People Power Now

The 'People Power Now' manifesto, published by Friends of the Earth International, outlines ten demands for a just transition of the global energy system. It argues that the current capitalist economic model has caused biodiversity collapse, the climate crisis, and extreme inequality, which were further highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The document calls for a systemic shift away from neoliberalism and fossil fuel dependency toward a people-centered energy system based on energy sufficiency, democratic control, and social justice.

• The document advocates for treating energy as a common good and a basic human right rather than a commodity, emphasizing that energy systems should prioritize human needs over corporate profit. It notes that nearly 800 million people, mostly in the global South, currently lack access to electricity.
• Energy sufficiency is proposed as a necessary goal to end the overconsumption of energy by the global North and the corporate elite. The text highlights a stark carbon inequality where the richest 1% of the population have emitted twice as much carbon as the poorest 3.5 billion people.
• The manifesto asserts that rich countries in the global North bear a significant historical responsibility for climate change and must provide climate finance to the global South. It suggests that this finance could be sourced by redirecting military spending, taxing the rich, and ending tax havens, claiming that ending tax havens alone could power half the world with 100% renewable energy in under twenty years.
• A transition to 100% renewable energy is demanded, which includes a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels and an immediate end to new projects involving nuclear power, mega dams, industrial agrofuels, biomass, and waste-to-energy incineration.
• The document calls for the prioritization of small-scale, decentralized, and locally appropriate renewable technologies controlled democratically by communities and municipalities to increase resilience and protect biodiversity.
• Energy sovereignty and democracy are defined as shifting the ownership and control of energy systems from corporations to the people. This includes ensuring that decision-making processes are inclusive of marginalized voices, including women, Indigenous and peasant women, and LBTQ women.
• A just transition must protect the rights and livelihoods of millions of workers in the energy, transport, and agricultural sectors. The manifesto opposes bailouts for transnational corporations, particularly those in mining, fossil fuels, and agribusiness, during pandemic recovery.
• The manifesto links climate justice to the dismantling of all systems of oppression, including patriarchy, racism, and classism. It specifically calls for the creation of free public care systems to end the disproportionate burden of care work placed on women.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (n.d.). People Power Now. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/09-FoEI-PPN-manifesto-summary-A5-12-pager-ENG-lr-hyperlinks.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. People Power Now. n.d. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/09-FoEI-PPN-manifesto-summary-A5-12-pager-ENG-lr-hyperlinks.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=People Power Now |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/09-FoEI-PPN-manifesto-summary-A5-12-pager-ENG-lr-hyperlinks.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternationalndpeople, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{People Power Now}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/09-FoEI-PPN-manifesto-summary-A5-12-pager-ENG-lr-hyperlinks.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }