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This report by Friends of the Earth International critiques the international climate negotiation process leading up to COP 17 in Durban. It argues that rich industrialized nations are avoiding their historical responsibility by promoting voluntary pledges and carbon market mechanisms rather than legally binding emission cuts. The document calls for a systemic shift away from neoliberal economic models toward climate justice, demanding radical domestic emission reductions, public financing for the Global South, and the protection of indigenous and local community rights.

Friends of the Earth International calls for a transition away from a neoliberal economic model and the rejection of market-based climate solutions. The report emphasizes the moral and legal obligation of rich nations to lead emission cuts and provide public funding for adaptation and mitigation in the Global South, while warning against the risks of carbon markets and the 'Green Economy' framework if it ignores social justice.

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) critiques the outcomes of the COP15 (Copenhagen) and subsequent climate negotiations leading up to COP17 (Durban). It argues that the international community is failing to address the climate crisis due to a reliance on voluntary pledges and market-based mechanisms rather than legally binding emissions reductions. The document calls for a systemic shift away from neoliberalism and fossil fuels toward a 'genuine green economy' based on climate justice, historical responsibility of industrialized nations, and the protection of indigenous and local community rights.

The document outlines a framework for climate equity, asserting that developed nations owe an ecological debt to developing nations due to historical overconsumption. It advocates for a global carbon budget apportioned by responsibility, capacity, and the right to sustainable societies, while calling for a systemic shift away from neoliberalism toward community-owned energy and agroecology to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The factsheet defines Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) as national climate plans proposed by governments for the Paris agreement. It criticizes current pledges from developed countries as insufficient and narrow in scope, often ignoring adaptation and historical responsibility. The document advocates for a 'fair shares' approach, which involves setting a global carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5°C and dividing that budget among nations based on their responsibility and capacity, rather than relying on self-proposed contributions.

The guide critiques the agribusiness investment model, highlighting how bilateral investment treaties and mechanisms like Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) prioritize corporate profits over state sovereignty and environmental protections. It details the negative impacts of industrial agriculture, including land grabbing, biodiversity loss, and high greenhouse gas emissions. As an alternative, the document promotes agroecology led by small-scale food producers, citing evidence that such methods can increase crop yields and enhance climate resilience while supporting food sovereignty.

The document advocates for a global carbon budget distributed according to historical responsibility, capacity, and the right to sustainable societies. It asserts that developed countries owe a climate debt to developing nations and must provide funding and technology without intellectual property restrictions. It calls for a systemic shift away from neoliberalism and fossil fuels toward community-owned renewable energy and agroecology to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The fact sheet critiques the INDC process, noting that many developed nations have submitted insufficient commitments that focus solely on mitigation while ignoring adaptation and historical responsibility. It argues that allowing countries to self-determine their contributions risks a global temperature increase of 4 to 6°C. As an alternative, it advocates for a 'fair share' system where a global carbon budget is allocated based on responsibility, capacity, and the right to sustainable societies, supporting a broader energy revolution focused on justice and community-owned renewables.

The document describes climate change as a result of an industrial development model dependent on fossil fuels and environmental destruction. It highlights the disproportionate responsibility of wealthy nations and the severe vulnerability of poor regions, particularly Africa. The text argues that government inaction is driven by the influence of powerful corporations and calls for a systemic shift toward renewable energy, forest protection, and sustainable food systems, while demanding that rich nations pay their 'climate debt' to poorer countries.

The document advocates for a transition to a low-carbon economy centered on social justice and human rights. It criticizes current climate policies for being too narrow and failing to address the systemic causes of the climate crisis, such as corporate greed and inequality. The text calls for a transition that ensures the rights of workers and marginalized groups are protected and that the costs of the transition do not fall on the poor.

The document defines climate equity as the fair sharing of the global carbon budget, emphasizing that developed countries bear a 'historical responsibility' due to their past emissions and resource exploitation. It advocates for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, which requires an immediate revolution in energy, food, and transport systems. The text calls for a 'system change' over mere climate change, proposing a transition away from neoliberalism and fossil fuels toward community-controlled renewable energy and agroecology, while urging the UN to enforce equitable responsibility among nations.

