Members and allies of Climate Action Network Canada made the following statements at the conclusion of COP25:
Catherine Abreu, Executive Director of Climate Action Network Canada:
“You know something is broken when those demanding climate justice are pushed outside of the climate conference - as hundreds were this week - and those delaying climate action are allowed to stay inside.
Since Paris Agreement, Global Financial Firms Have Sunk $745 Billion into New Coal Plant Development
BlackRock, Vanguard, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase are among the top global financers of new coal development, according to new research presented during the United Nations climate summit in Madrid.
Today we are celebrating yet another victory for our movement. One of the Green New Deal champions we helped elect in October, MP Peter Julian, just announced he's submitted a motion for a Green New Deal. This motion, M-1, is the first motion filed by any MP elected into the 43rd parliament. This is all thanks to the incredible organizing efforts of young people, who made sure the climate crisis and Green New Deal were top issues in the election.
Protests led by Indigenous leaders shut down the main hall of COP25 in Madrid on Wednesday. In an unprecedented event, about 500 people stormed the area outside the high-level negotiations decrying the lack of action by assembled governments to address the climate emergency.
Climate activists have found plenty to be angry about at this year’s UN climate talks, which are scheduled to conclude in Madrid tonight. From youth groups to indigenous people, civil society has been more riled than in previous years, as the disconnect grows between momentum on the streets and the slow progress of the negotiations.