On June 26 in Germany, the G7—the US, Germany, France, Canada, the UK, Italy, Japan and the EU—will meet to discuss sustainability, economic stability and a better collective future. Please sign the letter asking the G7 leaders to steer ur to safety during these deeply troubling times.
(The piece is sourced from materials produced by Citizens’ Climate Lobby for its letter signing campaign.)
Dear Leaders of the G7
Letter: The word government comes from the Latin word “gubernare” which means “to steer”. The primary duty of our governments is to create policies that will steer us away from danger both immediate and long term. These policies must be rooted in a human-rights and gender-justice framework.
We are in danger. The three recent IPCC reports warn unequivocally that human activity is creating climate change and the impacts will be catastrophic unless rapid and drastic actions are taken within the next 8 years. These impacts are already frequent and severe and will continue to hit hardest those who least contribute to the climate crisis.
At this critical moment, you have the power to transform our global economy and create a resilient and equitable world. Since the energy crisis of the early 1970s, you have been building the economic and social frameworks to steer us to safety at times of crisis. We can and must transform our economies away from fossil fuels at wartime speed.
Steer Us to Safety Now
To protect us all from climate catastrophe, the G7 leaders must:
- Rapidly redirect financial flows away from fossil fuels and towards an equitable and resilient future. These policies must align with the Net Zero Scenario from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
- Negotiate the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to complement the Paris Agreement and financially support a rapid, equitable and managed phase-out of fossil fuels.
- Finance successful adaptation and resilience measures to keep vulnerable communities safe from preventable harm.
We are in a Code Red emergency. There is a narrow window of opportunity for successful climate resilient development; we have no time to lose. Every action you take could save millions of lives. This is your moment. History has its eyes on all of you.
Sign the Letter
Our world is on the edge of chaos, a place that feels terrifyingly unstable, but it’s also the place where real change can happen. We have a very narrow opportunity to avert climate catastrophe. Will the G7 deliver this time?
“We need a north star to outshine the craving for stability,” says Tony Seba in the Rethinking Humanity video.
Links to IPCC Reports:
Climate Change 2021 – The Physical Science Basis
Climate Change 2022 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
Climate Change 2022 – Mitigation of Climate Change
ICYMI:
It’s Time To Stop Fixing the Old and Start Building the New
Big Oil Reality Check: Failure To Meet Bare Minimum On Climate
Glimmer of Climate Hope With a Mix of Cautious Optimism
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