The document critiques the INDC process, noting that current commitments from developed nations are inadequate and often ignore adaptation, finance, and loss and damage. It argues that allowing countries to self-determine their contributions cannot guarantee the global effort needed to limit warming to 1.5°C. Instead, it proposes a "fair shares" approach, which involves establishing a global carbon budget and dividing it among countries based on their historical responsibility, capacity, and right to a sustainable society.

The report advocates for climate justice, asserting that wealthy nations bear a historical responsibility for emissions and must provide financial and technological support to developing regions. It critiques market-based mechanisms like carbon credits and biofuels, labeling them as 'false solutions' that protect corporate profits while harming local communities and ecosystems. The text provides specific examples of climate impacts in Nigeria, Kiribati, and the Himalayas, and proposes a transition for Europe toward a low-carbon society based on drastic emission reductions and lifestyle changes.

Friends of the Earth International argues that the COVID-19 pandemic shares root causes with climate and biodiversity crises, stemming from a capitalist and neoliberal system. The organization proposes a recovery based on four principles: abandoning neoliberalism and austerity in favor of state-guaranteed rights; enhancing multilateral cooperation and international solidarity, including Global South debt cancellation; strengthening democracy and human rights; and pursuing a transformative system change that shifts from industrial agriculture and fossil fuel dependency toward food sovereignty and community-owned renewable energy.

Friends of the Earth International provides a template letter for organizations to urge embassies to pressure the Brazilian government to investigate the murders of activist Bruno Araújo Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips in the Vale do Javari indigenous territory. The document highlights the high risk faced by human rights and territorial defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically citing threats against the Union of Indigenous Organizations of Vale do Javari (UNIVAJA). It calls for the identification of the perpetrators, punishment for those invading indigenous territories, and the guarantee of territorial rights and self-determination for Indigenous peoples in Brazil.

The document argues that community-based forest governance (CFG) is essential for halting unprecedented forest destruction, which it attributes to consumerism, unfair distribution of goods, and colonial legacies. It defines CFG as the collective regulations and practices used by communities for the conservation and sustainable use of forests, contrasting this with 'forest science' models that often facilitate devastation. The report identifies key characteristics of successful CFG, including clear boundary definition, traditional resource knowledge, and participatory regulation. It highlights the critical role of women, who often possess distinct knowledge of non-timber forest products and water protection, and emphasizes that their inclusion is vital for holistic governance. Through various case studies, the document illustrates the struggle for land tenure and the impact of industrial pressures, such as palm oil in Indonesia and pulp production in Brazil. It further critiques the role of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and environmental services markets, arguing that the commodification of nature often privatizes heritage and marginalizes the poor. Finally, it links forest conservation to food sovereignty, public health, and disaster resilience, proposing a shift toward local production and fair timber markets.

The document argues that the Global Biodiversity Framework must be based on binding norms rather than voluntary commitments and must address the structural economic drivers of biodiversity loss. It advocates for a rights-based approach that protects indigenous peoples and environmental defenders, the elimination of harmful subsidies, and the prohibition of high-impact industrial activities like deep-sea mining and Arctic oil extraction. The text explicitly rejects the commodification of nature, biodiversity offsets, and the use of geoengineering or synthetic biology as solutions to the environmental crisis.

The document critiques carbon markets, specifically 'cap and trade' and 'carbon offsetting', as mechanisms that allow major polluters to avoid reducing emissions at the source. It highlights the failure of the EU ETS and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), noting that global emissions continue to rise. The briefing emphasizes the severe impacts on indigenous peoples and local communities, citing REDD as a driver of land grabbing and forced displacement. It specifically warns against the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which could institutionalize these markets, and calls for a transition to agroecology and a just energy transition instead.

The document is a template letter calling for an urgent, transparent investigation into the June 5 disappearance and murder of indigenist activist Bruno Araújo Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips in the Vale do Javari indigenous territory. It highlights the high risk faced by human rights and environmental defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically noting the ongoing threats to the Union of Indigenous Organisations of Vale do Javari (UNIVAJA) and the 2019 assassination of Maxciel Pereira dos Santos. The letter requests that embassies push Brazilian authorities to find the perpetrators, punish those trespassing on indigenous lands, and guarantee the rights to territory and self-determination for indigenous peoples in Brazil.

The document is a sample letter designed for human rights organizations to urge the Brazilian government to investigate the 'Guapoy Massacre' and protect the territorial rights of the Guarani and Kaiowá peoples in Mato Grosso do Sul.