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The COP29 Presidency’s draft text acknowledges that developing countries suffer disproportionately from impacts of climate change. Credit: UN Climate Change/Kamran Guliyev

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 21 2024 (IPS)

Today the COP29 Presidency released a much-awaited new draft text as the end draws near.

The draft acknowledges that developing countries suffer disproportionately from impacts of climate change amid a plethora of barriers and challenges, such as the high costs of capital, limited fiscal space, high levels of indebtedness, and high transaction costs, which also further exacerbate existing developmental challenges.

“The African Group welcomes the new draft decision text on New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), now much streamlined. These ten pages contain many of the principled positions from the African Group and other developing countries, although continues to include many of the untenable positions of the developed countries as options in the text,” says Ambassador Ali Mohamed, Kenya’s Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chair of the African Group of Negotiators.

“The elephant in the room, however, is the lack of a quantum proposal, and the text does not specify numerical figures for the proposed mobilisation goal or for the provision element, despite a common position from the G77 and China on a USD1.3 trillion annual mobilisation goal. This is the reason we are here, identifying a quantified goal, but we are no closer and we need the developed countries to urgently engage on this matter.”

The text’s first option closely mirrors what the developing countries are asking for. It states that an unspecified trillion of dollars will be raised annually from 2025 through 2035, provided and mobilised from developed to all developing countries. But it also raises eyebrows as it ‘invites’ developing countries to provide finance ‘voluntarily’ as long as this does not count towards the main goal. 

These funds will be used to address developing countries evolving needs, in grants or grant-equivalent terms of new, additional, affordable, predictable, non-debt inducing and adequate climate finance, for adaptation, mitigation and loss and damage, to support developing country Parties and to support the implementation of their nationally determined contributions.

Mohamed Adow, a climate justice advocate and director of energy and climate think-tank Power Shift Africa referred to the new text on the NCQG on climate finance as a blank cheque and asked developed countries to put actual figures on the table. Stresing that it is only by putting specific numbers to the goal that negotiations at COP29 will move forward smoothly. 

“The new text rightly diagnoses the climate problem, including the required finance for adaptation and energy transition, but glaringly omits what the rich countries will actually provide to developing countries. The elephant in the room is the lack of specific numbers in the text. This is the ‘finance COP’. We came here to talk about money. You measure money with numbers. We need a cheque but all we have right now is a blank piece of paper.”

Further stressing that the text includes “some important signals on grant-based financing, and the need to avoid debt inducing instruments. Developed countries now urgently need to fill in the blanks and put their finance card on the table to move the negotiations forward.”

Developed countries are more aligned to second option which indicates that the NCQG has one provision and one mobilization component, and that developed country Parties shall provide at least USD [X] billion per year in grants or grant-equivalent terms referred to as provision goal to support the achievement the mobilization goal from the floor of their current levels – USD100 billion per year – of financial contributions. Observers say option two is ‘a goal to be reached by 2035, giving wealthy nations longer to mobilise to meet it.’

Others have taken issue with the draft saying it is has explicitly attempted to remove all references to historical polluters’ obligation to pay in line with the Paris Agreement, saying that this is an attempt to set things in motion for private sector financing to enable polluting countries to take bare minimum financial accountability. Notably, the draft suggests burden-sharing arrangements for developed country Parties based on historical emissions and GDP per capita.

Cristina Rumbaitis, Senior Adaptation and Resilience Advisor, UN Foundation says the text is “very poor and disappointing, especially on adaptation. First, the floor for adaptation is out. Secondly, there is no reference to the Global Goal on Adaptation or the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience. Thirdly, there is only language around balancing between mitigation and adaptation and loss and damage. This could further reduce funding for adaptation.

She nonetheless says there is “some good language on qualitative elements and call for a floor for adaptation for Least Developed Countries and the Small Island Developing States from all relevant actors and financial mechanisms. But also very weak statements like grant financing should be used for adaptation and loss and damage to the largest extent possible. We had hoped for more.”

On gender and climate change, the text notes that gender-responsive implementation and means of implementation of climate policy and action can enable Parties to raise ambition, as well as enhance gender equality, and just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs in accordance with nationally defined development priorities.

The text decides to extend the enhanced Lima work programme on gender for a period of ten years. The Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG) was established in 2014 to advance gender balance and integrate gender consideration into the work of Parties and the secretariat in implementing the Convention and the Paris Agreement.

Further, the United Arab Emirates just transition work program recognizes that “the widening adaptation finance gap may hinder the implementation of just transition pathways in developing countries, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.”

It underscores that multi-stakeholder, people-centric, bottom-up, whole-of-society approaches are required to achieve just transitions and recognizes the importance of education systems and skills development, including through upskilling and reskilling, labour rights and social protection systems, and of consideration of the informal sector, the care economy, unemployed people and future workers for ensuring a just transition of the workforce.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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A recently displaced mother holds her child in a makeshift displacement camp in Léogâne. Credit: UNICEF/Maxime Le Lijour

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 21 2024 (IPS)

Doctors Without Borders, the medical humanitarian organization, which has served in Haiti for over 30 years, announced on Wednesday that it would suspend its activities in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital amid repeated threats from local law enforcement. This announcement indicates the precariousness of the situation in Haiti where humanitarian groups on the ground face security issues from even members of law enforcement.

In their announcement, Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), cited multiple incidents where local police made verbal threats on staff members, threatening violence, death and rape. Other incidents included attacks on ambulances, tear-gassing, and harassment. This also comes following an incident on November 11, where two patients were executed following an attack on an ambulance by police and vigilante groups. The spokesperson for the Haitian National Police has not a public comment.

MSF patient admissions will be halted, excluding patients that are currently in care and those that are receiving care in the maternity sector. All five of the organization’s medical facilities in Haiti are currently inactive.

“As MSF, we accept working in conditions of insecurity, but when even law enforcement becomes a direct threat, we have no choice but to suspend admissions of patients in Port-au-Prince until the conditions are met for us to resume”, said Christophe Garnier, MSF’s head of mission in Haiti.

Prior to halting operations, MSF provided care to over 1,100 patients, 54 children with emergency conditions, and more than 80 survivors of sexual violence on a weekly basis. Humanitarian organizations predict that this will be a massive blow to Haiti’s barely functioning healthcare system.

“Healthcare services have never been so limited for people in Haiti. Many people will lose access to MSF services because we are not able to work safely in Port-au-Prince,” Garnier added.

The appointment of Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as the new prime minister of Haiti has been followed with sharp rises in social insecurity and gang violence. In recent days, attacks on civilian settlements reached new levels of brutality, with armed gangs gaining more territory in the capital, Port-Au-Prince.

Thousands of civilians have fled their homes. Due to the wide scale of needs, as well as numerous security challenges, humanitarian efforts have been pushed to their limits. Shelters and essential resources remain critically strained.

The past few weeks have yielded a considerable surge in gang violence, with most of the attacks being concentrated in the capital and the Artibonite River region. According to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a total of 20,000 Haitians have fled their homes in the past week, noting significant disruptions to basic services such as education, protection, and healthcare.

This recent escalation has also led to a rise in civilian casualties. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the recent attacks have pushed the total death toll from gang violence past 4,000 in 2024 alone.

Currently, it is estimated by OCHA that armed groups control 85 percent of Port-Au-Prince. According to Ulrika Richardson, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Haiti, gangs have begun to gain increasing amounts of territory within the capital.

This endangers thousands of civilians and provides humanitarian organizations with numerous access challenges. “With only 20 percent of Port-au-Prince accessible, humanitarian workers face immense challenges in reaching affected populations,” said chief of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Haiti, Grégoire Goodstein.

On November 19, the Viv Ansamn gang launched an attack on Petionville, an upscale neighborhood in Port-Au-Prince. Armed gang members clashed with the local police and civilians, resulting in the deaths of at least 28 suspected gang members according to the Haitian National Police. Jimmy Chérizier, the leader of Viv Ansamn, has threatened reprisals of violence, encouraging opposition from the police and the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, saying, “They think they can stop us, but all the helicopters in the world won’t be enough. The gangs are here to stay”.

This is only the latest in a series of attacks following the Fils-Aimé’s appointment as prime minister. The Viv Ansamn coalition is especially known for capitalizing on moments of extreme political instability in Haiti. “In a power vacuum like this, it’s a fertile ground for organized crime,” Richardson remarked.

In the hours following the attack, MSF made their announcement to suspend its activities in Port-au-Prince until further notice. The conditions in Haiti pose a security threat to humanitarian workers, even as they work tirelessly to remedy the needs of affected civilians.

Living conditions in displacement shelters have considerably deteriorated due to the lack of humanitarian aid and medical care. According to a report from OCHA, approximately half of the Haitian population faces severe food insecurity. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reports that access to healthcare and sanitation resources are severely limited, with women being highly susceptible to gender-based violence and unsafe practices, such as transactional sex.

The UN has pledged to continue its efforts in providing humanitarian assistance wherever it can. “Despite the temporary suspension of air transport, humanitarian operations continue actively in the Port-au-Prince area, although security conditions are unpredictable. In addition, humanitarian and recovery activities continue uninterrupted in the rest of the country,” Richardson said.

Aid personnel are currently on the frontlines, distributing essential resources to affected communities, including hot meals, cash transfers, clean drinking water, healthcare, and psychosocial support. Additionally, the UN urges member states of the MSS mission to continue their support.

IPS UN Bureau Report

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Activists speak out against fossil fuels amid a new pledge from wealthy nations and EU against new unabated coal power plants. Credit: Joyce Chimbi

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 21 2024 (IPS)

Of all fossil fuels, coal has had the most serious and long-term effects on global warming. When burnt, coal releases more carbon dioxide than oil and gas, producing an estimated 39 percent of the global carbon dioxide emissions. Yet, coal is still the number one energy source, providing nearly 40 percent of the world’s electricity.

A COP29 deal struck on Wednesday November 21 now holds the promise to change the fossil fuel landscape and climate change trajectory, placing the world back on track to net zero. Twenty-five countries and the EU have now pledged not to build any new unabated coal-power plants in their next round of national climate plans in bid to scale up ambitions in the next phase of climate action.

