This week thousands of people will come together in the biggest moment of action against climate change the world has ever seen. And it couldn’t be more timely. While politicians are making infuriatingly slow progress in moving towards the fair, ambitious and binding climate deal we need, people around the world are ramping up demand for action and getting to work themselves.
Oxfam and partners are organising events, protests, talks and media stunts in over 30 countries, all part of a wave of action that demonstrates we’re willing to roll up our sleeves and get on with the job – and demand that world leaders do the same.
We know that poor people feeling the impacts of climate change are already finding innovative solutions to adapt. Like Noograi Sangsri from Northern Thailand, who has been part of a community initiative to pipe water directly into her field, reducing the time she must spend there and increasing her harvest.
This work is critical to building long term, sustainable solutions to climate change. But international support for more work like this is urgently needed. Less than a tenth of climate funds distributed to date have reached those who need it most.
2010 is an opportunity to get the climate negotiations back on track and help the world’s most vulnerable people. As Environment Ministers set off to the next Climate Summit in Cancun at the end of the year, millions of people will be watching. We demand a fair Climate Fund is established, one that delivers for poor people, particularly women. By delivering concrete progress on the cash needed to tackle climate change and ensuring it reaches those who bear the brunt of climate impacts like Noograi, world leaders can sow the seed for the fair, ambitious and binding deal that the world so urgently needs.
