The Working Group III component of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report is a powerful document sharing current global discourse on climate change mitigation promises and progress.  The report speaks about the increasing diversity of actors and approaches to mitigation and the close linkage between climate change mitigation, adaptation and development pathways.  While the report grimly reminds us that the previous ten years saw the highest carbon emissions since human beings walked the earth, it also points to emerging processes and systems that could reduce emissions and mitigate their effects.

The report speaks about “Recent literature [highlighting] the growing role of non-state and sub-national actors including cities, businesses, Indigenous Peoples, citizens including local communities and youth, transnational initiatives, and public-private entities in the global effort to address climate change.” On the question of agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) the report states that measures to promote carbon sequestration and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases have both co-benefits and risks in terms of biodiversity, ecology, food and water security, livelihoods and rights, especially land rights of indigenous peoples, local communities and small landowners.  Finally, the report recognizes the shortfall in financial flows to meet mitigation goals and speaks about the need to address inequities in access to finance and meet the costs of reducing the impacts of climate change.

Speaking on the report, Sandeep Chachra, Executive Director, ActionAid Association, said: “The Working Group III component of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report is a powerful document.  It tells about the need to involve various non-state players in the movement to deal with climate change and ensure climate justice.  Our experience in ActionAid Association, while working with vulnerable communities in both rural and urban contexts, teaches us about how much can be gained if the communities facing the worst impact of climate change, while being least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, are made custodians of ecological resources.  We not only need to increase the resilience of facing extremes of weather that are increasing in both frequency and scale but enable vulnerable communities to lead carbon dioxide sequestration processes in forests, pasture lands, wetlands, inland water bodies, coastlands and the oceans.

“By underscoring the need to have equity in financing climate justice efforts, the report also promotes the rights of the Global South. We appreciate the efforts of some countries and authors to ensure that the report mentions this despite opposition.  It is the communities in the Global South that are facing the impact of climate change, despite being least responsible for it,” says Sandeep.

“Social movements, civil society organizations, and concerned citizens should leverage this report to urge all governments to take on a more people-oriented approach to creating climate justice for the benefit of all life on earth.  As a Global Federation, ActionAid is launching a campaign for climate justice to build solidarities across the world, especially the Global South, to empower vulnerable communities to secure climate justice, ensuring their resilience while building a future for all,” says Sandeep.

About ActionAid Association

ActionAid Association is an organisation working for social and ecological justice. ActionAid has been engaged with the most marginalised communities in India since 1972. In 2006, ActionAid Association was registered as an Indian organisation, governed by an independent General Assembly and a Governing Board. Together with supporters, communities, institutions and governments, we strive for equality, fraternity and liberty for all. ActionAid Association works in 24 states and two union territories, with several partners and allied organisations. ActionAid Association is part of a global federation and a full affiliate of ActionAid International, that has presence in over 40 countries worldwide.

For further enquiries contact: Joseph Mathai, mathai.joseph@actionaid.org | +91 9810188022