Climate Justice and Energy
NOAH is fighting against current inequalities worsened by the climate crisis. The effects of climate change are felt most acutely by people who are the least responsible for causing the problems, and that must change now.
What are our goals?
- We want to raise awareness about climate injustice, and about the state of urgency we are facing.
- We want to provide clear behavioral alternatives for people : alternatives solutions do exist.
- We want to reduce superfluous consumption through a clear focus on environmentally friendly consumption.
- We want to build a movement for Climate Justice by being involved and organizing small-scale and larger-scale actions.
What do we mean by Climate Justice?
The communities in the global South are bearing the burden of rich countries' overconsumption of our planet's resources. Climate justice means addressing the climate crisis whilst also making progress towards equality for everyone, and furthermore the protection of human rights. It means understanding the necessity to act right now, today, to increase the awareness of the state of urgency that many people around the world are already impacted by, in which livelihoods are being destroyed at this very moment. It means the right to development and growth in the Global South, whilst being balanced by decreased growth and consumption and fair use of resources in the Global North.
How do we take action?
Real solutions to climate change and climate justice are available. First and foremost, we need a system change; the system is locking individuals into unjust behavior. Further, we must reduce consumption, choose sustainable locally-produced food and energy (e.g community owned energy) and enjoy the non-materialistic sides of life more. Together, we can build a movement for climate justice for all!
- Power to the people: citizens are not solely passive consumers. We believe that a Sustainable Transition is not possible without the engagement of the citizens. We work actively to increase the possibilities and establishment of community-owned energy systems.
- Climate Justice is driven by the need to reduce superfluous consumption. This can happen only by creating an understanding of the issues among the people. Through outreach events, we discuss consumption and resource-use patterns with interested citizens.
- We need real solutions: Biomass and biofuels are NOT part of the solution for the future - when used at a large-scale, it is everything BUT sustainable. We work actively to break with the imperative that biofuel is renewable and sustainable energy.
Some figures about the unjust impacts:
- The poorest 3.5 billion are only responsible for 10 % of greenhouse gas emissions.
- 20% of the population has emitted 70% of the CO2 emissions since 1800.
- Average emission of the richest 1 % is 175 times higher than that of the poorest 10 %. 1
- Because of global warming, people are forced to leave their homes and communities, as climate refugees.