Greens rebuke false solutions from world leaders, call for a Global Green New Deal

WASHINGTON — The Green Party of the United States said today that the COP26 world climate summit in Glasgow failed to produce the radical action scientists say is needed to avoid climate collapse, and that the only way for humanity to prevent catastrophe for life on Earth is a global Green New Deal.

Green Party of the United States
www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Contact:

Michael O’Neil, Communications Manager, [email protected], 202-804-2758
Diana C. Brown, Co-chair, Media Committee, [email protected], 202-804-2758
Philena Farley, Co-chair, Media Committee, [email protected], 202-804-2758

“The world’s political leaders in Glasgow paid lip service to the need for effective climate action while working behind closed doors to protect the profits of fossil fuel companies and their own campaign contributions. Led by President Biden, the industrial polluters most responsible for the climate crisis continued to refuse to accept their responsibility for climate reparations to the countries most damaged by burning fossil fuels. The U.S. worked with China and India to weaken the language related to moving away from coal plants and subsidies for fossil fuels,” said Green Party National Co-Chair Chris Stella.

With over 25 years of COP gatherings failing to produce real climate solutions, the Green Party said direct action by climate organizers is needed to halt fossil fuel use. “We have no reason to believe corporate-funded politicians — especially from the U.S. — will voluntarily act to provide future generations with a chance for decent lives,” said Green Party National Co-Chair Margaret Elisabeth.

Media coverage called Glasgow the “Last Chance COP”, referring to the scant years left to prevent global heating from exceeding 1.5 C (2.7 F). The most optimistic reading of the Glasgow pledges have the world on track for 2.4 C (4.3 F) of heating (though prior pledges have almost never been fulfilled). The climate crisis is already happening and getting worse, as extreme weather events become more frequent with massive hurricanes, flooding, drought, wildfires, and heatwaves.

As the COP26 coalition pointed out, "the needs of poorer countries have been kicked to the curb", in favor of appeasing the hugely over-represented fossil fuel lobbyists. The Climate Justice Alliance said the final COP26 statements showed “an utter disregard of the science and equity, false ambition and disdain for justice, and a license to pollute with NetZero and carbon markets.” False climate “solutions” such as carbon trading and offsets, carbon capture and storage, and market-based mechanisms were included.

"This mix of costly, unproven, and even non-existent technologies provide political cover for big polluters to continue business as usual at the expense of the world's most vulnerable people," said Green Party of Florida Co-Chair and candidate for Florida State Representative (District 46) Robin Harris.

“Solving the climate crisis requires wholescale system change: a Green New Deal that combines a rapid transition to zero greenhouse gas emissions and 100% clean renewable energy with investments in social programs such as health care, living wage jobs, education and housing. We need to create a different world where the focus is on meeting the common needs,” said Mark Dunlea, co-chair of the Green Party’s EcoAction Committee.

The Green Party’s outline for meeting the challenge presented by the climate crisis includes:

• short-term, mandatory actions with timelines and goals targeting the next five to ten years, not 2050 or later
• include military greenhouse gas emissions, which account for 6% worldwide, in accounting and mandates for cuts
• creating an energy system that embraces the concept of public ownership and democratic control
• immediate declaration of a climate emergency by the president, following the type of leadership provided when President Roosevelt took control of the American economy after the attack on Pearl Harbor

The Green Party, as the only national party in the United States that does not accept corporate funding, has called for Congress to fund a $2.7 trillion annual investment in climate action instead of Biden's Build Back Better plan. Biden’s plan has shrunk to $55 billion per year in climate investments after corporate-funded members of Congress have killed many of the most important parts of the bill.

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