23
Feb 2009 - London, UK - Effective action
on climate change – caused mainly by the
privileged and impacting more and more devastatingly
on the deprived – is becoming central to
a just as well as a sustainable world, WWF
International Director General James Leape
told an emergency human rights congress
in London today.
And action on climate
change will not be effective unless it is
also fair, Mr Leape told the congress convened
under the patronage of noted Human Rights
barrister Cherie Blair and Archbishop Desmond
Tutu. The congress will develop guidelines
for protecting human rights during the reshaping
of world economies.
“We have a clear correlation
between climate wrongs and human rights,”
said Mr Leape. “Those who are most impoverished,
most marginalised and whose rights are least
respected are also those who depend most
on their environment for subsistence.
“Those deep in forests
under assault, on the fringes of floodplains
or shores of coral seas count heavily among
those who will suffer the most from climate
change, will have the least power in the
negotiations and who will need the most
support as we go through this year to the
Copenhagen Climate conference.”
Mr Leape said WWF's
work in the field was showing up other correlations
– that action to preserve, repair and restore
the functioning of forests, water catchments
and coasts now was what would best protect
those areas and their people from the climate
change impacts coming.
“We see this most graphically,
if tragically, in the case of disasters,”
Mr Leape said. “The communities conserving
their mangroves and inshore reefs are those
that have suffered least from waves and
storms and will suffer least from the more
severe and more frequent storms to come.
It is the rivers with functioning wetlands
that best absorb floods and have the reserves
needed in dry spells.”
Mr Leape urged congress
organisers and attendees to add their voices
to the pressure on Copenhagen climate decision-makers
to take bold action to reduce emissions
in OECD countries, and to provide robust
funding to developing countries for low-carbon
development, for reducing deforestation,and
for adaptation.
The leaders of the world’s
most powerful countries - in the G20 and
the G8 – need to commit to approaches that
recognise the rights of indigenous peoples
and forest communities during the forthcoming
climate negotiations Mr Leape said.
+ More
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
supports Earth Hour movement
20 Feb 2009 - Archbishop
Desmond Tutu has lent his voice to Earth
Hour’s global call for action on climate
change.
“Climate change is the
greatest human induced crisis facing the
world today. It is totally indiscriminate
of race, culture and religion. It affects
every human being on the planet,” said the
Archbishop.
With over 500 cities
in 75 countries already signed up to take
part in the lights out campaign, Earth Hour
2009 is anticipated to be one of the greatest
social movements the world has ever witnessed.
As the recipient of
the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for his work
in advocating civil rights equality, Desmond
Tutu knows better than most the power of
individuals uniting for a common cause.
“Earth Hour is an opportunity
for every man, woman and child from all
corners of the globe to come together with
a united voice and make a loud and powerful
statement on the issue of climate change,”
he said.
With new cities signing
up to the campaign every day, the support
of one of the world’s most respected figures
will resonate across the globe, ensuring
millions more people switch off their lights
for one hour at 8.30pm on 28 March.
Earth Hour 2009 aims
to empower citizens from all over the world
with the ability to voice their concern
on climate change. Essentially, it is the
world’s first global vote on the issue and
casting your vote is as easy as flicking
a switch.
Send a powerful message
to our world leaders in Copenhagen
With the world’s leaders
due to meet in December at the UN Climate
Change Conference in Copenhagen, the Archbishop
can see the importance and the potential
of Earth Hour 2009.
“If we all perform this
one simple act together, it will send a
message to our governments too powerful
for them to ignore. They will know the eyes
of the world are watching,” he said.
Earth Hour is a WWF
initiative that began in Sydney in 2007
as a one-city campaign, when over two million
people switched off their lights for one
hour. In 2008 the lights out campaign went
global, with over 50 million people in 371
cities, across 35 countries flicking the
switch. Earth Hour 2009 is well on the way
to reaching out to one billion people in
1,000 cities around the world.
Sign up to Earth Hour
today and "Vote Earth"
+ More
East meets West for
Earth Hour in over 500 cities
19 Feb 2009 - Number
of cities and towns signed up to Earth Hour
2009 exceeds 500
75 countries now committed
Global brands pledge support for the lights-out
campaign
The global call to action
on climate change has been answered from
east to west as a record 538 cities and
towns in 75 countries sign up to turn their
lights off at 8.30pm on 28 March for Earth
Hour 2009.
East meets west for
Earth Hour as icons such as the Merlion
in Singapore, Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights
and the Shanghai Hong Kong New World Tower,
unite with some of the Western world’s most
famous landmarks, including Paris’ Eiffel
Tower, Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio
de Janeiro, Sydney’s Opera House, Table
Mountain in Cape Town, CN Tower in Toronto
and Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Casino, to go dark.
Earth Hour Executive
Director Andy Ridley said the global growth
in support for Earth Hour has been phenomenal.
“In 2007, Earth Hour
was held in one city, Sydney. A year later,
the number of cities had skyrocketed to
371. With six weeks to go before Earth Hour
2009 we are well over the half-way mark
towards our goal of 1,000 cities and towns.
“Earth Hour is bringing
together the diverse peoples of the world
in a truly universal and unifying way. From
Auckland to Hawaii and Cape Town to St Petersburg,
people are coming together to vote with
their light switch for action on climate
change,” said Mr Ridley.
As the campaign continues
to gather pace, some of the world’s best
known brands are leading the call for action
from the business community.
“The business community
has an incredible ability and responsibility
to engage employees, customers and suppliers
to create a sustainable future for our planet,”
Mr Ridley said.
HSBC is supporting Earth
Hour by pledging to turn off lights in offices
in 33 countries around the globe. Swedish
furniture giant IKEA is running Earth Hour
awareness campaigns in its stores, not only
in its home country but as far away as China.
Global leader in commercial
real estate services, CB Richard Ellis,
is encouraging lights-out participation
in the more than 2.0 billion square feet
of buildings it manages in more than 50
countries. Leading professional services
firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, is providing
consultants across Asia Pacific and other
territories.
Boutique companies are
getting involved in creative ways, such
as luxury travel business Abercrombie &
Kent, which will be ensuring Earth Hour
is celebrated in some of the most remote
parts of Africa, including on wildlife reserves
and on the Nile.
“With the support of
businesses, countries and citizens globally,
Earth Hour 2009 can reach out to one billion
people voting with their light switch on
28 March for action on climate change,”
said Mr Ridley.
