Originally published by Friends of the Earth International.
The United Nations climate talks (COP30) have officially closed in Belém, Brazil. Decisions related to climate finance, adaptation and the just transition were made against a background of rich Northern nations scapegoating developing countries whilst blocking progress on critical outcomes. Now, 10 years since the signing of the Paris Agreement and 30 years since the Rio Summit, Friends of the Earth International calls out the hypocrisy of rich countries as multilateralism hangs in the balance.
“Rich countries, especially the United States, have not only built their empires on fossil fuels and the commodification of food, land and water, but continue to fuel the climate crisis and expand extractive industries in the Global South. The transition away from this reality has to reflect this responsibility, with Northern countries accountable for their fair share. Instead, we saw yet another blame game. What we need is a just transition, not just a transition.”
Zimyl Adler
Friends of the Earth United States
“Any debate on the energy transition has to be framed within the context of justice and reparation for the territories and peoples affected by extractivism. There’s no just transition without recognition of the ecological debt owed by countries in the Global North. We need public climate finance derived from the debt owed to countries of the Global South, but instead the Global North is busy spending billions to finance war and genocide.”
Daniela Mendoza
Censat Agua Viva / Friends of the Earth Colombia
“Our communities are on the frontlines, devastated by the climate crisis. We experience its impacts everyday. And then we come here, to these halls of power to discuss real solutions and are told there’s no money for mitigation, adaptation or loss and damage impacts, while some Global North countries drop bombs on entire peoples and remain committed to complicity in genocide. Their push for so-called ambition on fossil fuels and mitigation was nothing but smoke and mirrors, distracting from the fact that they were weakening decisions on finance, especially adaptation finance. They played games with what is a matter of life or death for millions of people.”
Meena Raman
Sahabat Alam Malaysia / Friends of the Earth Malaysia
“COP30 welcomed transnational corporations with open arms. 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists roamed the halls preaching false solutions and a so-called ‘green transition’. Where is the justice when our voices, those of the frontlines, are sidelined and drowned out by the very industries wrecking the climate and threatening our communities and the environment. They push false solutions like carbon markets like the Tropical Forest Forever Facility and commodify nature to rake in profits while setting fire to the planet and letting the world drown.”
Gideon Dela Akoto
Friends of the Earth Ghana
“There’s no future for multilateralism and the Paris Agreement so long as corporations are invited to write the rules. Northern governments have again blocked progress and dodged responsibility. We’ve witnessed the repression of Indigenous Peoples and heightened militarism here, echoing the generalised crackdown on peoples and silencing of voices across the world. In the face of this, we’re building peoples’ multilateralism, rooted in internationalist solidarity, and centering the real solutions that affected communities are practicing in their territories.”
Lise Masson
Friends of the Earth International
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Media contacts
Ghislaine Fandel // ghislaine@foei.org // @FoEint // In Belém 8-23 November
