Green Climate Fund: For People or Polluters?

Climate Justice Now!
Dec 8, 2011

The GREEN CLIMATE FUND should serve the needs of the peoples of developing countries. But Parties of developed countries are doing their utmost to ensure that the Fund operate based solely on their terms.

“Paying the Polluters” is one of the principles that they want the Green Climate Fund to be based on. Their efforts to ensure that the private sector be able to access funds directly from the GCF succeeded with the Transitional Committee’s proposed design that includes a private sector facility. Attempts from developing countries during the TC process and now in the COP17 process to ensure that the role of the private sector is subject to country-defined policies and priorities are being met with intense opposition.

Despite the World Bank’s long track record of promoting and financing fossil fuel projects and other programs that exacerbate the climate crisis, developed countries succeeded in entrenching it as the “interim trustee” of the GCF. Not content with this, they want to keep the door open for the World Bank or similar institutions whose governance structures they control, to be appointed as permanent trustee and/or play critical roles in the operations of the Fund.

They have blocked efforts to ensure that the GCF design and operations be concretely in accordance with the Climate Convention with clear accountability to the Conference of Parties. This is consistent with their actions in the negotiations on emissions cuts – turning their back on Convention principles and agreements to avoid and escape from their responsibility for the climate crisis and their obligations to the peoples of developing countries and even their own citizens.

Their stance in the talks on the Green Climate Fund, the public pronouncements of developed country governments and their less public messages point to a blatant attempt at blackmail – OUR TERMS OR ELSE – NO GCF, or NO FUNDS for the GCF!

We urge developing country governments not to be cowed, not to sell us out. We laud the efforts of those who have valiantly and brilliantly fought for our rights.

The outcomes of Durban – whether in climate finance or on emissions cuts are looking very dim. But we will continue to fight in Durban and beyond.

Jubilee South – Asia/Pacific Movement on Debt and Development and its members

Bangladesh

Equity & Justice Working Group (EquityBd)
Unnayan Onneshan
VOICE
SUPRO
Bangladesh Krishok Federation
Jatiyo Sramik Jote
Community Development Library (CDL) Trust
Nabodhara

India

River Basin Friends, mines, minerals and People (mmP)
National Hawker Federation
Indian Social Action Forum
Himalaya Niti Abhiyan
Nadi Gati Morcha
Adivasi Mulvasi Astitva
Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federatiion

Indonesia

Koalisi Anti Utang
Solidaritas Perempuan
Institute for Essential Service Reform
KRUHA
Debt Watch
WALHI (Friends of the Earth)
Serikat Petani Indonesia

Malaysia

Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation

Nepal

Rural Reconstruction Nepal
Human Rights Alliance
Jagaran Nepal
GEFONT
All Nepal Women Association
All Nepal Peasants Federation

Pakistan

Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum

Philippines

Freedom from Debt Coalition
Kalayaan
Solidarity of Filipino Workers
Tambuyog Development Center
Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement
Makabayan Pilipinas
Koalisyong Pabahay ng Pilipina
Sanlakas
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice

Sri Lanka

Centre for Environmental Justice

Regional

ARENA
LDC (Least Developed Country) Watch
South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication
Migrant Forum in Asia
Asian Migrant Center
SEAFISH for Justice