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29 April 2021 - NPWJ News Digest on Environmental Justice & Human Rights
Articles
‘There’s no rain’: Climate change threatens Iraq’s Bedouins
Al Jazeera, 28 Apr 2021
During our two-day trip across Muthanna’s deserts, nomadic herders painted a grim picture of an increasingly uninhabitable environment, where temperature increases and erratic rains have eroded the sustenance of animals and humans alike. Studies suggest that temperatures in Iraq will increase two to seven times faster compared to the global rise, while the United Nations projects that temperatures in Iraq will climb by two degrees and that rainfall will decline by nine percent in the coming three decades.
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Could a UN treaty force mining companies to behave responsibly?
Open Democracy, 27 Apr 2021
In June 2020, a statement signed by more than 200 organizations around the world publicly denounced transnational mining companies for ignoring the threat of the pandemic and continuing to operate as normal. The statement, which was based on a report jointly produced by non-profit and activist groups from Europe, the US, Canada and Latin America, criticised the extraordinary measures being taken by some governments to suppress protests against mining activity, as well as attempts to push through regulatory changes in favour of the mining sector.
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‘Make-or-break moment’ for forests
UN News, 26 Apr 2021
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said we were at a “make-or-break moment”, adding that woodlands provide vital functions, including as guardians of fresh water sources and biodiversity protection. “Forests are at the core of the solutions that can help us make peace with nature”, she underscored, stressing that "we need all-hands-on-deck" to support of forests worldwide. Moreover, failure to protect them would have a major, negative impact on damaging and rising carbon emissions.
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Latin American environmental rights treaty enters into force
Buenos Aires Times, 24 Apr 2021
As the world marked Earth Day, the first-ever treaty to protect the rights of environmental defenders was ratified by Latin American. With the final 12 ratifications required, the Escazú Agreement adopted by countries from Latin America and the Caribbean in Costa Rica in 2018, entered into force. This is the first agreement to introduce specific provisions to protect the human rights of environmentalists in Latin America. The region has a poor track record in this area, accounting for around 60 percent of the world's murdered environmentalist campaigners.
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Indigenous Leaders and Goldman Prize Recipients Send Open Letter Demanding BlackRock Act on Deforestation and Human Rights
Amazon Watch, 23 Apr 2021
Over 80 renowned Indigenous and frontline activists from around the world issued a public letter criticizing BlackRock's role in violating the land rights and human rights of Indigenous peoples and other traditional communities. The signatories, including several recipients of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, point to BlackRock's continued large-scale investments in fossil fuel and deforestation-linked companies that violate human rights, and demand that the asset manager cease these investments.
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Corporate Human Rights Responsibility – Why a strong Supply Chain Act is important
Human Rights Watch, 22 Apr 2021
On February 12, German government ministers put forward a draft law on corporate human rights due diligence in supply chains. On March 3, the German cabinet adopted the proposal, and it will soon be debated in parliament. And on March 8, the European Parliament made a call to “urgently adopt binding requirements” in the EU to prevent and address adverse impacts on human rights, the environment, and good governance in companies’ supply chains. If these efforts come to fruition, new laws will put in place clear rules for what companies and their investors will have to do to respect human rights.
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Narco violence surge in Peru's Amazon sends Indigenous leader into hiding
ABC News, 21 Apr 2021
Situated along the eastern slopes of the Andes, Cacataibo territory has long been under siege by outsiders. The region's dense cloud forests favor the cultivation of coca leaves, a by-product of cocaine. What's more, an absence of the Peruvian state provides cover for the illegal actors who operate here. But amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this region has witnessed a proliferation of invaders, including land speculators, illegal loggers and drug traffickers. Their presence has culminated in increased deforestation, death threats and bloodshed.
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