Fossil fuels are highly polluting. The ‘no new unabated coal power’ COP29 initiative was signed by EU climate envoy Wopke Hoekstra to pledge that when the 25 nations submit their national climate plans by February 2025 along with all other nations party to the Paris Agreement, theirs will reflect no new unabated coal in their respective energy systems to accelerate phasing out of fossil fuels.

In reference to fossil fuels, ‘unabated’ means taking no measures to reduce the carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released from the burning of coal, oil, and natural gas. Abated refers to attempts to decrease release of polluting substances to an acceptable level.

“I’m often asked what gives me confidence that we can get this job done.  The answer is lots of things.  Quiet acts of solidarity, from people who get knocked down, but who refuse to stay down.  But there are also big things – the macro trends that aren’t up for debate.    And there’s none bigger than the global clean energy boom – set to hit two trillion dollars this year alone.  And it’s just getting started,” Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, stressed.

“Money talks, and as we enter the second quarter of this century, it is saying loud and clear: there is no stopping the clean energy juggernaut, and the vast benefits it brings: stronger growth, more jobs, less pollution and inflation, cheaper and cleaner energy. The list of benefits goes on.” 

The coalition of nations backing the diplomatic campaign to encourage all countries to end new coal power is constituted of mostly wealthy nations such as Germany, France, Canada, the United Kingdom and notably Australia – a major coal producer. This is the latest pledge towards curbing use of the fuel and phasing out fossil fuels in line with the COP28 deal.

The pledge is incredibly critical for despite coal being extremely dangerous to the global climate goals, a coal boom is unfolding. Data in the Global Coal Plant Tracker show that “69.5 GW of coal power capacity was commissioned while 21.1 GW was retired in 2023, resulting in a net annual increase of 48.4 GW for the year and a global total capacity of 2,130 GW. This is the highest net increase in operating coal capacity since 2016.”

COP29 has been centered around a new deal for climate financing to support the third Nationally Determined Contributions in the developing world, but delegates have not lost sight of the COP28 landmark deal when nearly 200 nations—for the first time—called on all nations to transition away from fossil fuels.

Activists want a net-zero world and they want it now, calling for ambitious climate actions to save the planet. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS

Teresa Anderson, the Global Lead on Climate Justice at ActionAid International, told IPS, “Just transitions and climate finance have to go hand in hand. Last year’s agreement to transition away from fossils was an important step. But without finance to make the just transition a reality, developing countries are in a bind.”

Stressing that climate-hit countries want to “leapfrog the fossil fuel era and scale up renewables, but can’t do so when they are being pushed deeper into debt by the climate crisis. To finally unlock the climate action the planet needs, COP29 needs to agree on an ambitious finance goal worth trillions of dollars in grants each year. Ensuring a just transition in energy is about much more than encouraging corporate investment and can’t just be left up to the private sector.

“When shifting away from fossil fuels, governments have a responsibility to actively involve communities in planning, training, social protection and ensuring energy access and secure livelihoods. Public services can join the dots, and have a key role in the just transition. The new climate finance goal has to provide trillions of dollars in grants, not loans or corporate investment targets,” Anderson observed.

Hailed as a major progressive step in the journey towards phasing out fossil fuels, the initiative is nonetheless not the silver bullet to end coal. The new commitment does not compel nations to stop mining or exporting coal. Notably, the world’s greatest coal-power generators, such as the United Nations and India, are not part of the initiative. Nonetheless, despite coal power growing in the past years despite the COP28 deal on fossil fuels, Hoekstra expressed optimism that this call to action will set the ball rolling towards a much-needed fossil fuel phasing out.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

 

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Over 1 billion children have had their lives disrupted by disasters since 2000, with over 80,000 schools damaged or destroyed. Credit: Shutterstock

By Baher Kamal
MADRID, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

Did you know that hundreds of millions of children around the world are currently suffering from physical, sexual, and psychological violence, including child labour, child marriage, female genital mutilation, gender-based violence, war, trafficking, bullying, and cyberbullying?

This is the grim reality of up to a billion children vulnerable to various forms of abuse, as depicted by the United Nations  Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children.

Commenting on a special report on this issue, the UN Special Representative, Najat Maalla M’Jid, revealed that violence against children has reached “unprecedented levels.”

Meanwhile, the UN specialised bodies, led by UN Children Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO), among others, have revealed staggering findings on the occasion of the 2024 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

No safe place for children

These findings revealed by the United Nations highlight that “there is no safe place for children” anywhere in the world.

Indeed, climate carnage, wars, human trafficking, slavery, and cyberviolence, among many other forms of abuse against the innocent children, stand behind their grim life.

See some of the most relevant facts:

• UNICEF and other UN bodies report that half of the world’s children are at “extremely high risk” due to climate impacts and related disasters,

• Over 1 billion children have had their lives disrupted by disasters since 2000, with over 80,000 schools damaged or destroyed,

• The number of children affected by destructive flooding worldwide has reached the highest levels in more than three decades,

• In the aftermath of a disaster, children face serious repercussions including disrupted education, nutrition and healthcare”

Punished and Abused

Should all these facts be not frightening enough, please also know that 400 million children under five regularly endure psychological aggression and physical punishment at home;

And that 300 million children have been affected by online sexual exploitation and abuse over the past 12 months.

Young Girls: the Most Vulnerable

“Today’s generation of girls is disproportionately affected by global crises of climate, conflict, poverty and pushback on hard won gains for human rights and gender equality,” reports the United Nations on the occasion of the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child.

Did you know that:

• Nearly 1 in 5 girls are still not completing lower-secondary and nearly 4 in 10 girls are not completing upper-secondary school today.

• Globally, girls aged 5-14 spend 160 million more hours every day on unpaid care and domestic work than boys of the same age.

• Adolescent girls continue to account for 3 in 4 new HIV infections among adolescents.

• Nearly 1 in 4 married/partnered adolescent girls aged 15-19 have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner at least once in their lifetime.

• Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, 100 million girls were at risk of child marriage in the next decade.

Rape: A Weapon of War

Add to all the above that more than 370 million girls and women alive today – or 1 in 8 – experienced rape or sexual assault before the age of 18, warns UNICEF.

And that “children in fragile settings are especially vulnerable to sexual violence,” said Russell.

“We are witnessing horrific sexual violence in conflict zones, where rape and gender-based violence are often used as weapons of war.”

The Digital Threat

Among emerging challenges are the risks faced by children in the digital spaces, including the tactics used by armed groups to recruit and exploit children.

According to UN data, most childhood sexual violence occurs during adolescence, with a significant spike between ages 14 and 17.

“Studies show that children who experience sexual violence are more likely to suffer repeated abuse.”

Survivors often carry the trauma of sexual violence into adulthood, facing higher risks of sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, social isolation, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression, as well as challenges in forming healthy relationships.

Although more girls and women are affected, and their experiences are better documented, boys and men are also impacted, with an estimated 240 to 310 million boys and men.

Today’s children have been raised in a violent world, thus, they will most likely fall in the hellish trap of exercising violence in their adulthood.

These hundreds and hundreds of millions of children will be the backbone of the immediate future. Do you think that their tragic fate is on the agenda of political –and business- leaders?

At the San Felipe School, in Coyhaique, Chile, the solar panels of a 30 kW plant will be installed which will be inaugurated in the first week of December

By Orlando Milesi
SANTIAGO, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

Chile, a country rich in solar and wind energy and with huge photovoltaic power stations  and wind turbines in its elongated territory, managed to change its grid by incorporating renewable energies, which account for an installed capacity equivalent to 43.8 % of its electricity production.

However, it is woefully lacking in distributed generation projects, also known as decentralised generation, which are small scale, mostly dedicated to self-consumption and involving organised communities. This is so even though these initiatives would introduce the population to the advantages of clean energy.

Distributed generation would allow such a shift, but is currently in its infancy in this South American country of 19.8 million people. It lacks adequate legal impetus, access to financing and suffers from a cultural deficit among a population that knows little about it.“We are used to a centralised system and although there has been fossil energy replacement by renewable energy, it is still a large-scale, centralised model with negative impacts": Cristian Mires.

Successful projects belong to mega-companies that have installed parks and wind turbines in the northern Atacama Desert and in southern Patagonia, between the Andes and the Pacific Ocean, selling their generation to the National Electricity System (SEN).

This profitable business does not benefit Chilean consumers who are suffering a huge tariff increase that will reach up to 60% in 2025. It is a gradual increase that began to be charged in July and will culminate next January after five years of tariff freezes due to the covid pandemic.

Thus, the impact of distributed generation with its panels on the roofs of homes, schools and community or municipal buildings is small.

The leftist government of Gabriel Boric sought to promote this citizen energy and reach the goal of 500 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity by the end of his term, in March 2026.

However, 17 months away from reaching that goal, distributed generation is minimal and only 0.1% corresponds to joint generation, as distributed generation is also known, according to the state-run National Energy Commission.

The Ministry of Energy told IPS that as of November 2024, the total installed capacity of distributed generation projects for self-consumption reached only 290 MW.

“Statistics show an upward trend in this type of project. Several initiatives promoted by the Ministry of Energy seek to encourage the development of this segment, such as the Public Solar Roofs 2.0 programme, which is being implemented and aims to install photovoltaic projects in public institutions,” said the institution that directs the country’s energy policy.

In 2015-2019, this programme installed photovoltaic systems on 136 buildings in 13 regions of Chile for a total of 5.3 megawatt peak (MWp). A technical office was then created to support public institutions in their feasibility analyses of solar energy plans.

Chile has decided, as part of its international climate commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, that its non-conventional renewable energies will contribute 80% of electricity generation by 2030 and 100% by 2050, when it will reach net zero emissions.

Solar panels installed in the roof of the Industrial Secondary School of Valdivia, a city 850 kilometers south of Santiago. Credit: Courtesy of Sofía Alarcón

Barriers in Chile

Cristián Mires, lawyer and president of the NGO Energía Colectiva, says there are a number of barriers to developing jointly owned distributive energy.

“These projects are not cheap. Technical, legal and financial advice is required. A share is equivalent to at least US$530 per user. And if we want bigger savings, we are talking about up to US$2,100. And the majority of the population can’t afford that cost,” he told IPS.

There is no public or private funding for decentralised generation facilities, he claims.

