WWF charity has told an emergency human rights congress in London to take action on climate change as is becomes central to achieving a sustainable world.
The human rights congress has been brought together to develop guidelines for protecting human rights and is under the patronage of Cherie Blair and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In their address to the congress, the WWF stressed that action on climate change will not be effective across the globe unless it is also fair.
WWF International Director, James Leape, said –
We have a clear correlation between climate wrongs and human rights. 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, on the fringes of floodplains or shores of coral seas count heavily among those who will suffer the most from climate change, have the least power in international negotiations and who will need the most support as we go through this year to the Copenhagen Climate conference.
Mr Leape also urged congress members to put pressure on the Copenhagen climate decision makers to reduce emissions and provide funding to developing countries for low carbon development.
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.
