NEGOTIATING WHILE THE WORLD BURNS: CAN INTERNATIONAL SPEAKS OUT

‘It is a dangerous illusion to believe that we can solve the climate emergency here in Bonn, locked away in isolation: while negotiators focus on technical details, the world outside is burning.’ From Bonn, on the first day of the second week of meetings, Climate Action Network (CAN) International launched a clear and urgent appeal: ‘No to war.’ Without this premise, ‘continuing like this makes no sense,’ explained Attila Kulcsar (CAN International), ‘any decision would remain irrelevant.’

After him, the press conference organised by the organisation gave space to activists from different continents. Mohamed Kamel of CAN Arab World echoed a question in the room: ‘What is the purpose of our presence here in Bonn? Are we completely dissociated from what is happening outside these rooms, are we aware of this? Most likely, we are voluntarily choosing to ignore it.’ In the halls, discussions on climate and finance continue not only without any results, but also ‘without the slightest respect for international law and conventions,’ the activist accused, calling for a change in narrative, integrating any climate issue into the broader context that everyone must commit to considering today, at least in order to be credible. ‘We are not working in silos, we are not negotiating for another planet, but for the one that some countries here are setting on fire.’

After giving space to indignation, here are the key points that emerged from the CAN meeting:

• denunciation of the collapse of international law, ‘systematically ignored by the dominant powers, particularly the United States and Israel’;
• the impossibility of addressing the climate emergency while ignoring ongoing conflicts. ‘War, genocide and climate issues are intrinsically linked and cannot be treated separately’;
• criticism of the Bonn negotiations: ‘climate negotiators are focusing on technical details while the world is burning, literally and politically’;
• denunciation of Western hypocrisy for its ‘aggressive foreign policy and financing of conflicts’ while ‘preaching peace and multilateralism’.

The meeting ended with a call for popular action, perhaps the only hope, according to the activists, to bring reality to the forefront of the discussions in Bonn.

On Monday morning, the dramatic nature of the international situation was also the focus of an event organised by the Demand Climate Justice campaign: the organisers asked the delegations to stop ignoring global conflicts and to admit ‘the absurdity of their current position’. “They support genocide in Gaza and other wars with trillions of dollars, then they come to these meetings saying they can’t afford climate finance. They bomb schools and hospitals, killing thousands of children, destroying communities, destroying entire ecosystems, and then they ask us to find solutions on our own. It is time for the Global North to take responsibility,” said Claire Manaca, representative of the Asian People’s Contact and Development Movement, denouncing the systematic sabotage of climate discussions by the so-called Global North. Manaca called for the cancellation of the debt of Southern countries, the demilitarisation of public funds and the creation of a new democratic financial architecture.

These priorities are also a good starting point for Meena Raman of Third World Network, who spoke about the ongoing violation of international law. ‘Hearing Western countries talk about human rights while violating international law is no longer credible or acceptable,’ she explained, calling for clear legal obligations under Article 9.1. ‘Let it be clear that this is not voluntary aid, but is based on historical responsibility,’ she added. Raman’s speech also focused on military emissions, which ‘are ignored and not even counted in climate targets, making it increasingly impossible to limit global warming.’

The event concluded with a speech by Analía Yosantos of Shift US/Climate Reparations Camp, who endorsed the statements made by the other activists at the table but offered a new perspective, that of a citizen aware of the historical responsibility of her country, the ‘largest global emitter.’ ‘Our government strategically avoids every opportunity to do the right thing by making insignificant contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund,’ she reiterated, ‘while spending billions on wars..

Article by Marta Abbà, Italian Climate Network delegate at June Climate Meetings in Bonn.

Photo by Marta Abbà.