Vulnerable countries & youth kick-off for climate justice at UN negotiations
25 May 2016
25th May – Bonn, Germany. Today Adriana Murillo Ruin, head of the Costa Rican delegation at the UNFCCC and representing a group of 43 nations vulnerable to climate impacts, took part in a footballing stunt with a German youth team at the UN climate negotiations, demonstrating the need for accelerated climate action to meet the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C degrees – a goal accepted by 196 countries in the historic Paris Agreement.
“The vulnerable groups suffer disproportionately the adverse impacts of climate change. Therefore the international agreement we adopted in Paris has the greatest potential for improving the enjoyment of fundamental human rights,” said Adriana Murillo Ruin who represents Costa Rica in the international climate process and whose country is a founding member of the Climate Vulnerable Forum. “Keeping warming to a minimum – to below 1.5C degrees – won’t simply deliver safety and prosperity, it will also deliver justice.”
The senior Costa Rican official was joined by young footballers from Preußen Bonn, E-Jugend and together they played a themed match: tackling global warming to limit it to 1.5C degrees or less, shooting for the long-term goal of 100% renewable energy, beating the fossil fuel opposition, and defending against the worst impacts of climate change like extreme storms and flooding. They were cheered on by environmental, youth and development groups alongside members of several national delegations.
“To stop this climate emergency we must all play in the same team. The world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and countries are being left on the sidelines, suffering the most for a crisis they did not cause in the first place,” said Sven Harmeling, Climate Change Advocacy Coordinator at CARE International, one of the event organisers. “CARE is working with vulnerable people and communities to help them become more resilient to growing climate disruption, but countries need to also live up to their Paris commitments.”
The footballing stunt reflects growing calls for an injection of ambition in national and international plans to tackle climate change, which come at a time when the opportunity to accelerate climate action is increasingly feasible and beneficial – new industry figures released today show the growing renewable energy sector now employs 8.1 million people worldwide.
“As the cost of renewable technologies hits record-low figures, achieving a 100% renewable energy economy is a natural step to limit global warming below 1.5C degrees,” explained Wael Hmaidan, Director at Climate Action Network International. “It makes no economic sense to invest in fossil fuels anymore.”
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Photos for use will be posted here:https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7a221o4g7u4zken/AAAkrT6MBARzy1rvRwCaA-F5a?dl=0
Periscope feed for live view:
https://www.periscope.tv/CANIntl
Contact:
Tierney Smith, Communications Manager, Global Call for Climate Action:
tierney.smith@tcktcktck.org
+447545255955
(For German Press Enquiries)
Sabine Wilke, Media Director, CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg:
wilke@care.de
+49(0)15114780598
Viivi Erkkilä, Climate Change Press and Communications Coordinator, CARE International: verkkila@careclimatechange.org
+447792454130
About:
Climate Action Network (CAN) is a global network of over 1100 NGOs working to promote government and individual action to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels. More at: www.climatenetwork.org
CARE International is a leading humanitarian organisation fighting global poverty and delivering lifesaving assistance in emergencies. In 90 countries around the world, CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women to equip them with the proper resources to lift their families and communities out of poverty. More at: www.careclimatechange.org
The Climate Vulnerable Forum is an international partnership of 43 nations from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific working to tackle global climate change through collaboration on common goals, communications and the sharing of expertise and experience. More at:http://www.thecvf.org
