Action Everywhere
What a time! September saw the huge #PeoplesClimate mobilisations around the world change the story on climate change: people are standing up and fighting. 2646 events from 162 countries, including the biggest-ever climate marches in New York, Paris and plenty more places besides. You can see photos from Greens around the world here. Governments on the other hand are nowhere near doing what's needed. According to the European Greens, the European Union has abdicated climate leadership with the weak targets it has adopted.Just this week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns again of 'severe, pervasive and irreversible effects on people and ecosystems' if climate change goes unchecked. The future can be brighter -- but we need political will.
In other news, the Swedish Greens have entered government with ‘a radical environmental agenda’ (great!), the Australians are out campaigning for the climate in the lead up to the G20 meeting, and Greens from Togo to Florida are tackling dangerous waste. Greens have also contested elections in Brazil, New Zealand, Bolivia and Canada. Read more below.
News in brief
Next stops Brisbane, Lima. On 15-16 November, G20 leaders meet in Brisbane, Australia. As host, the Australian government sets the agenda -- it looks as if climate change will be relegated to a sub-paragraph in the official communique even though G20 countries cause 80% of global greenhouse gas pollution and own most of the world's coal. The world's governments will meet in Peru from 1-12 December to continue negotiations towards a binding global agreement on climate change. Global Greens will be there - more details in the next GG News.
Bas Eickhout, europarlementariër voor GroenLinks, is dit jaar de nummer 1 van de Duurzame 100 van Trouw. Hij werd door een jury gekozen uit een lijst van meer dan 400 personen die in het afgelopen jaar hebben bijgedragen aan het duurzamer maken van Nederland.
Colleen Hartland, Victorian Greens MP in Western Melbourne (Australia), has written about how her working-class roots led her to the Greens. The Victorian Greens are coming to the end of a huge state election campaign. Read more
Young Greens from Kenya and Norway are working together for climate justice. Meet four young women committed to learning from each other and bringing inspiration to people along the way. Read more
The Federation of Young European Greens is calling for young people across Europe to attend an alternative climate conference in Brussels this December. Read more
We loved this story about Miljöpartiet de gröna entering national government in Sweden for the first time with ‘a radical environmental agenda’. Hear more from the Swedish Green Party below.
Free Trade is not Fair Trade. The Global Young Greens supported the European day of action against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership on 11 October and oppose all 'free' trade agreements that favour corporations at the expense of social and environmental laws. Read moreAFRICA
Environmental migration, climate change and the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals
Climate change adds new complexity to the interdependency between migration and the environment. Rwanda, Kenya and other African countries have experienced dramatic impacts from drought and famine leading to environmental migration in the last decade. Environmental migration is a transnational issue that requires structured dialogue between Africa and Europe and a coherent policy on migration and climate change including investment in the Green Climate Fund. Read moreLe Parti Vert de Guinée face au changement climatique
Le PVG dans sa constitution stipule que chaque guinéen a droit à l'eau fraîche, à l'air pur et le toit sur la tête. Les guinéens aspirent au bonheur, à la paix et à la sécurité. Le parti dans son souci de promouvoir la sécurité est beaucoup concerné par le changement climatique en Guinée. La sécurité du citoyen est mise en danger avec le changement dramatique du climat.The Guinea Green Party defends the right to enjoy fresh water, clean air and a home. Guineans wish to live in happiness, peace and security. The party is very concerned about climate change in Guinea. Our citizens' safety is in danger with the dramatic change in climate. Read more (French)
La problématique de la gestion des sachets plastiques non-biodégradables au Togo
La gestion des sachets plastiques non biodégradables au Togo est un « casse chinois » que nous pourrons désormais appeler un « casse-tête togolais ». En effet, depuis bientôt un quart de siècle, l'utilisation des sachets plastiques non biodégradables comme emballage est devenue un des éléments récurrent dans le vécu quotidien de la plupart des togolaises et togolais tout strate de niveau de vie confondu. A travers cet article, nous allons tenter d'apporter quelques approches de réponses.Management of non-biodegradable plastic bags in Togo is a "Chinese puzzle" that we can now call a "Togo puzzle". Indeed, for nearly a quarter century the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags has become part of the daily lives of most Togolese. In this article we suggest some approaches for responding to this issue. Read more (French)
