Global Climate Change Action

From Australian students to social movements, affected and indigenous peoples: in solidarity for climate justice
To people’s assemblies in Copenhagen and around the world,

We are writing to express solidarity and support for the major principles outlined in the Peoples’ Protocol on Climate Change, including the principles of social justice, sovereignty, respect for the
environment and an equitable, just response to climate change.

Australian Students Environment Network (ASEN) acknowledges in particular the sovereignty of First Nations Peoples from around the world, and the historical and ongoing injustices borne by Indigenous communities.

We recognise that climate change is inherently a social justice issue. It is a problem that has arisen from a fundamentally unjust global system, and its effects on the people of the Global South are disproportionately large in comparison to the contribution those people have made to climate change.

In taking action on climate change, we feel that it is important potential ‘solutions’ do not perpetuate the injustices of the systems that have contributed to the climate change problem.

Additionally we recognise that the costs of addressing climate change should be equitably distributed, reflecting the historical debt owed by those who have profited from the causes of climate change.

In Copenhagen, the Australian Government and Australian corporations are pushing low and unfair targets; supporting big polluters and an expansion of coal mining and exports; and false and unjust projects of carbon trading, ‘offseting’ and technofixes. We condemn their efforts; and instead are acting – as part of a global movement for climate justice – to keep remaining fossil fuels in the ground, and for effective, just and participatory solutions.

ASEN is committed to ongoing solidarity with communities experiencing the impacts of climate change and of unjust ‘solutions’ to climate change; such as carbon trading and ‘offset’ schemes, nuclear power and large‐scale geoengineering ‘technofixes’.

Alongside others in Australia, we are organising with Indigenous peoples; participating in solidarity protests for climate justice in the Global South, hosting climate justice forums, taking direct actions through Climate Camps targeting the expansion of the Australian coal industry.

We seek direction from and collaboration with communities facing the injustices of climate change as to how we can best continue to support you in the struggle for climate justice. We look forward to strengthening the links between ASEN and the global grassroots climate justice movement.

Yours in solidarity,
Loki and Ann‐Marie from the Australian Student Environment Network

The Australian Student Environment Network (ASEN) is a grassroots network of students from 38 university campuses around Australia, who are active on environmental and social justice issues.
i...@asen.org.au
www.asen.org.au

Interview with The Australian Ambassador & Phil

Phil: What are the expectations of the Australian Government around a legally binding deal?
Louise: We want a binding deal. We will put our all our effort behind the Danish government. They have a bold strategy.
Phil: So the Government is still hopeful of a legally binding outcome from Copenhagen?
Louise: No. Not a legally binding agreement at Copenhagen. We expect a high level political endorsement, a set timeline to cement a new treaty and fast start funding for adaptation and mitigation in the developing world

Phil: Some people have noted that the negotiations have reached the conditionality for us to increase our bottom range target from 5% on 2000 levels to 15%. Does the Government plan to increase its lower range?
Louise: That is a cabinet decision. I cannot speculate. The Australian Government is working hard to achieve the most ambitious outcome we can get collectively.

Phil: There is lots of talk about the Prime Minister being a ‘friend’ in the negotiations. Who exactly is he a friend of, a political agreement? Our neighbours in the Pacific who stand to lose much from the impacts of climate change?
Louise: The Prime Minister is a friend of the Danes. He is working very hard to help them ensure they get a great outcome. He is, of course, a friend of our neighbours as well. .........