Sri Lankan Civil society statement on COP 26

Sri Lankan Civil society statement on COP 26 1. The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference. It is scheduled to be held in the city of Glasgow, Scotland between 31 October and 12 November 2021. 2. Goals of this year’s conference will be to: i) Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach ii) Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats iii) Mobilize finances by developed countries, international financial institutions, public and private sector corporations to deliver above two goals iv) Enhance collaboration between governments, businesses and civil society to deliver. 3. Current climate crises is a result of the capitalist development model which was promoted by the same so called ‘developed countries’, International Financial Institutions and Corporations over the years. Failures of the plans developed by these actors to address the climate crises, while promoting the same development model, is been evident more than ever today. The global leaders, who prioritize profit accumulation over the wellbeing of people and planet, have lost their legitimacy to lead a genuine solution to address the current crises. 4. So as civil society organization and social movements which represents small scale producers, workers, women and rights of all other life forms would like to call for a new deal which will be led by the people whose rights being violated by the current dominant economic, development model and being forced to face the brunt of the negative impacts of the crises. 5. Being an island nation with a majority of its populations depends on natural resources for their livelihoods, Sri Lanka, especially food producers and local communities, have been experiencing severe negative impacts of the climate change over the years. Drought, excessive rains, untimely rainfall, shift of seasons, and pests and diseases have resulted crop destructions and yield reductions in all the major crops. Loss of harvest due to biomass decrease in the sea with the rise of sea levels and marine heat waves have made serious negative impact on fisheries. With the drop of income due to these negative effects of climate change, farmers and fishermen are suffering from increased poverty. As a result they are abandoning their traditional livelihoods and migrating to cities and becoming wage labourers for their survival making the food systems extremely vulnerable. 6. But our development projects and economic policies continues to destroy our environmental systems and local livelihoods. Governments increased interest on releasing thousands of hectares of lands for environmentally unsustainable large scale monocarp farming for the large corporations have already made adverse effects on environment and climate change. Government’s recent decision of approving an over 40,000 hectare aloe vera cultivation in the rice growing heartland of the country (Rajanaganaya in Anuradhapura District in North Central Province) in the buffer zone of the largest national park in the country (Wilpaththu) without any Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is just one such actions. Government’s decision of revoking the previous circulars which had declared nearly 500,000 hectares as ‘Other state forests’ and transferring the administration of these lands from the Forest Department to district and divisional secretariats to be released them for the development purposes made a big shock among all the parties concerned about climate change. Unplanned and unsustainable development project all over the country has been destroying the natural environmental systems and livelihoods of local communities. 7. As civil society organizations who represents the communities most affected by the negative impacts of climate change, we recognize and support Government of Sri Lanka’s efforts in mobilizing support and finances during the upcoming COP 26 Summit. As a country which has been experiencing some of the worst forms of climate change impacts the people in Sri Lanka, especially the rural producers, deserves more support from international community so they can protect and rebuild their lives and livelihoods. 8. But we fear that if Government continues with its mainstream development agenda, which is directed towards the exploitation of natural resources and destruction of local livelihoods, we will not be able to achieve the desired results of whatever climate financing or any other support we receive. We would like to remind developed countries and international financial institutions, that the development model they have pushed on us has caused this destruction and made us vulnerable. 9. If we are to face the challenges created by climate change, we need a complete transformation of our development approach. We need a development system which prioritize the protection of local livelihoods and enhancement of regenerative capacities of our environmental systems in place of profit maximization. 10. We need our economic, development and social policies to recognize and protect right for healthy and safe environment as a basic human right. Local communities whose livelihoods are based on environmental systems should be recognized as a key stakeholder in developing and implementing any policy or program. This should not lead to the dispossession of them from their resources, but support them in developing their livelihoods in environmentally sustainable manner. Voices of marginalized groups, such as women, ethnic minorities, and indigenous people should be ensured an equal space within the process of developing and implementing the policy. 11. We demand reforms in our agriculture system by changing focus from monocrop agro corporations in expense destroying local food systems. Moving towards agro ecology, replacing agro chemicals is an urgent need and should be done with a longer term vision and comprehensive plan. 12. Without such a comprehensive reform in our overall development, economic and social policy, ad hoc climate financing will not only be ineffective, but will lead in to the commodification of our natural resources and transfer them to the hands of private ownership for profit extraction. 13. So we demand the Government of Sri Lanka to immediately initiate a process of overall transformation of our development and economic policy to address the challenges of the climate change and other environmental destructions. Such a process should ensure the equal participation of local communities, especially the most vulnerable groups such as women, small scale producers, rural workers and ethnic minorities, in every level of decision making and implementation processes. 14. Finally we once again reaffirm that developed countries, International Financial Institutions and other development partners have no right to finance or push the current model of development, which is a main reason for the current crises. They should allow and support the people in third world countries like Sri Lanka, to develop their own development model which protects the rights of every living being on this earth.