Read the full proposal by Oilwatch ‘Annex Zero’ here.
The NGO Oilwatch provides a critique of the traditional makeup of international climate politics and, in particular, of the UN Climate Change Convention. The Convention divides the worlds into states in which, broadly speaking, the Global North is permitted to continue its extraction and pollution so long as it provides technology and political pressure upon the Global South to reduce their emissions.
This division, between Annexes I, II and ‘Non-Annex-I’, permits existing unsustainable emissions and entrenches the international neocolonial status-quo. Moreover, it ignores and undermines the efforts of those who do not fall into these categories – indigenous peoples and nations, regional groups and local communities. These actors are often at the forefront of tackling climate change – whether it be through cooperatives or maintenance of low-carbon lifestyles and livelihoods – despite being those most affected by the impacts of a rapidly changing climate.
This proposal and international call seeks to have such groups recognised, protected and encouraged by the Convention and provides reasoning, toolkits, initiatives, incentives and counter-incentives.