This slows down the implementation of the 2014 Law on Distributed Generation for Self-consumption, which allows households, schools and businesses to self-supply their electricity use through their own generation and inject the surplus into the SEN. In practice, such generation has very restrictive rules for joint ownership.

“It needs to be modified, and as the Citizens‘ Energy Action Group we are participating in technical roundtables with the government and parliament to that end,” Mires said.

“We are used to a centralised system and although there has been fossil energy replacement by renewable energy, it is still a large-scale, centralised model with negative impacts,” he added.

In August, Energía Colectiva, based in Chile and present in other Latin American countries, launched the document Citizen energy in Chile, proposals for its promotion and implementation, where it claims there is potential to reach eight gigawatts (GW) of such citizen generation by 2040.

According to the document, Chile needs “a transition that conceives energy as a right, democratising its production and distribution. A transition focused on satisfying human needs, but which nevertheless understands the pressing need to reduce energy use. Such a transition can only be driven by citizens”.

Arrayán Wind Park, one of the 10 largest in Chile, located in the northern municipality of Ovalle. Credit: Ministry of Energy

Energy Communities, a key

So-called Energy Communities seek to encourage the participation of new groups in the production, management, use and marketing of energy.

They aim for a decentralised, local energy model with less environmental impact.

These communities seek to organise citizens to generate and manage their own energy, whether for social, economic and/or environmental purposes.

“These communities are considered a fundamental tool for carrying out just energy transitions, where people play a central role in the transformation towards more equitable systems of energy generation and use”, according to the specialised magazine Energía y Equidad.

Based on the use of renewable energy, the Communities offer access to affordable, clean and secure energy; enabling an active participation in response to the climate and ecological crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

In short, these Communities aim to promote local energy autonomy, strengthen social cohesion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decontaminate the local environment.

The 2014 law and its regulation five years later set standards for joint generation and joint ownership.

The Nueva Zelanda school in the municipality of Independencia, in the northern part of the capital, and Coopeumo, a farmers’ cooperative in the O Higgins region, bordering the Santiago metropolitan region, are community projects developed by municipalities and with citizen participation.

Both are connected to a grid into which they inject the energy generated and then receive discounts on their electricity bills.

Jorge Nauto, principal of the Industrial Secondary School of Valdivia, a city 850 kilometres south of Santiago, praised the experience of installing photovoltaic panels on the roof of his school.

“It is a 70 kilowatt peak (kWp) system determined according to the available surface area and the building’s annual consumption. It allows generating power for the premises and the injection of surpluses into the conventional electricity grid through the use of the Distributed Generation Act,” he told IPS from his location.

“Thanks to this generation, we achieved a significant reduction in electricity bills,” Nauto said, before emphasising the value, also educational, of using clean, renewable energy.

New business model

Antu Energía is a company based in Coyhaique, in the southern region of Aysén, which implements a new business model with photovoltaic energy.

It allows remote discounts, which means that a person can own or participate in a photovoltaic plant that injects energy in one place and discount that value in another place from the same distribution company.

We are calling for small companies or individuals to participate in Virtual Solar Panels by acquiring a minimum unit equivalent to generating 500 watts,” Manuel Matta, founding partner of Antu Energía, told IPS from Coyhaique.

The model lowers the investment to US$737 per kilowatt (kW) installed and compares favourably with a similar individually driven project that costs US$2,632 per kW.

This electrical engineer has already sold 28 of 60 minimum units of participation in the 30 kW plant installed on the roofs of the San Felipe high school in Coyhaique’s Plaza de Armas.

Daniela Zamorano, project coordinator for Energía Colectiva, told IPS from Joao Pessoa, in the northern Brazilian state of Paraíba, where she lives, that Chile lacks the political will to promote jointly-owned distributed generation.

“We are seeing problems today with rising rates, and the solutions proposed by the government always come from the logic of subsidising consumption. This is a snowball that reaches gigantic public spending amounts. But they do not visualise options for a long-term solution such as distributed generation,” she said.

Ugochi Daniels, the Deputy Director General for Operations at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), speaks to IPS Senior Journalist Joyce Chimbi. Credit: IOM

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

Migration is growing as the planet gets even hotter. Climate change is fuelling a migration crisis and millions of people in vulnerable nations are continually being uprooted from their homes. The climate and migration nexus are undeniable and the global community has turned to the Baku climate talks for urgent and sustainable solutions.

Ugochi Daniels, the Deputy Director General for Operations at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) spoke to IPS about displacement of people due to the impact of climate change and its different dimensions, such as disaster displacement, labor mobility, as well as planned relocation. She also talked about the magnitude of this pressing problem, as nearly 26 million people were displaced due to the impact of climate change in the last year alone.

“This impact is destroying people’s livelihoods. The farms they used to farm are no longer viable and the land can no longer sustain their livestock. So, people then move, looking for job opportunities elsewhere. Then there is planned relocation, which IOM supports governments to do. When governments know certain communities can no longer adapt as the impact of climate is so great that they are going to have to move, rather than waiting for the climate impact to happen to move and probably not in as organized a way as possible, governments plan for it. That is what we refer to as planned relocation,” she explains.

Ugochi Daniels, the Deputy Director General for Operations at the International Organization for Migration at COP29. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS

Stressing that climate migration is on track to be an even bigger global crises, with World Bank estimates showing that “216 million people will be displaced due to the impact of climate by 2050 and that they will be displaced within their countries. Nearly a billion people are living in highly climate-vulnerable areas. Trends are showing that when people are displaced, it is often due to a mix of many factors. So, if a community is hit by an extreme weather event, and at the same time the necessary investments were not made, there is no way for the community to absorb the shock of the extreme weather event.”

Daniels notes that with progressive COPs, each year is also becoming the hottest in recorded history and there are more disasters such as heat waves, droughts, floods and hurricanes. Saying that these issues are increasingly becoming a lived reality for even more people. Further referencing the recent flooding in Spain, in addition to all the disasters unfolding in the developing countries. In turn, this is increasing awareness of the impact of climate change on people.

“Of the estimated 216 million people moving by 2050, nearly half of them are in Africa—86 million in sub-Saharan Africa and 19 million in North Africa. Africa is highly vulnerable amid all the other development issues that the continent is dealing with. And we know that, looking at Africa alone, water stress will affect 700 million people by 2030. The reality is that we are experiencing the impact of climate. We had unprecedented flooding in Nigeria this year and it is not just Nigeria—there is Chad and the Central African Republic and the Eastern Horn of Africa has faced similar events in recent times, and we have the El Niño and La Niña in Southern Africa,” she explains. 

Daniels says they are encouraged and satisfied because human mobility is integrated into submissions for the Global Goal on Adaptation and that they are unified around this issue. There is also the Kampala Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change, which has already been signed by over 40 countries in Africa and the regional groups in the Pacific Island States and the islands have all prioritized the issue as it is their lived reality.

“As IOM, our presence at COP is in supporting member states in raising visibility and awareness on the link between climate change and migration and displacement. Having said that, within the negotiations, and we are still waiting to see what comes out, we hope that this continues. We count on member states in making sure that the impact on vulnerable communities is recognized, that vulnerable communities are prioritized for climate financing, and that migration is factored in as a positive coping strategy for adaptation,” Daniels observes.

She emphasises that “when we talk about displacement, we also have to recognize that as things stand, migrants, through formal and informal means, remit a trillion dollars a year. And a lot of that is going to developing and middle-income countries. And when I met with the diaspora at COP last year, they said to me, ‘We are financing loss and damage now.’ We have seen that remittances have stayed resilient since COVID-19 and continue to go up. So here at COP, it is not just recognition of climate change and human mobility, which has been in the covered decision at least for the last three COPs. But it is also about integrating this into the different instruments and mechanisms, whether it is financing or in the indicators.”

Further speaking to the issue of the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund. Saying that whereas there are 64 funds globally specific on climate, the Loss and Damage Fund is the only one that has a window specific for vulnerable communities. As member states continue their negotiations, IOM is looking forward to solutions that, for instance, improve access to climate finance, ensuring that in the new financing path, the loss and damage fund supports vulnerable communities to adapt or migrate safely. Emphasising the need for regional cooperation to manage climate-related migration and how climate migration features in the national adaptation plans.

“Importantly, vulnerable communities. need to be part of the solutions. They need to be at the table where these decisions are being made. IOM is one of the—it is actually the only UN organization—that is one of the representative agencies supporting the Loss and Damage Fund and implementation of the fund. Our top priority is the engagement and participation of those most affected so that they have a voice at the table. Well-managed migration is a very effective adaptation strategy. Human civilization has been shaped by migration and this will continue. Climate and other factors will continue to trigger movement,” Daniels says.

“We have the tools. We know what the solutions are. There is the global compact on migration, which is how countries have agreed they will cooperate for better migration management and better migration governance. So, because we know migration has shaped our history and that it will shape our future, we have no excuse for not ensuring that it is safe, dignified, and regular. Whatever we do not do, the traffickers and smugglers will do.”

Stressing that in the process, there will be more people dying, “We will have increased vulnerabilities, and the business model and the industry of trafficking will just continue to grow. So, the urgency for climate action is here and now and there is really no excuse for why we are not collectively working on this. The evidence is there. The solutions are there. The agreements are there too. So, we are here at COP to do our best to ensure it happens.”

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Konris Maynard, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy, and Utilities, and Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment. Credit: Aishwarya Bajpai/IPS

By Aishwarya Bajpai
BAKU, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

At COP29, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the smallest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere, stands as a beacon of climate action and renewable energy ambition.

The Federation has set its sights on achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, leveraging its natural resources of trade winds, solar radiation, and geothermal potential. Despite a modest 40 MW power demand, it can generate over 1 GW, enabling it to support regional energy solutions.

Konris Maynard, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy, and Utilities, outlined the nation’s strategy for transitioning to renewable energy.

“We have tremendous renewable energy capability,” he stated, emphasizing the need for partnerships given the country’s limited financial resources. For solar energy, Saint Kitts and Nevis have adopted power purchase agreements (PPAs) to attract private investment.

Geothermal energy, a riskier endeavor, is being supported by contingently recallable grants from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). “If the geothermal source is viable, the grant converts into a concessionary loan; if not, it remains a grant,” he explained.

