From 31 October, world leaders and experts will meet in Glasgow at the global climate talks, COP26. Over thirteen days, they will discuss and negotiate our future. While they bring their sponsors from big tech, big pharma and agribusiness, we’re getting organised to bring climate justice. 

Inequality. Precarious jobs. Corruption. Weather extremes. Conflicts. Energy poverty. These multiple crises are all intertwined and have the same cause: a capitalist system based on extreme competition and inequality, with no consideration for the limited resources and sinkholes of the biosphere. 

“The richest 10 percent of people produce half of the planet’s individual-consumption-based fossil fuel emissions, while the poorest 50 percent — about 3.5 billion people — contribute only 10 percent. The principles of climate justice are central to how we approach climate action, ensuring that the transition is fair and leaves no one behind. I do not see those in charge making sensible policy decisions. Quite the contrary, the leaders and multinational corporations are guilty of gross negligence. To fight climate change, we must break with market logic and the dogma of perpetual growth”, said MEP Manon Aubry.  

“Climate action needs to be about public investment, not austerity. A radical socio-ecological change must be the basis of all political action”, said Martin Schirdewan. “To achieve the Paris Agreement and climate neutrality goals, all sectors of the economy need to be transformed and equitable. The EU must make Just Transition a policy approach, not just a fund. In practice this means improving living and working conditions, promoting local production, supporting technical retraining of workers, tackling unemployment through training and education and establishing programmes that focus on sustainable jobs adapted to the future.”

The Left in the European Parliament supports the demands of the Cop26 coalition, a network of environment and development NGOs, trade unions, grassroots community campaigns, migrant organisations and many others. A delegation of eight MEP will join the People’s summit at the COP26 and liaise with stakeholders from civil society organisations. 

From 5 to 8 November, a delegation of Left MEP will be at the COP26. For Media inquiries reach out to:
Sonja Giese +4915904186847
Riccardo D’Emidio +393319123261

Note: Martin Schirdewan and Manon Aubry are Co-Presidents of The Left in the European Parliament, a political group made up of 39 MEPs from 14 European countries.