AMERICAS
Reflexión sobre los resultados de las elecciones en Brazil, Octubre 2014
Con las manifestaciones callejeras de junio de 2013, sin precedentes en la historia del país, los analistas políticos afirmaban que las elecciones de octubre de 2014 podrían sufrir las consecuencias del fuerte deseo de cambio y protestas que han sido manifestados por las personas en las calles. Los verdes han elegido ocho diputados federales (frente a catorce en la elecciones de 2010). Un profundo análisis aún queda por hacer, pero la ola conservadora es claramente un factor negativo para el resultado de los verdes.After the unprecedented street protests seen in June 2013 in Brazil, political analysts expected October 2014 elections to be shaped by the desire for change that was palpable on the streets. However, protests gave way to a strong conservative wave, as a result of which the Greens got 8 MPs (compared with 14 in 2010). Read more (Spanish)
Green Party notables win office in municipal elections in Canada
Greens in Canada are contesting and winning local government elections. David Chernuschenko, Mark MacKenzie and Treat Hull all won seats although not permitted to run as official Green Party candidates. The next test for the Greens is on 15 November in British Columbia where the Greens can officially present candidates. Read moreElections in Bolivia
The Green Party of Bolivia contested the elections held on 12 October, one of only five parties permitted to run. Evo Morales won in a landslide with 61% of the vote. The Greens gained a creditable 2.7% and are now a respected player in national politics. Read moreASIA / PACIFIC
Greens third party in New Zealand
Despite the swing to right-wing parties in New Zealand's recent election, the Greens held all 14 of the seats they captured at the previous election, when they increased their presence in parliament from nine to 14 seats. Read moreTaking the power back on climate change in Australia
The Australian Greens have employed innovative strategies to deliver concrete outcomes on climate change. The new challenge posed by Tony Abbott's ultra-conservative Liberal Party government is the latest opportunity to affirm the power of data-driven grassroots campaigning and smart negotiation in parliament. Read moreClimate action in the Indian State of Uttarakhand
Workshops held by India's Uttarakhand Parivartan Party as part of the Global Greens climate campaign in September produced the 'Dehradun Resolution on Climate Change' appealing to the world's leadership to commit itself to climate change mitigation. Amongst other things the resolution says: the welfare of living beings has to be strengthened as part and parcel of the ecological system; there has to be a balance between consumption and production; it is very important not to haphazardly withdraw energy subsidies in developing countries; and western societies have to take a lead in reducing consumption. Read moreEUROPE
Swedish Greens in Government
The Swedish Green Party for the first time ever has formed government with the Social Democratic Party following the elections on 14 September. Six out of 24 ministers are Green and the Statement of Government Policy has clear Green imprints. Greens will also be part of the ruling coalition in Sweden's five major cities. Congratulations to the Swedish Greens on this exciting achievement. Read moreGreens in the European Parliament On the Move
The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament, are willing to make this growing desire for an energy and ecological transition bigger and bigger so that the policy-makers who negotiate our future finally take concrete and ambitious measures. Watch this short inspiring video. Watch the videoSNIPPETS
Global Greens climate action
Greens around the world took up the call to be part of the global day of climate action on 21 September 2014. Go to this map compiled by Keli Yen (Asia Pacific Greens Federation) to see more about who did what where. Read more"A campaign of hope and aspiration"
The Scottish Greens campaigned hard for independence in the referendum on 18 September 2014. Co-convener Patrick Harvie: "In the Green Yes campaign we sought to give a distinctive vision of Scotland as a beacon of social, economic and environmental progress. I argued that Scottish independence was far more likely to deliver that vision than the backward-looking and increasingly broken British state centred on Westminster." They have reaped a phenomal membership surge subsequently. Read moreTampa Greens - campaigning to ban plastic bags
In Florida, USA, it is illegal for local governments to ban plastic bags. Tampa Greens are campaigning to overturn the law and restrict free plastic bags in supermarkets. Read moreTake the Jump - Become a FROGG
Help the Global Greens grow into a movement with real clout. Join the Friends of the Global Greens (FROGG) by making a regular monthly donation. Large or small, it doesn't matter -- every bit helps. Read more
Disclaimer. Views expressed in GG News are those of the authors, not necessarily of the Global Greens.
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