However, the country’s climate challenges are stark. Rising sea levels, intensifying extreme weather, and a 20 percent reduction in rainfall over the last decade have taken a toll on its people and ecosystems. The government has invested in desalination plants to address water scarcity and maintained a low debt-to-GDP ratio for economic resilience.

Still, Maynard stressed the need for international support. “We need action now and easier access to assistance. Countries are disappearing while we continue to talk.”

Dr. Joyelle Trizia Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment, echoed the urgency for action, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Saint Kitts and Nevis.

She emphasized the critical role of finance mechanisms such as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) and the loss and damage fund.

“We are hoping the NCQG establishes a minimum floor for financing, with a focus on concessionality and the inclusion of loss and damage mechanisms,” she said. Transparency, particularly in tracking and reporting carbon credits, is vital for ensuring the effectiveness of such frameworks.

Clarke also highlighted the challenges of balancing disaster recovery and economic development. “We can’t respond to the climate crisis through social protection strategies alone while also trying to develop our economies—it’s unsustainable.”

“Financing must be concessionary and grant-based. If it comes to debt, it should be sustainable, and debt servicing should be paused during climate crises, as outlined in the Bridgetown Agenda.”

The recurring devastation caused by hurricanes and other disasters has set back decades of development. In one example, Grenada accessed USD 44 million from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility after Hurricane Beryl.

However, Clarke called for more direct and accessible global financing. “We shouldn’t have to pay into these funds to access support. Global financing must directly reach local mechanisms, enabling us to extract funds quickly in times of need.”

Both ministers emphasized the importance of unity among SIDS to address shared vulnerabilities.

Clarke underscored the need for South-South cooperation. ‘We must explore technology transfer, knowledge sharing, and local solutions rather than solely relying on the elusive financing from developed countries.’

As COP29 progresses, Saint Kitts and Nevis continue to advocate for actionable outcomes.

“Declarations and alliances are just words. The real conversation is about the money—that’s what matters most,” Clarke stressed.

Maynard added a hopeful yet pragmatic perspective: “We’re not just waiting around. We’re doing everything we can to survive and thrive, but there has to be climate justice and collaboration.”

Saint Kitts and Nevis exemplifies how small nations can lead the charge in climate action. Through its renewable energy ambitions and calls for global partnerships, it demonstrates that size is no barrier to driving meaningful change in the fight against climate change.

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On a rainy day in the Gaza Strip, Salem, a 12-year-old, gazes at the rainbow during sunset in Rafah city. "I miss life before the war, when I would go to school and meet my friends, and when I would play football in the neighborhood,” Salem said. “The rainbow is beautiful, but the sounds of planes in the sky always make me afraid,” he added. Credit: UNICEF/El Baba

By Naureen Hossain
NEW YORK, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

The future of childhood will be fundamentally shaped by the interventions taken in the present that can determine how children’s rights are protected amid compounding issues. As a new report from UNICEF shows, global trends that are already influencing children’s welfare and development will continue to shape them and be a further reflection of overall global development.

UNICEF’s flagship report provides projections on what childhood will look like in 2050 based on current trends in global issues. Released on World Children’s Day (November 20), The State of the World’s Children 2024: The Future of Childhood in a Changing World details the possible opportunities and challenges children may face in the future through the influence of three global influences, or megatrends: demographic change, climate and environmental crises, and breakthrough technologies.

On May 2, 2024, pupils play outside the UNICEF-supported Zarin Abad CBE (‘Community-Based Education’ classes) in Nangarhar Province, eastern Afghanistan. Credit: UNICEF/Mark Naftalin

“Children are experiencing a myriad of crises, from climate shocks to online dangers, and these are set to intensify in the years to come,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “The projections in this report demonstrate that the decisions world leaders make today—or fail to make—define the world children will inherit. Creating a better future in 2050 requires more than just imagination; it requires action. Decades of progress, particularly for girls, are under threat.”

In its foreword, Russell remarked that these issues are threats to the safety and wellbeing of children and that it goes against the commitments made in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which was first adopted in 1990. She added that in many cases, governments have fallen short in honoring their commitments to protect children’s rights.

Children are having fun on a raft on a polluted river after winning their cricket match on the polluted Banani Lake in the Korail Slum of Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 28 January 2024. Credit: UNICEF/Jannatul Mawa

When it comes to demographic changes, the report notes that the global child population will likely remain unchanged from the present day to 2050, sitting at approximately 2.3 billion. By 2050, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia may have the largest child populations globally. It is worth noting that these regions include some of the poorest countries in the world, along with countries that are more vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme weather events.

What this also means is that by the 2050s, the child population will drop across different regions when compared to the rates in the 2000s. In Africa, it will drop below 40 percent by the 2050s compared to below 50 percent in the 2000s; in East Asia and Western Europe, the child population will drop below 17 percent, where in the past they made up 29 percent and 20 percent, respectively. By the 2050s, ten countries will be home to half the global child population, which may include India, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The projected plateau in the child population is an indication of an aging population, as the life expectancy has increased and child mortality rates continue to decrease. For some regions with an older population, such as developed countries, there will be a need to meet the demands of this population group. This should not come at the cost of prioritizing children’s needs and child-responsive spaces, the report notes. Children’s needs must remain a priority for decision-makers. Opportunities for intergenerational dialogue and cooperation should be encouraged.

Children learn using tablets during an e-learning session at the Alshargia safe learning space, Kassala, Sudan. Credit: UNICEF/Ahmed Mohamdeen Elfatih

The climate and environmental crises have a pervasive impact on children when it comes to their health, education, and safety. The report notes that in the 2050s, eight times as many children globally will be exposed to extreme heatwaves, three times as many will be exposed to extreme river floods, and nearly twice as many will be exposed to extreme wildfires, compared to the 2000s.

While this is tragically a universal experience for children, the impact of these hazards on individual children will differ based on certain factors, such as their age, their health, their socioeconomic setting and access to resources. As the report argues, a child with access to climate-resilient shelter, health care, and clean water will likely have a greater chance of surviving climate shocks compared to a child without access to the same resources. Therefore, targeted environmental action is needed to protect all children from climate shocks and to mitigate the risks they face, such as displacement, disrupted education and health issues.

The third megatrend identified in the report is what it calls frontier technologies. These include the digitalization of education and social life and the use of artificial intelligence (AI). It acknowledges that these technologies have advantages and disadvantages. As they are emerging technologies, governance over their use and application, especially as it applies to children, is paramount. The report notes that these technologies can be game-changers if the focus is on children that are hardest to reach.

Yet the digital divide still remains, as over 95 percent of people in high-income countries are connected to the internet, compared to nearly 26 percent in low-income countries in 2024. The report notes that a large percentage of youth in low- and middle-income countries have difficulty accessing digital skills. In Sub-Saharan Africa for example, 230 million jobs will require digital skills by 2030. The disparity in digital skills training will likely impact young people’s ability to effectively and responsibly use digital tools in education and future workplaces. Such barriers are linked to socio-economic settings, gender and accessibility across developing and developed countries. 

Much of the projections discussed thus far are based on what the report describes as a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario, in which global development trends remain in the current trajectory. The report also presents its projections through two other scenarios: one in which accelerated development globally may lead to greater economic growth in lower-income countries and fewer children living in poverty, predicting a more optimistic viewpoint of global development; and the other scenario, in which delayed development leads to fragmentary results and an increasing number of children living in risk of environmental threats or in poverty.

Within the context of the climate crisis, under the current trajectory of development, eight times as many children will be exposed to extreme heatwaves by 2050. However, in the scenario of accelerated development, that rate drops to four times as many children being at risk, and in the delayed development scenario, fourteen times more children may be at risk of extreme heatwaves.

Increased gains in access to education are likely to increase across every region, with up to 96 percent of children completing primary education by the 2050s, higher than the rate of 80 percent in the 2000s. If countries work towards accelerated development, the report suggests that all school-aged children could receive primary and secondary education in the 2050s. Closing the gender gap in primary and secondary education must remain a priority, particularly under present-day circumstances where 1 in 4 girls aged 15-19 are not in school, employment or training compared to 1 in 10 boys.

The report calls for adult decision-makers, namely parents and governments, to make decisions on children’s wellbeing and development that are rooted in the conditions outlined in the CRC. It concludes with the call for all stakeholders to take action in three key areas. First, to invest in education and other essential services for children that are inclusive of their needs and guarantee social protections for them and their caregivers. Second, to build and expand climate-resilient systems and infrastructures, with a focus on developing climate action plans that include child-responsive practices. And thirdly, the delivery of safe connectivity and use of frontier technologies for children, noting the importance of promoting digital literacy and skills and employing a rights-based approach to the regulation and use of new technologies.

Whatever steps are taken towards responding to the great existential issues of our time, UNICEF stresses that children’s inputs should be heeded. As the future generations that will live with the consequences of the decision-makers’ actions, their insight into their own needs should be consulted throughout the process. Russell states in the foreword of the report that the scenarios presented are not inevitabilities. Rather, they should encourage stakeholders to set a forward-thinking course towards a better life for children and adolescents. “With resolve and global cooperation, we can shape a future where every child is healthy, educated and protected. Our children deserve no less.”

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Building a Gender-Equal Africa - UN Women East and Southern Africa Strategic Plan 2022-2025
 
Credit: UN Women

By Claver Gatete
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

Today, women in Africa generally have better access to education, healthcare, and opportunities than ever before. Yet, as they step into the world, a gap between them and their male counterparts persists, a reminder that gender equality remains out of reach.

The evidence is all around us. One in three women still experience physical or sexual violence. Nearly every woman spends twice as much time on unpaid household work as men. And not a single country offers women in Africa full legal protection.

For me, this reality stirs a mix of frustration and hope in recognizing how far we have come and how far we have still to go.

Nearly 30 years ago, 189 world leaders left the Fourth World Conference on Women with renewed hope, committing their countries to the Beijing Platform for Action, an ambitious roadmap for ending gender inequality. Yet today, as countries conduct their reviews, not a single country has achieved those commitments.

The 2023 Africa Gender Index report, produced by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank, reveals that we are only halfway there on the road to gender equality. The journey remains long, and progress has been agonizingly slow.

The stakes could not be higher. Failing to end gender inequality incurs a heavy price: economic stagnation, weakened social systems, instability, and wasted human potential – all of which derail Africa’s progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Without urgent action now, we risk sleepwalking into a future marred by spiralling inequality, injustice and instability – an outcome none of us can afford.

