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People power packs Peru’s streets


WEBWIRE
Negotiators should look at this and understand that people want much faster action on climate change.
© Mandy Woods
Negotiators should look at this and understand that people want much faster action on climate change. © Mandy Woods

Civil society members attending climate talks in Peru moved from the conference rooms to the streets of Lima on Wednesday to participate in the People’s Climate March. The march brought together thousands of climate activists from around the world and Peru.

The demonstration of people power in Lima is the continuation of a series of actions that have taken place in more than 160 countries. Although not a formal part of the negotiations, Wednesday’s march demonstrates the importance of climate change to ordinary citizens in Peru and throughout the world.

“Negotiators should look at this and understand that people from different parts of Peruvian society want much faster action on climate change,” said Samantha Smith, leader of WWF’s Global Climate and Energy Initiative. “This is a region where people are losing their lives and livelihoods because of climate change.”

The march took place as Human Rights Day was celebrated around the world. In addition to its direct impact on the environment, climate change has enormous impacts on human lives and is a critical human rights issue.

“Climate change is denying people of the basic human rights of food security and water security. It is also taking away their land. When we march we are protecting the rights of those who are losing their rights every day through climate change,” said Smith.

As marchers from WWF walked behind a banner reading ‘Food. Water. Energy. For All. Forever’, other WWF delegates in Lima kept a close eye on the climate negotiations. The talks continue to move slowly and show little progress on critical issues.

In the next two days, negotiators must pull together a draft text for a climate agreement that can be finalised in Paris next year. Negotiators in Lima also need to establish guidelines for national emissions reductions announcements and address how countries should reduce carbon impacts before a new deal takes hold in 2020.


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