contains 11 key points including;

• Deploring the dire human rights and humanitarian consequences of the war;
• Expressing deep concern about the adverse impact of the war on global food security, energy, nuclear security and safety and the environment;
• Calling for full adherence by the parties to the armed conflict to their obligations under international humanitarian law;
• Emphasizing the need to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes under international law committed on the territory of Ukraine through independent investigations and prosecutions at the national or international level, and ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes;
• Underscoring the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations;
• Reaffirming that no territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force shall be recognized as legal;
• Demanding that the Russian Federation withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized border;
• Calling for a cessation of hostilities.

Time for Russia to End the Continuing War Against Ukraine
InDepthNews, February 23

"Russia should end its invasion of Ukraine, withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory and enter into negotiations with Ukraine to resolve historical disputes and establish a lasting and just peace that guarantees the security of both nations," says the World Future Council in an article Time for Russia to End Continuing War Against Ukraine published in InDepthNews yesterday.

“Regardless of any grievances and unresolved conflicts that Russia may have with Ukraine and the United States/NATO, the use of force to resolve such conflicts is prohibited under Article 2 of the UN Charter,” says Alyn Ware, Director of the World Future Council Peace and Disarmament program.

"War has no place in the 21st century when humanity already needs to address so many pressing issues such as climate change and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals” says Angelina Davydova, in the InDepthNews article. Ms Davydova is a Member of the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group and Council Member of World Future Council.

“We regret that better use is not made of diplomacy, mediation and Common Security mechanisms earlier in conflicts to address and resolve historical grievances." says international lawyer Neshan Gunasekera, Co-Chair of the World Future Council Peace and Disarmament Commission and a Director of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms. “We call on the United Nations and the international community to make better use of these common security mechanisms to address unresolved conflicts and prevent war." 

Such Common Security mechanisms include the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, International Court of Justice, UN mediation services, UN Human Rights Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and others.

The Global Futures Forum, New Agenda for Peace and UN Summit of the Future

Opportunities to do better in preventing war,
securing peace and protecting the planet.

As we approach February 24, the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine with no end to the war in sight, it's important to not only push more resolutely for an end to the invasion, but to also consider what the international community could do better to prevent such acts of aggression and indeed to prevent any armed conflict.

And as we were reminded by the Doomsday Clock announcement on January 24, such conflicts elevate the threat of a catastrophic nuclear war. And we are also facing an existential threat to humanity and the planet from climate change.

In order to prevent war, promote peace and better protect the planet for current and future generations, the United Nations General Assembly has decided to hold a Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow in September 2024, preceded by a preparatory ministerial meeting in September 2023.

The Summit will adopt a Pact for the Future and establish a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations. In addition, the UN Secretary-General is preparing a New Agenda for Peace in conjunction with preparations for the Summit.

Civil society input: Your participation could make a difference

The Coalition for the UN We Need (C4UN) is facilitating civil society input into the UN Summit and its preparatory process, and for the New Agenda for Peace.

This includes a Global Futures Forum on March 20-21 (in New York and online), preparing a Peoples Pact for the Future for presentation to governments and the United Nations, direct advocacy at the United Nations and in capitals, and facilitating a number of civil society consultations to ensure maximum possible input and engagement.

Register for the Global Futures Forum

International Peace and Security Consultations

Civil society consultations on the Peace and Security theme will take place from Feb 15-28 through a combination of email/list-serve communications, and online meetings. The consultations will result in a set of proposals and recommendations on peace and international security to the UN Summit of the Future and New Agenda for Peace.

If you would like to join the consultations, please send a request to [email protected] or visit https://c4unwn.org/e-consultation/.

The co-facilitators of the Peace and Security consultations are Alyn Ware, World Future Council. Basel Peace Office; Aline Burni, Foundation for European Progressive Studies and Sofia Anton, Kofi Annan Foundation. For further background please see Introduction to the Peace and Security theme.

EarthAction has provided support to the Cordillera Peoples Alliance for many years and now we stand with Bestang

MANIFESTO OF UNITY: STAND WITH SARAH "BESTANG" DEKDEKEN!

We, as peace-loving and rights-upholding people, express our support and solidarity for indigenous rights defender Sarah ‘Bestang’ Dekdeken as she faces continuous judicial harassment for her activism and work as the secretary-general of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance.  

Bestang was convicted of cyber libel after a local court ruled in favor of the charges made by former Cordillera police chief R’win Pagkalinawan on the truthful remarks she made regarding the police director’s role on the dismantling of the Chico Dam Struggle heroes monument in Tinglayan, Kalinga.

We stand that Bestang’s conviction was in error. Her remarks that were subjected to the court’s ruling were true and backed up by the community, concretized through resolutions and reports from April 2021. In fact, the Butbut tribe themselves had put the monument back up after reiterating that the police were to blame for its destruction.