As we reflect on the promises made in Beijing, all of us must hold ourselves accountable and take bold political and financial steps to change our current trajectories. To support this, our analysis points to five critical areas, where concentrated efforts over the next five years could pave the way to achieving gender equality by 2030.

First, despite more women working full-time, they still shoulder most caregiving responsibilities, suffer discrimination and deal with harmful stereotypes. Governments and businesses must dismantle barriers to women’s career progression. Experience teaches us that providing women with equal opportunities is not just the right thing to do but also the smart approach, with the potential to boost the GDP of emerging markets and developing economies by an average of 23 percent.

Second, as digitalization shapes the future of work, many women are being left behind. In 2023, only 32 percent of women in Africa had access to the internet. This divide translates into lost opportunities and costs African economies millions of dollars every year. We urgently need to make digital services affordable and promote digital literacy so that every woman has an equal opportunity to participate in the digital world.

Third, although maternal mortality rates have dropped, we cannot overlook the fact that healthcare is still out of reach for too many women. Governments must prioritize access to healthcare for every woman, regardless of where she lives or her income status. Focusing on women’s health not only saves lives but also makes economic sense. Every dollar invested in women’s health generates $3 in economic growth.

Fourth, while women in Africa now have near-equal access to primary, secondary, and tertiary education, this has yet to translate into leadership roles or economic power. Women’s parliamentary representation in Africa increased by only one percent from 25 percent in 2021 to 26 percent in 2024. Without their voices in leadership, we risk perpetuating the very inequalities we seek to eradicate.

Lastly, we must confront the harmful cultural norms, gender-based violence and legal barriers that restrict women’s access to resources and leadership positions. Tackling these deeply entrenched issues not just requires robust enforcement of laws and policies but also a societal shift, with responsibility shared by policymakers, board members, community elders, faith leaders and people like you and me.

None of these issues are new. And while some may seem intractable, they are not insurmountable. Africa has demonstrated incredible successes, from Tunisia’s increase in women science graduates to Rwanda’s significant reduction in cervical cancer cases and Namibia’s gender-equal parliament.

These instances remind us that change is possible when we invest in what we know works. In all of this, data plays an inextricable role in targeting and tracking interventions based on evidence rather than opinion. However, when it comes to women and girls, the data we need is too often missing, leaving too many of their challenges invisible and unaddressed. If we are serious about real progress, we must invest in gathering a fuller picture by bolstering our data capabilities.

In a world where pressing challenges dominate our attention, gender equality is often pushed to a backseat. We can no longer afford complacency or business as usual. If we stay on the current course, gender equality remains 300 years away. This is unacceptable.

We call on leaders across all sectors to recommit to the goals of Beijing and invest in real change to address the gender inequality that we know exists. Only then can we bring equality from a distant hope to a reality within our lifetimes. I am confident that this is possible, but only if we all act now.

Claver Gatete is Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

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Taking a cab is always an adventure in Baku. Credit: Cecilia Russell/IPS

By Cecilia Russell
BAKU, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

The cab driver, identified as Akad, growled, “Cash, cash,” as we boarded our booked app-based taxi. I show him my phone, where the app clearly points to the payment confirmation. “No, no! Cash, cash!”

I confirm the destination, ignore the slightly bullying tactics and we move forward. He is one of many taxi drivers we have encountered in Baku and our experiences have been many and varied.

Cat-loving taxi driver in Baku. Credit: Cecilia Russell/IPS

Fun, aggressive, cat-loving, noisy, chatty, fast, slow—despite the obvious communication issues—often resolved with a quick translation via Google Translate—most have given us great service.

Even Akad made us laugh. He got lost, and I thought he was about to take us on a roundabout. He soon corrected himself (well, with a bit of help as I redirected using my own maps app) and then, in a flurry of flirtatiousness, sprayed himself liberally with so much perfume that my colleague had to open the window for fresh air.

Akad kindly spoke to our hosts by phone for the absolutely correct information of where to leave us and waved us off.

Outside the Ganjlik Mall, drivers looking for fares open their car’s trunks to advertise their availability. My Kenyan colleague is a master of negotiation. “Fifteen manat,” the driver tells her.

“Ha, why will I pay you 15 when I paid 10 yesterday?” she replies.

His English isn’t great, but the message is clear. He agrees, and as we board, he has to encourage a kitten that made a home in his driver’s seat out of the car.

The driver confirms in broken English he feeds her, and she looks for him when he returns to find his next fare. A relationship made in heaven, methinks.

IPS team at COP29, from left: Umar Manzoor Shah, Cecilia Russell, Joyce Chimbi, Farhana Haque Rahman and Aishwarya Bajpai.

At times drivers seem to not be able to reach the “pin” set. When it happens, I scout around for an authority figure to assist. When a police officer advised we cancel and use his (overpriced) mate, I realized Baku is not far from home in South Africa after all.

If I could, I would tell them that while we may be COP29 delegates and foreigners, that doesn’t make us naïve.

Baku likes heat; it may be winter, but almost every venue, hotel room and taxi is uncomfortably hot—including the London-style cab that took us from Baku’s famous Nizami Street to Sea Breeze—our residence in the sticks, or as my colleague calls it, “the boondocks.”

We asked him to turn down the heat and he opened the windows. It may have been low-tech, but a workable solution for his overheated passengers.

Baksheesh (a tip) is a big thing here, and the same London-style cab driver asked for a little extra for his negotiated fare. My colleague handed him a few manats.

When a tenner is added, he kisses her firmly and joyfully on the cheek.
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A woman with her baby attends a UN-run awareness-raising session on gender-based violence at the One Stop Centre in Sominé Dolo Hospital in Mopti, Mali. Credit: UNFPA Mali/Amadou Maiga

By UN Women
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

Every year, the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign led by UN Women serves as a powerful reminder of the widespread violence women and girls face worldwide.

Starting from November 25, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and concluding on December 10, on Human Rights Day, this campaign calls on governments, activists, and individuals to unite and push for lasting change.

In support of this civil society initiative the UN Secretary-General back in 2008 launched the campaign UNITE by 2030, which runs parallel to the 16 Days of Activism.

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Every year, the UNITE Campaign focuses on a specific theme and this year’s focus is UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls, aiming for long-term solutions that address the root causes of the problem.

Why it matters

The statistics are staggering: nearly one in three women and girls worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence during their lifetime.

For at least 51,100 women in 2023, this violence escalated to femicide (homicide targeted at women) with over half committed by intimate partners or family members.

The agency championing women’s empowerment, UN Women, points out that femicides are the ultimate evidence that the systems and structures meant to protect women and girls are failing.

Women are not safe outside their homes either.

Public figures, including politicians, human rights defenders, and journalists, are often targeted by violence both online and offline, with some leading to fatal outcomes and intentional killings.

One alarming aspect of this issue is the prevalence of violence in conflict zones. In 2023, the United Nations reported a staggering 50 per cent increase in gender violence from the previous year.

From survivors to advocates

Women like Ukrainian activist Lyudmila Huseynova exemplify the harrowing reality of conflict-related sexual violence.

After enduring over three years of imprisonment and torture in a Russian prison, where she faced brutal physical abuse, “In that place, you become a person without rights,” she recalled of her torment in Izolyatsia prison, Ms. Huseynova’s resilience turned into activism.

Since her release in 2022, she has become an unwavering advocate for survivors, working with SEMA Ukraine to amplify the voices of those suffering from conflict-related sexual violence and to demand global attention to the atrocities faced by women and children in Ukraine.

Through her tireless efforts, Ms. Huseynova not only exposes the cruelty women endure but also leads efforts to secure justice and recovery for victims. “We will use every means to make their pain visible,” she emphasised.

What can we do?

While we may not all be activists, we all have a role in ending the abuse, says UN Women.

On an individual level, from supporting local organisations to advocating for stronger laws and supporting the women in our lives, everybody can make a difference.

Argentinian activist Iren Cari and founder of Women’s Forum for Equal Opportunities stressed the need to support women in political life and centre their voice: “We need funds to promote women’s participation – not only in public policy making, but also to participate in elections.”

UN Women emphasised that governments must enact laws to ensure accountability for perpetrators of gender-based violence, particularly through National Action Plans.

In parallel, funding women’s rights organizations is essential to support survivors and provide them with the necessary resources for recovery.

The 16 Days of Activism remind us that every action, no matter how small, counts in the fight to end gender-based violence, the agency stresses.

Source: UN News

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Brad Wilson is an American photographer specializing in classical portraits of animals. Credit: Umar Manzoor Shah/IPS

By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

As delegates at COP29 stroll through the venue in Baku, Azerbaijan, many pause to marvel at the stunning portraits of animals and birds adorning the pavilion walls. These 16 captivating images, showcasing Azerbaijan’s rich biodiversity, are more than just art—they’re a call to action.

Visitors, from diplomats to environmental activists, can often be seen snapping selfies with these majestic portraits, drawn to their lifelike intensity. Behind this collection is Brad Wilson, an American photographer whose mission is to “bridge the gap between humans and the natural world.” 

Wilson spoke to the IPS on his artistic journey and the philosophy underpinning his work.

“My name is Brad Wilson,” he begins. “I’m an American photographer specializing in classical portraits of animals.”

Classical portraits—usually a domain of human subjects—take on a unique depth when applied to animals.

“I aim to elevate animals to a higher level, presenting them as equals to humans—different but equal. Looking into their eyes through these photographs should invoke a sense of responsibility for their lives because we all share the same planet.”

For Wilson, animals represent a poignant connection to the natural world. “They are our closest relatives living in the wild,” he says. “They serve as a bridge, reminding us of our roots in nature.”

Brad Wilson photographic portraits were commissioned for the Haydar Aliyev Centre in Baku and are on display at the COP29 venue. Credit: Umar Manzoor Shah/IPS

Process: A Dance of Patience and Precision

Creating these portraits is no simple task. Wilson describes the meticulous setup required for his work.

“All the portraits are done in a studio. I set up the studio close to where the animals live—often in sanctuaries or ranches. Then we bring them in for two or three hours,” he says. But those hours yield just fleeting moments of magic.

