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16 March 2023 - NPWJ News Digest on Environmental Justice & Human Rights
Articles
Democracy alone cannot fight climate change
Gulf News, 15 Mar 2023
There is general unanimity that climate change poses greater challenges to democracies by bringing severe stress to societies. Climate change brings political instability by increasing the number of devastating natural disasters, bringing food insecurity, catalysing economic decline, and multiplying forces that cause conflicts and push people to migrate. The track record of democracies in protecting their environment is mixed. And their efforts have been no better when it comes to reducing carbon emissions.
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Cultural heritage is an essential resource for climate change science, reports say
Mongabay, 14 Mar 2023
Four reports by the International Co-Sponsored Meeting on Culture, Heritage and Climate Change highlight that human cultural heritage has a wealth of knowledge to contribute to grapple with climate change. The reports also say that this diverse human heritage is under threat from climate change, poverty, rapid urbanization, policy, and failure to recognize land rights or grant access to resources. The authors share a list of cultural practices and knowledge systems that can mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, from food systems and forest conservation to architecture and natural resources management.
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Indonesians seeking climate justice take aim at Swiss concrete giant
CNA, 14 Mar 2023
The island's residents are seeking justice, and last month sued Swiss cement giant Holcim over its emissions. They allege the world's largest cement firm is responsible for climate-related loss and damages in a case that could be a landmark for plaintiffs from developing countries who take on industrial giants. Environmental litigation against governments and fossil fuel firms has surged in recent years - but this is the first case filed by Indonesians against a foreign company for climate-related damage. It is also the first instance of a Swiss company being sued for its alleged role in climate change.
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Cyclone Freddy wrecks Malawi and Mozambique, killing more than 200 people
NPR, 14 Mar 2023
The devastating Tropical Cyclone Freddy which has ripped through southern Africa in a rare second landfall has killed at least 216 people in Malawi and Mozambique since Saturday night, with the death toll expected to rise. Heavy rains that triggered floods and mudslides have killed 199 people in Malawi, authorities said Tuesday. President Lazarus Chakwera declared a "state of disaster" in the country's southern region and the now-ravaged commercial capital, Blantyre. Some 19,000 people in the south of the nation have been displaced, according to Malawi's disaster management directorate. “Mozambique and Malawi are among the countries least responsible for climate change, yet they are facing the full force of storms that are intensifying due to global warming driven mostly by carbon emissions from the world's richest nations," Amnesty International's East and Southern Africa director Tigere Chagutah said.
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How Kenya is affected by climate injustice
Dand.eu, 14 Mar 2023
The climate crisis is a human tragedy. Countries in Africa are least responsible for causing it but are among the countries most affected. Kenyans feel the impacts daily, including insecurity, hunger and death. Climate justice requires a number of changes at global and national levels, and demands that those responsible for causing the crisis must be held accountable, while those most affected must get adequate support to adapt to the problems and mitigate them.
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LGBTQ+ groups face crackdowns in Uganda as environment turns hostile
The Guardian, 14 Mar 2023
A dramatic surge in attacks on LGBTQ+ people in Uganda has been recorded by rights groups this year, as the environment for sexual minorities turns increasingly hostile. More than 110 people reported incidents including arrests, sexual violence, evictions and public undressing, to advocacy group Sexual Minorities Uganda (Smug) in February alone. Transgender people were disproportionately affected, said the group.
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Climate Action for Jobs initiative boosts action to support a just transition
ILO, 14 Mar 2023
The International Advisory Board of the Climate Action for Jobs Initiative (CA4J) met to review progress and plan action to build on the positive outcomes of the latest UN climate change conference (COP27). The Board discussed a report from the CA4J Secretariat that outlined the significant progress that has been made at national and global levels, through the efforts of the CA4J initiative. Critical priorities, such as scaling up country implementation, were identified. The Board also discussed opportunities to strengthen the impact of the initiative, including expanding partnerships with Multilateral Development Banks.
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