Episode 5: Climate justice NOW - what's next for the movements?

 

It is time to wrap up our climate justice series, but not before we hear from another two amazing women who have a long history of climate activism - from the inside and the outside. In this last episode we look back on what we have heard and look forward on what's next for the movements. We ask where are we at with climate justice and what action is most needed today to turn the tide. Get ready to be challenged by these two powerhouses:

Tasneem Essop is the director of CAN International, one of the biggest global climate networks with over 1500 organizations. She started out as an anti-apartheid activist and served as Provincial Minister in South Africa. She was the head of climate policy and strategy at WWF and served as Head of Delegation at the Paris climate negotiations. She is the Founding Director of the Energy Democracy Initiative in South Africa and a Commissioner in the National Planning Committee. Above all, she is a sharp analyst that spoke of the link between climate and poverty long before this was widely recognized, thinks strategically, and is not afraid to be bold when it comes to what's needed for global justice. Which is just what we need I think!

Farhana Yamin is a renowned environmental lawyer, public speaker and climate activist, who has been a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and adviced Climate Vulnerable Countries in the negotiations. She played a major role in important achievements of the Paris agreement but got frustrated with mainstream climate politics and decided to join movements for more radical action. As a political coordinator with Extinction Rebellion she glued herself to the Shell Headquarters and got rebels to meet with UK decision-makers. She also helped build several community-based intiatives for local climate action, including in her home area of Camden. Farhana is refreshingly open and aware of her shifts in thinking on how change happens, and vocal in what she would like to see from others. Challenging and inspiring!

We heard a lot on inside/outside strategies, movement building and learning from history in the first four episodes, so it was exciting to dive deeper into these questions with two women that have an incredible legacy of climate justice work. Tasneem and Farhana have very different histories but both challenge the way many have been working in the climate space. They give very specific examples of what can be done for radical inclusion and transforming power, which is what climate justice is ultimately about. 

Check out the episode on your usual channels of via this link & hear what Tasneem and Farhana have to say on how to get urgent climate action that is also just!