“I’m lucky if I get two or three good seconds with each animal. But that’s all I need—a single moment of connection that resonates.”

“My photo shoots are like meditations amidst organized chaos,” he says. Amid bustling activity, Wilson remains quiet and still, waiting for the animal to relax. “What I aim to capture is something uncommon—a glimpse of the animal’s soul, if you will. That’s what I hope viewers experience—a moment of connection.”

“I want people to understand that we are part of this planet’s biodiversity. We’re not separate from these creatures. It’s only been about 12,000 years—since the advent of farming and permanent settlements—that we began seeing ourselves as separate from the natural world. That’s a mistake. These animals remind us of our place in the web of life.”

“When we talk about climate action, it’s not just about saving the earth—it’s about saving humanity and the animals that share this planet with us. The earth will endure, but we might not.”

Behind the Scenes at COP29

Wilson’s collection at COP29 was commissioned by the Haydar Aliyev Centre in Baku.

“They brought me here in August to photograph animals in Baku and Shamaki,” he says. The project celebrates Azerbaijan’s biodiversity, showcasing species native to the region while promoting conservation awareness.

The portraits have been a hit among COP29 attendees, sparking conversations about the intersection of art, biodiversity, and climate action. Wilson hopes the images inspire policymakers and the public alike to take meaningful action.

“Climate change is already a massive problem, and it’s only going to worsen. We need to get serious about tackling it.”

Advice for Aspiring Photographers

For those inspired to follow in Wilson’s footsteps, he offers this advice: “Start with humans. I spent 15 years photographing people in New York City before transitioning to animals. That experience taught me about connection and emotion—skills that translate well to wildlife photography.”

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Adenike Oladosu, ECW’s Climate Champion from Nigeria, during an interview with IPS at COP29. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 20 2024 (IPS)

Education is under threat as multiple crises push children out of school and into harms way. COP29 Baku could break historical barriers that hold back education from playing a unique, critical role to accelerate the ambition of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement, protecting people and planet from life-threatening risks of climate change.

“Together with our partners, we have launched a pilot program in Somalia and Afghanistan, working with communities to identify early action activities or anticipatory action to act against the impacts of climate and minimize its disruption on children’s lives and education in those countries,” says Dianah Nelson, Chief of Education, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations. 

Towards embedding education into the climate finance debate, ECW held a series of COP29 side events on such issues as unlocking the potential of anticipatory action through multi-stakeholder collaboration; meeting the challenge of conflict, climate and education; climate change-resilient education systems in the most vulnerable nations; and protecting children’s futures: why loss and damage must prioritise education in emergencies.

Panel discussions brought together a wide range of public and private partners, policymakers, and data experts to highlight the benefits of acting ahead of predicted climate shocks to protect education. “The climate crisis is an education crisis, and education cannot wait. We, therefore, need to center climate action on education and build climate-smart school technology. And most importantly, we need anticipatory action to reduce or eradicate the impact of climate shocks on children. Everyone has a contribution to make, and every child has a dream. Uninterrupted access to education makes their dream a reality. We need to safeguard or protect our schools from being vulnerable, or being attacked in conflict, or even being washed away by flood,” Adenike Oladosu, ECW’s Climate Champion and Nigerian climate justice advocate, told IPS.

A member of the audience during one of the sessions hosted by ECW. The sessions highlighted the need to ensure there is funding for education for those on the frontlines of the climate crisis, armed conflict and other emergencies. Credit: ECW

These climatic impacts are already being felt in Pakistan. Zulekha, advisor/program manager of the Gender and Child Cell NDMA Pakistan, spoke about how the country has suffered “severe impacts from extreme weather. More than 24,000 schools were damaged in the 2022 floods, and nearly 3.5 million children were displaced and their educations put at risk. We were still reeling from the effects of the floods in 2023 when we started to launch the refresher of the Pakistan School Safety Framework.”

Oladosu spoke about the multiple, complex challenges confronting Nigeria and that anticipatory action “means bringing in the tools, through climate financing, to reduce the loss and damage. Anticipatory action addresses complex humanitarian crises in a proactive rather than reactive way to reduce the impact of a shock before its most severe effects are felt.”

She stressed that anticipatory actions are critical to avoid “losses that are simply irreplaceable, such as the number of days children spend out of school due to climate events, those left behind the education system, or even those who fall out of the system and into child marriages and militia groups.”

Education must reach every child impacted by a climate crisis they did not make. Credit: UNICEF

Lisa Doughten, Director, Financing and Partnership Division at OCHA, stated that in humanitarian crises, climate change “is significantly disrupting the overall access to education as schools temporarily shut down due to extreme climate events causing significant learning disruptions for millions of students. We have countries in conflict and fragile settings, and the climate crisis creates extremely difficult circumstances for, especially children and women.”

Doughten spoke about the need to leverage data to get ahead of predictable climate disasters and how OCHA works with various partners, including meteorological organizations, to monitor and use climate data. Using models that entail pre-planned programs, pre-determined triggers for weather events such as floods and storms, and pre-financing to ensure that funds are disbursed with speed towards anticipatory actions.

At COP29, ECW reiterated the power of education to unite communities, build consensus, and transform entire societies. In the classroom of the future, children will acquire the green skills they need to thrive in the new economy of the 21st century, and communities will come together to share early warnings and act in advance of climate hazards such as droughts and floods.

Graham Lang, Deputy Director at ECW, at one of the sessions hosted by the Global Fund aimed at ensuring those on the frontlines of the climate crisis, armed conflict and other emergencies are central to climate education action, decisions and commitments. Credit: ECW

Stressing that in this classroom of the future, “an entire generation of future leaders can build the will and commitment to break down the status quo and create true lasting solutions to this unprecedented and truly terrifying crisis. Unfortunately, multilateral climate finance has not prioritized the education sector to date, meaning a tiny proportion, at most 0.03 percent, of all climate finance is spent on education. While children have the most to offer in building long-term solutions to the crisis, they also have the most to lose.”

ECW says the connection between climate action and education is also noticeably underrepresented in NDCs, or national commitments to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Only half of all NDCs are child and youth sensitive, and this is an urgent situation for, in 2022 alone, over 400 million children experienced school closures as the result of extreme weather.

According to the Global Fund, “on the frontlines of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, these disruptions will often push children out of the education system forever. In places like Chad, Nigeria, and Sudan, where millions of children are already out of school, it could impact the future of an entire generation. ECW’s disaster-resilient classrooms, for instance, boosted enrolment rates in Chad.”

Amid Chad’s multidimensional challenges compounded by climate change, climate-resilient classrooms whose construction was funded by ECW and completed in March 2022 meant that classrooms were more durable and accessible for children and adolescents with disabilities. These classrooms withstood the heaviest rainy season in 30 years, triggering widespread flooding. Committing needed finances and acting with speed and urgency means bringing solutions within reach.

Accordingly, ECW says a key step is increasing access to the main climate funds—including the Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund—and activating new innovative financing modalities to deliver with speed, depth, and impact, and that the funding needs to be faster, transparent, and fully coordinated across both humanitarian and development sectors.

Looking forward to COP30 in Brazil, ECW stressed that education must play an integral role in the new Loss and Damage Fund. Education losses caused by climate change take unprecedented tolls on societies, especially in countries impacted by conflicts, displacement, and other pressing humanitarian emergencies.

Further emphasizing that the “loss and damage connected with years of lost learning may seem hard to quantify. But we know that for every USD 1 invested in a girl’s education, we see USD 2.80 in return. And we know that education isn’t just a privilege; it’s a human right. Finally, we need to ensure the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance includes a firm commitment to educating all the world’s children. Not just the easy-to-reach, but the ones that are the most vulnerable, the millions whose lives are being ripped apart by a crisis not of their own making.”

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The struggle to end domestic violence needs to include a push to transform societal understanding of gender roles, and employers have a key role to play in this effort and, increasingly, an obligation to do so. Credit: Shutterstock

By Negar Mohtashami Khojasteh
MONTREAL, Canada, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

In Indonesia’s humid heat, I watched as dozens of men on motorcycles lingered outside the garment factory gates, their children hanging off their shoulders, as they waited for their partners to finish their shift. These men – many without jobs of their own – came to pick up the women who provide for their families.

In Sukabumi – where the main employers are garment factories, and their workers are predominantly women – women are the backbone of the economy. And yet these women often face violence both at work and at home – and their employers can and should be doing much more to help.

While financial independence can be a protective factor against domestic violence, in societies where patriarchal attitudes prevail, women breadwinners disrupt the traditional household power dynamics and can face a backlash from their husbands, as men use violence to reassert control

“Almost all married women in my village are facing domestic violence,” one garment worker confided. Another said domestic violence is an open secret in her village, a harsh reality of being a married woman and a breadwinner.

Human Rights Watch has documented horrifying human rights violations suffered by women working in garment factories across Asian countries, where low wages, grueling working hours, unsafe working conditions, and verbal abuse and harassment are often rampant and workplace sexual harassment of women workers all too common.

Yet when these women go home, many also face another form of abuse: domestic violence, driven in part by resentment over how they are perceived to have subverted gender roles by becoming breadwinners.

This pattern is not unique to Indonesia or women garment workers. In Bangladesh, studies have shown a correlation between women working and their experiencing domestic violence, notably among women who married young or have lower levels of education.

A study across multiple countries in Africa found that employment for women “is positively correlated with the probability of being abused” in the home. In Australia, new research has shown that women who earn more than their male partners are 33 percent more likely to experience domestic violence.

While financial independence can be a protective factor against domestic violence, in societies where patriarchal attitudes prevail, women breadwinners disrupt the traditional household power dynamics and can face a backlash from their husbands, as men use violence to reassert control.

This violence can manifest itself in the form of controlling the woman’s income, physical beatings and sexual violence, and psychological and verbal abuse.

The struggle to end domestic violence needs to include a push to transform societal understanding of gender roles, and employers have a key role to play in this effort and, increasingly, an obligation to do so.

After many years of campaigning by activists and labor movements, and as the #MeToo movement was growing, the International Labor Organization adopted a new Convention on Violence and Harassment (C190) in 2019, which includes requirements for employers to mitigate the harm of domestic violence. While Indonesia and Bangladesh have yet to ratify it, 45 countries have already ratified the convention, and the number is steadily growing.

