Maybe the only real justice is what can be gained by the exercise of collective action, against the threats that capitalism and climate change pose to all of our lives, and for the creation of other forms of life outside of capitalism. In this vein, instead of worrying about conflicting definitions, maybe we should listen to the advice that Leonardo Cerdo gave us; “It doesn’t matter what we call it; what matters is how we take action.”
Debates continue about the legitimacy of the UN as an institution and its ability to solve the climate crises. While it is supposed to be a space for governments to reach an agreement, few remain hopeful Do you think that the UNFCC and that this can be achieved. More importantly, due to the COP process can be effectively inequalities in representation, power imbalances and used to bring about climate justice? corporate influence, the ‘inside’ debates are constrained within a business as usual framework. MeetIf so, how? ings behind closed doors, dismissal of proposals that are not market-oriented, manipulation of documents, powerful influences from corporate lobbies and mainstream NGOs, amongst others, are all key concerns with this now evidently undemocratic platform. So should social movements reject the UN? And if we dismiss the only official international negotiating space with the power (at least in theory) to regulate polluting industries, how can these practices be halted?
7b. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - Tool for Change?
Achieving climate justice is widely understood to be impossible through institutional means. Fabricio Guamán, referring to the UN and COP processes, said; “The outcomes of these conferences and accords will always be in the interests of the companies who are behind them, that’s why I am convinced that they cannot reach climate justice. Another reason why they will not bring climate justice is the problem of participation; it is difficult to participate in decisions made at this level, and governments in the South like Ecuador do not have the same power or influence as for example governments like the United States. More strongly put, I believe they work against climate justice.” Of those we spoke to in Cochabamba almost everyone responded definitively that the UN process will not be useful in bringing about climate justice. As Soumitra Ghosh stated, “Climate Justice is only possible through effective people’s processes that do not depend upon inter-governmental and corporate shows”. Years of failing climate negotiations have led people to lose hope in these processes, and many now see them as acting only to expand the capitalist system. Severino Sharupe told us these institutions and processes make it incapable of creating real solutions; “The UN is not trustable. The people inside the UN have the same worldviews that the movements are trying to challenge, this makes it impossible that it can be an institution that brings any change.” So how is the UN acting to reinforce this worldview? Colin Rajah points to the structures of inequality between the ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ countries embedded within these processes: “The richer countries are really controlling the process in such a way that any changes that are made are going to be incremental at best, and we’ve seen that happening in Copenhagen.” However, this issue is
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