We believe that the court’s ruling is another manifestation of the weaponization of the law by powers-that-be. This is not the first time that a government official in this country has wielded judicial remedies to intimidate—and silence—critics and truth-tellers.

We stand by Bestang’s credibility and integrity as an activist and development worker. For the longest time, Bestang’s work for indigenous people’s rights and human rights has resonated in her homeland—the Cordillera—and beyond. She has been instrumental in forging solidarities with other struggling peoples for the defense of the ancestral land and for the right to self-determination.

These precarious times warrant our strengthened unity to guard Philippine democracy from attacks at all fronts. At a time when truth-telling is challenged, we vow to defend it by standing by truth-tellers like Bestang and other human rights defenders and media workers.

Democracy dies in darkness. We shall keep it lit through our continued solidarity and action.
 
Stand with Bestang!
Fight for judicial independence! Decriminalize Libel!
Stop the political persecution of human rights defenders!
Stop the attacks!

SIGN THE MANIFESTO OF UNITY FOLLOW THE STAND WITH BESTANG FACEBOOK PAGE

Calling for urgent action to protect children from escalating heatwaves ahead of COP27

Our new report, The Coldest Year Of The Rest Of Their Lives: Protecting Children From The Escalating Impacts Of Heatwaves, warns that urgent action is needed to increase funding for adaptation to protect children and vulnerable communities from worsening heatwaves and other climate shocks. The report can be found here.

Released ahead of COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the report finds that 559 million children are currently exposed to high heatwave frequency (defined as an average of 4.5 or more heatwaves per year). Further, 624 million children are exposed to one of three other high heat measures - high heatwave duration, high heatwave severity, or extremely high temperatures.

“The mercury is rising and so are the impacts on children,” said ED Cathy Russell.

Following up on 2021’s, Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index, our new study focuses on one specific hazard – heat. It was developed in collaboration with partners including the Data Collaborative for Children and aims to help us better understand children’s exposure to the impacts of climate change to help prioritize action for those most at risk and ultimately ensure today's children inherit a livable planet.

 

World Day of Prayer and Action for Children

The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children is celebrated every year on November 20, the same day as the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and World Children’s Day.

Arigatou International launched the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children in 2008 to make this an opportunity for people of different religions and cultures to come together to pray and meditate, but also to take action for children’s rights and well-being.

This year also, organizations working for children’s rights and well-being have joined Arigatou International and UNICEF to celebrate the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children and the Wear My Shoes Campaign.
 
The Wear My Shoes Campaign aims to mobilize children and adults - including religious leaders, policymakers, parents/caregivers, and educators - to protect Children’s dignity.

Visit our landing page for more information. 

Please click HERE to register for the event.

From Unicef

Emergency Notice regarding Vulcan Materials from Aquatic Ecologist Ed Boles

Dear Colleagues,

As a concerned citizen of Belize, I am providing information about Vulcan Materials Company (attached), a multi-billion dollar aggregate mining company in the United States, and its purchase of White Ridge Farm in the Stann Creek District of Belize.  Their intent is to blast, pulverize, and ship Sugar Hills, a limestone formation, to the southeastern US for use as road fill. Blasting shall disrupt local hydrologic systems in the Southern Lagoon area, threatening the largest concentration of Caribbean manatees, as well as Central American River Turtles, American Crocodiles, and other fauna. The crushed material shall be carried by a conveyer bridge that passes over an important Hawks Bill Sea Turtle nesting beach to waiting cargo ships in the dredged out center of the Inner Channel behind the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Spokes persons for the current Belize Government have stated that no strip mining shall occur in this area.

However, Vulcan Materials is persistent and maybe even desperate to open their first mine in Belize.  The Mexican Government temporarily shut down the Vulcan Calica Mine south of Playa del Carmen in February and again on May 5, 2022, this time closing it due to the extensive damage the mining operation was causing to the local environment and the water table. This mine was producing 12 million tons of crushed limestone for the US market. In response these shutdowns, Vulcan has two lawsuit against the Mexican Government for $1.1 and $1.5 billion USD and the International Center for Investment Disputes shall be issuing a decision. Ten US republican senators are urging US President Biden to protect Vulcan and put strong pressure on Mexico. Vulcan Materials has a long history of litigation within many areas of the United States where they operate mines, so this is nothing new to their legal team and their US political support.