As employers, especially in industries where women hold many of the jobs, implement internal policies to combat gender-based violence and harassment at work, they also need to recognize their important role in assisting workers who are experiencing domestic violence.

It is not a separate issue, and the effects of domestic violence are not restricted to the home. Domestic violence affects the well-being of employees, affecting their health, safety, and long-term performance at work. In some cases, it literally follows them to work.

During my research, I interviewed witnesses who told me they saw a woman physically assaulted by her husband just outside the garment factory before starting her shift. By acknowledging this connection, employers can take meaningful steps to protect their workforce from all forms of violence, creating a safer environment for women both in and outside of work.

Researchers have documented a connection between a woman’s bargaining power in the home and her safety. Employers can play a vital role in helping women protect themselves by offering a supportive environment at work that provides concrete assistance.

Measures outlined in the International Labour Organization’s Violence and Harassment Convention Recommendation 206 like flexible work arrangements, paid leave for domestic violence survivors, and temporary protection against dismissal can serve as a critical lifeline, empowering women with an option to leave abusive situations. In this way, employers not only increase women’s bargaining power but also actively contribute to a pathway out of violence.

Domestic violence is not a private issue, contrary to some views. Under the ILO convention, employers have a responsibility to help. This is an enormously important duty; how an employer responds to a situation where one of their workers is experiencing domestic violence can have life and death consequences.

 

 

Excerpt:

Negar Mohtashami Khojasteh is with the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch.

Romina Khurshid Alam, the Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Climate Change at the Pakistan Pavilion at the COP29 Venue in Baku. Credit: Umar Manzoor Shah/IPS

By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

Romina Khurshid Alam, the Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Climate Change, praised the resilience of the people of her country in the face of climate disasters and has put her faith into diplomacy to achieve climate justice.

Speaking to IPS against the backdrop of a rising environmental crisis and unfulfilled promises by developed nations, Alam outlined the necessity of climate diplomacy as a tool to bridge global disparities and address the collective challenges posed by climate change. 

Climate Diplomacy: A Global Imperative

Alam said that climate diplomacy is of utmost importance in a world where disasters transcend borders.

“Climate diplomacy is crucial because the challenges we face today are not confined to one nation,” she said. “Smog, floods, and melting glaciers do not ask for permission to cross boundaries. Even the largest wars have been resolved through dialogue, and we must adopt the same approach for climate issues.”

Recalling the devastating floods in Pakistan in 2022, Alam said the human and economic toll the country has faced was massive. Vulnerable nations like Pakistan, she argued, are bearing the brunt of a crisis they did little to create.

“We are paying the price for a problem caused by others. Despite our minimal contributions to global emissions, we are expected to ‘do more’ while developed countries delay fulfilling their commitments.”

A flooded village in Matiari, in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Credit: UNICEF/Asad Zaidi

Unkept Promises and the Loss and Damage Fund

Alam expressed frustration with the slow progress of the Loss and Damage Fund, a financial mechanism agreed to in previous COPs to support vulnerable nations.

“What happened to those pledges? Where is the funding? Promises are made at every COP, but they rarely materialize into action,” she said, while urging developed nations to stop making new commitments until they have fulfilled their existing ones and also stressing that accountability and transparency are essential.

Alam also criticized the lack of accessibility to promised funds for developing nations.

“It’s not just about pledging money—it’s about ensuring those funds reach the countries that need them. Mechanisms must be simplified so that nations like Pakistan can access what is rightfully theirs.”

Education and Climate Justice

During the interview, Alam drew attention to the intersection of climate change and education.

“Children in Pakistan are losing their right to education because of environmental crises like smog and floods,” she said. “How can we expect to provide green education when children can’t even make it to school safely?”

Alam called for climate justice that includes the protection of basic human rights, such as education, for the next generation.

She also pointed to the reluctance of neighboring countries to engage in meaningful discussions on shared challenges. “Regional solutions are imperative. Disasters don’t respect political or geographical boundaries, and neither should our response to them.”

International Climate Justice Court

Alam also shared her vision of an International Climate Justice Court, where vulnerable nations can hold major polluters accountable.

“I have requested the establishment of an International Climate Justice Court to protect the rights of those most affected by climate change,” she said. “Pakistan has already taken the lead by engaging national and international judges in this effort. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah has been instrumental in highlighting the need for such a court.”

According to Alam, this court could empower vulnerable nations to seek redress and enforce accountability, especially for unfulfilled commitments by developed countries.

“Why should children in Pakistan or other vulnerable nations suffer because of decisions made elsewhere? It’s time we demand answers.”

Human Rights and Climate Change

For Alam, the climate crisis is not just an environmental issue but also a severe human rights violation.

“Developed nations often champion human rights, but they fail to recognize the rights being violated in vulnerable countries due to climate change,” she said. “The loss of lives, homes, and livelihoods in countries like Pakistan is a direct result of inaction by wealthier nations.”

She called on the international community to view the climate crisis through a humanitarian lens. “This is about humanity. The sun shines on all, and disasters strike indiscriminately. We must come together, regardless of our differences, to address this shared challenge.”

Pakistan’s Role as a Climate Advocate

Alam praised the resilience of the Pakistani people, particularly in the aftermath of the 2022 floods.

“Our people have shown incredible strength,” she said. “Even the poorest woman who loses her roof to a flood will rebuild her life with courage. This resilience is what keeps us moving forward.”

She also highlighted Pakistan’s leadership in raising the voices of vulnerable nations. “Pakistan doesn’t just speak for itself; we speak for all developing countries that are facing the consequences of climate change. Peace and cooperation are essential, and Pakistan will continue to advocate for both.”

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Delegates representing Indigenous communities urge negotiators to include language that promotes human and environmental rights. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS

By Joyce Chimbi
BAKU, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

Delegates representing Indigenous people’s rights have taken issue with the ongoing COP29 negotiations, calling for Parties to include text and language that promote Indigenous rights to be explicitly referenced in the consensus and outcome documents.

Faced by multiple, complex challenges, they want legal, socio-political and economic barriers removed to enable Indigenous communities to lead meaningful lives with all the tools necessary to address the climate change crises. They especially want respect and promotion of their human rights and rights to land and natural resources to which they have been connected for millennia.

Prince Israel Orekha from Connected Advocacy for Empowerment and Youth Development during the interview. Credit: Joyce Chimbi/IPS

“I’m from the Indigenous community of the Niger Delta and climate change is a reality for us. We are seeing the extinction of our local foods and agricultural and medicinal products and a dangerous rise in the sea level. We are losing our ancestral lands and resources and this means us losing our lifeline,” Prince Israel Orekha from Connected Advocacy for Empowerment and Youth Development during the interview told IPS.

“In my community, we are predominantly farmers, but dependence on fossil fuels in the Global North has negatively affected our farmlands and season after season, we are losing more and more farm yields. Our days are filled with worries and our life expectancy has reduced to 42 percent. We need an outcome that will give us a fresh start and an environment from which to draw clean breath and meaningful livelihoods. Let us breathe.”

Orekha said Indigenous people from the Global South are in a more disadvantaged position and too disenfranchised to mount an effective war against climate change. Stressing the need for localization of climate action so that all people everywhere can significantly contribute to and push forward effective climate action. 

“Today, we are here to speak in one voice and say that Indigenous people should be included in all meaningful ways. And part of that is to ensure that people and places where Indigenous people represent them must also feature prominently in those economies and in all aspects of life. So, we should not be sidelined and the wisdom that we have with us, passed down through generations, could make a difference in designing workable climate solutions and yet, we have been left out of decision-making tables,” he said.

Stressing that the marginalization of Indigenous people “is astounding and counterproductive, especially because we are the frontline communities. We bear the brunt of climate change. Policies and programs must be inclusive and promote equity and justice. We remain excluded but hopeful that, at last the spell will be broken, and there will be something substantive for us at COP29 Baku.”
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Saad Abdulla Al-Hitmi, Director of the Climate Change Department at the Government of Qatar. Credit: Umar Manzoor Shah/IPS

By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

As global leaders gather at COP29 to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change, Saad Abdulla Al-Hitmi, Director of the Climate Change Department at the Government of Qatar, highlighted the nation’s ambitious goals in an interview with IPS, stressing its commitment to balancing environmental stewardship with economic growth.

Qatar’s Vision for Climate Action

Qatar’s participation at COP29, Al-Hitmi says, aligns with its National Vision 2030 and the National Environment and Climate Change Strategy 2021.

“Our message is clear: we aim to contribute to meaningful changes that reduce the impact of climate change while preserving the environment and its resources,” Al-Hitmi stated. This, according to him, is Qatar’s commitment to sustainability, focusing on achieving its nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by 2030 to protect and enhance environmental quality.

Key among Qatar’s goals, he says, is a 25 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.

“We are implementing practical solutions and proven technological applications across all sectors to achieve this target,” Al-Hitmi said.

Adapting and Financing for the Future

According to Al-Hitmi, adaptation financing must complement mitigation efforts to ensure vulnerable countries can effectively address the impacts of climate change.

“We are working to balance adaptation and mitigation financing during climate negotiations,” he said. “Adaptation is vital for developing countries, and we are negotiating to secure gains that will fund critical adaptation projects.”

‘A Leading Voice in Climate Diplomacy’

Al-Hitmi said that by leveraging cutting-edge technology and championing equitable financing mechanisms, the nation seeks to inspire collective action on the global stage.

“Our participation at COP29 is about collaboration,” Al-Hitmi said. “It’s about ensuring that our shared planet is preserved for future generations.”

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By James A Michel
VICTORIA, Seychelles, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

Alongside climate finance, COP29 currently being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, was expected to serve as an important platform for nations to demonstrate their intention to submit stronger national climate commitments, strengthen adaptation efforts, and show tangible progress and action on previous pledges.

James A Michel

Halfway through the conference some key experts and leaders including UN Former Sec Gen and former Climate Chief , issued an open letter to the UN. —

Stating that, “The United Nations’ COP climate talks are ‘no longer fit for purpose’ and need an urgent overhaul.”

The UN’s climate talks have made significant progress in recent years, despite the fact that unanimous agreement is needed among almost 200 countries to take action.

The Paris climate agreement, signed in 2015, to keep that rise under 1.5C this century.

