The people that will be most affected by climate change are those in marginalized communities: often poor, of color, and in the global South. Yet when it comes to the discussion of climate change, these voices are often excluded from the dialogue. Today, on Global Climate Action Day, we try to shed some light on activists from all around the world, disclosing their battle and the extent to which they have gone to achieve climate justice.
Nemonte Nenquimo
A little over two years ago, the Ecuadorian government was planning on auctioning off land belonging to the Waorani tribe for oil exploration. This was decided without their consent. In recent years, the Ecuadorian government has divided much of its Amazonian rainforest into blocks to lease the mineral rights in an international auction. The Waorani people never let it go that far, however. Led by Nemonte Nenquimo, they sued the Ecuadorian government a little later, and finally won last year, after many frustrating hearings. As Nemonte stated in an interview with the New York Times,
“The court recognized that the government violated our right to live free, and make our own decisions about our territory and self determination. Our territory is our decision, and now, since we are owners, we are not going to let oil enter and destroy our natural surroundings and kill our culture. (...) We have shown the government to respect us, and the other indigenous people of the world, that we are guardians of the jungle, and we’re never going to sell our territory”.
This is not just great news for the Waorani; it could also have a significant impact on other indigenous tribes, whose land has been put up for auction. Last year, six other indigenous groups were in the same situation as the Waorani tribe.
Maatalii Okalik
We often see the image of the lone, emaciated polar bear when climate change is discussed in popular media. But what about the people that live in these areas, areas one characterized by extensive ice and snow cover, but now rapidly transforming? Maatalii Okalik, an Inuit climate activist, argues that the ice bear should become an Inuit face. For years, the Inuit community has warned the world of the rapid pace at which climate change is happening. They see it all around them: the ice retracting, species disappearing, but also more subtle changes, like the fact that 60 years ago, polar bear meat could be eaten raw, while now, it has to be cooked more than six hours to prevent the effects of trichinella (a parasite). Maatalii is fighting for inclusion of indigenous knowledge in climate science, as “Inuit traditional knowledge has identified the impacts of climate change. Hunters know animal migration routes and how they’ve changed. We want traditional knowledge to be included as a valid form of evidence.” The Inuit population is young: the median age is under 25, and ⅓ of residents are under 15. Maatalii and many other young Inuit activists are trying their best to make their voice heard. And it’s working: In 2015, Maatalii spoke at the COP21 in Paris, right after addressing federal candidates for the Canadian elections.
Ma Jun
Also known as ‘the world’s factory’, China is now home to many multinationals who pr
Besides often violating basic human and workers rights, these factories have little regard for the environment they’re in, leading to polluted air, poisoning of waterways, contaminated soils, and premature deaths or health issues in locals. As is often the case, access to information is limited, making it more difficult for people to demand justice. Ma Jun realized that information is a necessary first step for public participation and founded the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE). Since its conception, the IPE has exposed over 90,000 violations of environmental regulations by local and multinational companies throughout China. The IPE has empowered people across the country, allowing them to demand justice, while also encouraging them to use their buyer power to influence manufacturing behaviour. The IPE works with several multinationals on a regular basis, including H&M, Nike, Unilever, Coca-Cola and more. Recently, the IPE has exposed Apple for heavy metal pollution, which incited the company to drive its suppliers to clean up their practices.
Berta Caceres
Berta Caceras was a Honduran environmentalist and indigenous leader. She was also a founder of the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH). In 2015, Caceras was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for creating a grassroots campaign that successfully pressured the world’s largest dam builder to pull out of the Agua Zarca Dam at the Rio Gualcarque in Honduras. In 2016, she was brutally murdered in her home after spending months on the assassins hitlist. Unfortunately, Caceres is not an exception; still, many environmental activists are killed each year in South America. In 2019, 212 environmental defenders were killed, making it the deadliest year ever recorded for people defending their lands and nature. The deaths of Berta Caceres and other activists led to the creation of the Escazu Agreement in 2018. The treaty aims to guarantee the rights of every person to a healthy environment and to defend their land and its nature. The treaty has been signed by 22 countries all over South America, but as of 2020 is yet to be ratified.
Ramesh Agrawal
For years, Ramesh Agrawal watched rural communities in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh turn into industrial sites. Their rights violated, their nature taunted, often without their consent and without being informed. India’s growing economy comes with growing energy demands, supplied by coal - India’s most abundant fossil fuel. Close to one-fifth of these reserves are buried in Chhattisgarh, and increasingly, fossil fuel companies face off with locals for their land. Although it is written into law, information about these projects is usually difficult to find. Moreover, politicians often own stakes in energy companies and are therefore eager to approve permits for development projects of these companies, even when this impacts entire communities. Ramesh decided to use the power of the internet to his advantage: he scoured the registers for development applications, filed Right to Information applications on their behalf and informed the local people of environmental violations. In 2008, he encouraged people across Chhattisgarh to rise up and oppose what would become the largest coal mine in the region as of yet. Four years later, the permits required for the mine to break ground were revoked by the National Green Tribunal. For his grassroot activism Ramesh received the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2014.
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