This web address, https://www.whiteridgeproject.com/, takes you to the site where Vulcan Materials describes benefits of having this company within Belize. The attached document tells a very different story, reviewing the scientific literature describing ecological and social impacts of limestone mining and taking a close look at the Vulcan site near Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The Calica Mine in Mexico is an indicator of what can happen in Belize if this corporation gets set up in our small country. If the Government of Belize had to take action against Vulcan for violations of their agreement and failure to protect the environment, as is occurring in many places where Vulcan is operating, we too could face a billion dollar plus lawsuit backed by a powerful and well-funded group of corporate lawyers. If this mega corporation gets a foothold in our small country, our world renowned ecological resources and cultural/social identity may change forever. 

The Vulcan team arrives this month to begin groundwork to get the mine eventually opened. The word needs to get out. The people need to know who we are up against and what the real stakes are, the real cost we and our great grandchildren shall have to bare. If this is of concern to you, please help us spread the word. Forward this document to anyone who may be interested in helping us protect our country from this corporate resource grab. We need all the assistance and support we can muster against this threat that if realized shall impact our ecosystems, water resources, ecotourism, economy, and cultural integrity. We need to collectively speak out.

Please share this with your Belize networks. Thank you for your attention and your concern.

Ed Boles

Aquatic Ecologist

Background on Vulcan Materials Company and Expected Impacts should

White Ridge Farm Karst Hills Become an Aggregate Mine

Executive Summary

Letter from Vulcan Rep Janet Kavinoky in Response to Ed Boles Analysis

Sign 2 Petitions

• GOB Says No to Vulcan
• Letter published in Belize AgReport from Board of Directos of Pro-Organic Belize.
• Tennessee Senators Urging US President Biden to Intervene on Behalf of Vulcan in Mexico

Health Risks Associated with Residents Living Near Quarrying Operations

Check https://www.facebook.com/groups/belizeumbrella
for more TV coverage posts

• No Vulcan for Gales Point
• Sambai Musicians of Gales Point Sing Against Mining Project Proposal
• Erosion -- award winning documentary on what happened in Playa del Carmen
• Vulcan Responds to NO on 7 Belize
• Stop Vulcan Manatee Strip-mining at Gales Point Manatee

Join the American Friends of the Palestinian House of Friendship on May 22, 5:00 - 6:00PM EST

UN to Publish Comprehensive Global Land Outlook 2

Media Advisory
 

Chronic Land Degradation: UN to Publish Comprehensive Global Land Outlook 2 Report Wednesday, 27 April 2022

 

Contacts: 
Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712 (m), [email protected]
Wagaki Wischnewski, +49-228-815-2820;
+49-173-268-7593; 
[email protected]

 

A new report from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), to be released Wednesday, 27 April 2022, offers both stark warnings and hundreds of practical ways to effect local, national and regional land and ecosystem restoration. 
 
UNCCD’s evidence-based flagship Global Land Outlook 2 (GLO2) report, five years in development with 21 partner organizations, and with over 1,000 references, is the most comprehensive consolidation of information on the topic ever assembled. 
 
It offers an overview of unprecedented breadth that includes new analyses of various future land scenarios and the potential contributions of land restoration investments to climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction, human health and other key sustainable development goals.
 
Report embargo: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
09:00 US EDT / 13:00 GMT / 14:00 UK Summer Time / 15:00 CEST
(check local time here) 
 
GLO2 is being released shortly before the UNCCD’s 15th session of the Conference of Parties opens in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (COP15, 9-20 May, www.unccd.int/cop15). 

The first GLO edition in 2017 underscored the wide-ranging drivers, risks, and impacts of persistent land degradation, which have intensified considerably in the last five years – increasingly evident in the deterioration of human health and stable livelihoods.
 
The new report sets out the rationale, enabling conditions, and diverse pathways by which countries and communities can design and implement a customized land restoration agenda. 

Advance access to the GLO2 report and a summary for decision makers, will be available next week. 
 
Advance embargoed interviews with report authors and officials are also available.
 
A high-level virtual launch will be followed by a press conference Wednesday,27 April 2022

The press conference will begin 27 April 2022 at 09:00 US EDT / 13:00 GMT / 14:00 UK Summer Time / 15:00 CEST (check local time here)  

To register for the press conference, and to receive the advance embargoed media materials, please email the following to [email protected] 

• Media organization 
• First Name
• Last Name
• Position
• Email
• Telephone
• City
• Country

 
A formal launch of GLO2 will take place Tuesday, 10 May 2022, during the high-level segment of the UNCCD’s 15th Conference of Parties (COP15, 9-20 May), Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.  
 
COP15 programme, registration and other media information: https://www.unccd.int/cop15

 

About the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
 

The UNCCD, established in 1994, is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the effects of drought. There are 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union. The Convention aims to mitigate the impact of land degradation by uniting governments, scientists, policymakers, the private sector and communities around a shared vision to restore and manage the world’s land, and to ensure the sustainability of the planet and the prosperity of future generations.