But are we on track to achieve these stated goals to save life on the planet?

Definitely not !

It is not a lack of resources which is holding it back but a lack of commitment. WWF (early in 2020) predicted that three of the four targets for 2020 would not be achieved, and one (on MPAs) only partially so. In another critical study it is stated that a failure to achieve this is due to the fact that 70 per cent of all countries had not by then met a single one.

More worrying, though, is the conclusion that, for many countries the ocean is simply not a priority.

It is no coincidence that of all the 17 goals, SDG 14 attracts the least funding; the shortfall to enable targets to be met is estimated to be close to $150 billion.

Small island states are a case in point, all of which are totally dependent on the surrounding ocean but which are invariably without sufficient funding to invest in improvements. The unifying factor, though, is not geography but economic performance, which can be evident in large as well as small countries.

Hampered by such obstacles as trade barriers, debt distress, food insecurity, climate change and meagre resources, the world’s poorest countries lagged furthest behind in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.*-

The basic contradiction, of course, is that getting to a state of sustainable development costs money – but if that is in short supply, how can everyone get there?

It follows from this that it is in the world’s interest to transfer funds from richer to poorer nations to make the changes that will benefit the world. Alas, the outcome of lengthy discussions and the various COPs have so far failed to offer any practical suggestions to achieve this. Words again, without action.

Therefore for now one has to go down the scale, to the level of individuals, communities and NGOs to find more promising ways to rescue the situation. The UN can be retained to add gravitas (given its record, an irony in itself) but the real energy for change will come from those who care most and are not shackled by endless rules and factional interests, and the financing of wars as a priority.

(The author served as the third President of Seychelles from 2004 to 2016).

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By Jomo Kwame Sundaram
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

Western financial policies have been squeezing economies worldwide. After being urged to borrow commercial finance heavily, developing countries now struggle with contractionary Western monetary policies.

Central banks
‘Unconventional monetary measures’ in the West helped offset the world economic slowdown after the 2008 global financial crisis.

Jomo Kwame Sundaram

Higher interest rates have worsened contractions, debt distress, and inequalities due to cost-push inflation triggered by ‘geopolitical’ supply disruptions.

Western central bank efforts have tried to check inflation by curbing demand and raising interest rates. Higher interest rates have worsened contractionary tendencies, exacerbating world stagnation.

Despite major supply-side disruptions and inappropriate policy responses since 2022, energy and food prices have not risen correspondingly. But interest rates have remained high, ostensibly to achieve the 2% inflation target.

Although it has no rigorous basis in either theory or experience, this 2% inflation target – arbitrarily set by the New Zealand Finance Minister in 1989 to realise his “2[%] by ’92” slogan – is still embraced by most rich nations’ monetary authorities!

For over three decades, ‘independent’ central banks have dogmatically pursued this monetary policy target. Once raised, Western central banks have not lowered interest rates, ostensibly because the inflation target has not been achieved.

Independent fiscal boards and other pressures for budgetary austerity in many countries have further reduced fiscal policy space, suppressing demand, investments, growth, jobs, and incomes in vicious cycles.

Debt crises
Before 2022, contractionary tendencies were mitigated by unconventional monetary policies. ‘Quantitative easing’ (QE) provided easy credit, leading to more financialization and indebtedness.

QE also made finance more readily available to the South until interest rates were increased in 2022. As interest rates rose, pressures for fiscal austerity mounted, ostensibly to improve public finances.

Policy space and options have declined, including efforts to undertake developmental and expansionary interventions. Less government spending capacity to act counter-cyclically has worsened economic stagnation.

Comparing the current situation with the 1980s is instructive. The eighties began with fiscal and debt crises, which caused Latin America to lose at least a decade of growth, while Africa was set back for almost a quarter century.

The situation is more dire now, as debt volumes are much higher, while government debt is increasingly from commercial sources. Debt resolution is also much more difficult due to the variety of creditors and loan conditions involved.

Different concerns
With full employment largely achieved with fiscal policy after the global financial crisis, US policymakers are less preoccupied with creating employment.

Meanwhile, the US’s ‘exorbitant privilege’ enables its Treasury to borrow from the rest of the world by selling bonds. Hence, the US Fed’s higher interest rates from 2022 have had contractionary effects worldwide.

As the European Central Bank (ECB) followed the Fed’s lead, concerted increases in Western interest rates attracted funds worldwide.

Western interest rates remained high until they turned around in August 2024. Developing countries have long paid huge premiums well above interest rates in the West.

However, higher interest rates due to US Fed and ECB policies caused funds to flow West, mainly fleeing low-income countries since 2022.

However, growth and job creation remain policy priorities worldwide, especially for governments in the Global South.

Protracted stagnation
Why has world stagnation been so protracted? Although urgently needed, multilateral cooperation is declining.

Meanwhile, international conflicts have been increasingly exacerbated by geopolitical considerations. Increased unilateral sanctions driven by geopolitics have also disrupted international economic relations.

Barack Obama’s ‘pivot to Asia’ started the new Cold War to isolate and surround China. National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic worsened supply-side disruptions.

Meanwhile, the weaponisation of economic policy against geopolitical enemies has been increasingly normalised, often contravening international treaties and agreements.

Such new forms of economic warfare include denying market access despite commitments made with the 1995 establishment of the World Trade Organization.

Trade liberalisation has been in reverse gear since rich nations’ protectionist responses to the 2008 global financial crisis. Globalisation’s promise that trade integration would ensure peace among economic partners was thus betrayed.

Since the first Trump presidency, geopolitical considerations have increasingly influenced foreign direct investments and international trade.

US and Japanese investors were urged to ‘reshore’ from China with limited success, but appeals to ‘friend-shore’ outside China have been more successful.

Property and contractual rights were long deemed almost sacred. However, geopolitically driven asset confiscations have spread quickly.

Financial warfare has also ended Russian access to SWIFT financial transaction facilities and the confiscation of Russian assets by NATO allies.

The Biden administration has extended such efforts by weaponizing US industrial policy to limit ‘enemy’ access to strategic technologies.

It forcibly relocated some Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation operations to the US, albeit with little success.

Canada’s protracted detention of 5G pioneer Huawei founder’s daughter – at US behest – highlighted the West’s growing technology war against China.

Unsurprisingly, inequalities – both intranational and international – continue to deepen. Two-thirds of overall income inequality is international, exacerbating the North-South divide.

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Dr. Amina Schartup, Marine Chemist, sharing insights on mercury pollution and its global impact at COP29, Ocean Pavilion, Baku, Azerbaijan. Credit: Aishwarya Bajpai/IPS

By Aishwarya Bajpai
BAKU, Nov 19 2024 (IPS)

Mercury pollution from burning coal is contaminating our oceans and seafood, threatening global health.

Dr. Amina Schartup, a marine chemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, has spent nearly 20 years studying the mercury cycle. Her research sheds light on how this heavy metal, released through industrial activities like coal burning, affects ecosystems and people worldwide.

“Mercury is released into the environment through various industries, with coal burning being a major source,” she explains. The problem goes beyond carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as mercury travels globally, settling in places as remote as the Arctic and high mountains.

When mercury reaches the oceans, it is transformed by microbes into methylmercury, a highly toxic form. “This form accumulates in seafood, especially in larger predatory fish like tuna and swordfish, which many humans consume,” Schartup says. This poses serious health risks, including developmental issues in children and cardiovascular problems in adults.

How Widespread Is Mercury Exposure?

Fish consumption is the primary way mercury enters the human body. According to Schartup, “If 3 billion people rely on seafood, then 3 billion people are exposed to mercury through fish.”

The health impacts, however, are complex.

“Fish consumption is generally healthy, supporting brain development, but consuming too much fish with high mercury levels can offset those benefits,” she notes. This makes balancing seafood consumption tricky, especially for communities heavily dependent on it.

Mercury exposure is a chronic issue, with small amounts accumulating in the body over time. The toxic effects, especially on fetal development, can result in reduced IQ and other developmental problems.

Mercury and Climate Change: A Dangerous Mix

Climate change intensifies mercury’s impact on oceans and seafood. Schartup explains, “The mercury cycle is connected to the environment, so any changes—like rising temperatures or melting sea ice—will affect it.”

For instance, warming oceans change the behavior of fish and microbes. “Warmer waters can cause fish to eat more, which increases their mercury levels,” she says. Melting sea ice, which acts as a cap on the ocean, alters mercury exchange between the air and water. Freshwater inputs from melting glaciers or rivers also bring more mercury into the oceans.

These factors combine to make mercury levels in seafood even more unpredictable, creating additional challenges for public health.

Global Pollution, Local Consequences

One of the most alarming aspects of mercury pollution is its global reach. Once released into the atmosphere, mercury can travel thousands of miles before settling. “It can deposit in pristine areas like the Arctic, far from the emission sources,” Schartup explains.

Microbial activity in different environments determines where mercury is transformed into its toxic form. “It happens everywhere,” she says, emphasizing that no region is immune to this problem.

What Needs to Change?

At COP29, Schartup is advocating for a broader understanding of how emissions impact the environment and human health. “Climate change isn’t just about CO2. Burning coal also releases mercury, which contaminates fish and affects the health of millions,” she says.

Reducing coal usage could address both carbon and mercury pollution.

“By solving the CO2 crisis, we can tackle mercury contamination as well. This isn’t just about climate; it’s about health too,” she stresses.

Schartup believes this issue should resonate with everyone, especially those who eat fish regularly. “Turning on the light switch is linked to mercury in the fish we eat. It’s all connected,” she explains.

Protecting Vulnerable Communities

Some populations are more affected than others, particularly those relying heavily on seafood. These communities face a double burden: the health risks from mercury and the challenges of adapting to climate change.

Schartup emphasizes the need for policies to protect these vulnerable groups. Reducing coal emissions and investing in cleaner energy sources could lessen mercury pollution and its far-reaching effects.

A Call to Action

Mercury pollution is a hidden crisis, but its effects on human health and the environment are profound. Schartup’s research underscores the urgency of addressing this issue as part of global climate action.

“We have a chance to solve multiple problems at once,” she says. Reducing coal emissions won’t just cut CO2; it will also protect our oceans, seafood, and health.

This interconnected approach, she believes, is key to creating a sustainable future for all.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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