Small successes and hoping for more
Small successes and hoping for more
No karaoke experience
Other things I could tell you about are:
1. Korean Culture (interesting)
2. Korean Hot Pot (delicious)
3. Politics in climate negotiations and the Civil Society group at the Board Meeting preparing interventions.
4. Contradictions: South-Korea’s environmental policy versus the fact that South-Korea is the home of the Green Climate Fund (South-Korea relies on many nuclear power plants, and the GCF is located at a gigantic land reclamation site – bye bye breeding ground for thousands of migratory bird species – and so forth)
5. Megacities and an itchy nose due to air pollution.
Unfortunately, one of things I cannot tell you about is karaoke. Due to the fast aging-process, I could not stay awake at night to join Board Members, GCF secretariat folks, my new friends of the bank-sector and GCF observers, for a karaoke experience.
The real stuff
I could tell you about the discussions and the exact outcome of the decisions taken at this board meeting. Again, the Business Model Framework was on the Agenda, but not only its procedures were discussed like last time in Berlin. Instead, they talked about the real stuff. The decisions on the topics the Both ENDS team focuses on – enhanced direct access, country ownership, multi-stakeholder participation – have been quite positive. Although we had hoped to see more concrete commitment to these principles in the decisions, nothing is really off the table yet: most things have just been postponed to the next board meetings*.
Advice on a Private Sector Facility
What I would really like to tell you about are the discussions about the Private Sector Facility (PSF). We all feared that this PSF would become a separate governance body of the Fund, but there was no support for this in the Board. The decision was made however that an Advisory Board (AB) for this PSF was to be created, consisting of 4 Board Members and 8 private sector representatives from both developed and developing countries. Our civil society-hearts started to sink: no scientists, no independent experts, or no civil society representatives needed?
‘You need people that think slightly different’
Then, all of a sudden, Mr. Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, the Congolese Board Member, said that according to him, CSO-representatives would be needed in this AB. I’d like to think that he brought this up because of all our lobby efforts before and during the meeting, but of course I can’t be sure. The usual suspects (Board Members of the developed countries) started opposing to his suggestion, but then Mr. Dipak Dasgupta, the Indian Board member spoke legendary words citing Adam Smith, one of the founders of modern economy: “When you put people together that think alike, they will conduct extreme views. So you need people that think slightly different”.
Out of balance, but still flying high
Finally the decision was made that the Advisory Board of the PSF apart from the members already agreed on, will consist of up to TWO CIVIL SOCIETY representatives. Of course, this is still slightly out of balance and results will depend very much on what kind of CSO representatives will be selected. Nevertheless, I’m flying home while writing this and believe me, I’m flying high!
* For example, at the first meeting in 2014, the GCF Board will consider “additional modalities that further enhance direct access, including through funding entities with a view to enhancing country ownership of projects and programs." and “best-practice options for country coordination and multi-stakeholder engagement, including in the context of the development of funding proposals.” That sounds promising
Leonie Wezendonk works for Both ENDS, the Netherlands
Read more about this subject
-
News / 3 July 2024
-
Video / 3 July 2024
Jonila Castro of AKAP KA & Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment
Jonila Castro works for AKAP KA Manila Bay and/or Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE). The livelihood of the majority of the Filipino people depends on the environment, on the seas and the lands and mountains.
-
News / 3 July 2024
Illegal logging is devastating Suriname's forest: The Saamaka and their fight against deforestation
The Saamaka people of Suriname have long resisted the government's violation of their land rights. Despite a 2007 ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) against such violations, the government continues to grant logging and mining concessions on Saamaka territory without free prior and informed consent (FPIC). New report shows this has led to deforestation, land dispossession, and disruption of their livelihoods. A recent example includes a 42.7 km road built through their lands for logging access.
-
Publication / 2 July 2024
-
Blog / 21 June 2024
International coorperation - especially now!
This blog is written in Dutch
-
News / 19 June 2024
Recognition for PROBIOMA from the Chamber of Deputies of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
PROBIOMA have received recognition from the Chamber of Deputies of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The presentation of this tribute took place at the Museum of Natural History Noel Kempff Mercado, in the framework of the Environment Day.
-
Publication / 18 June 2024
-
News / 18 June 2024
Impact of oil extraction on women's health in Bayelsa
In the context of Shell's imminent divestment from onshore oil industry in the Niger Delta, Both ENDS partner Kebetkache publishes a new report showing severe health and environmental challenges faced by the women of Otuabagi in the Niger Delta due to Shell's crude oil exploration. -
News / 18 June 2024
Dutch government threatens to put human lives at risk again in infamous TotalEnergies gas project in Mozambique
The Dutch government threatens to blunder again by providing export support for TotalEnergies' controversial gas project in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. This follows from an analysis of 9000 documents from FOI requests, commissioned by Milieudefensie and Both ENDS. Anne de Jonghe, Both ENDS: “When the export support was issued in 2021, critical voices were minimized, while TotalEnergies was heard and trusted. That should not happen again."
-
Event / 17 June 2024, 15:00 - 16:00
Environmental Litigation: An Underestimated risk for Investors
Extreme weather events, environmental degradation and stakeholder activism force companies to reconsider climate change as an aggravating risk with tangible impacts on global supply chains, business performance, brand reputation and ESG ratings. Business strategies that neglect adequate environmental action can lead to consumer boycotts, negative media attention, investor runs and even legal action.
-
Dossier /
Transformative Talks
At Both ENDS we aim to connect people for change. Together with environmental justice groups from the Global South, we work towards a sustainable, fair and inclusive world.
-
Pathway /
Promoting people-driven solutions
Our goal is a massive upscaling and mainstreaming of bottom-up, planet-friendly practices, supported by favourable governance systems and availability of financial resources. There are many examples of successful community-led livelihood models based on collective participation, healthy ecosystems, gender justice and a vision of wellbeing beyond individual wealth. Approaches such as Regreening focus on ecosystem restoration led by forest communities or local farmers in the Sahel. These initiatives recognise and respect the interdependence between human prosperity and healthy ecosystems. They help to empower women, youth and other groups that often lack access to decision-making processes and tend to be excluded from land, water and forest management to assert their agency and rights to self-determination.
-
Pathway /
Supporting a powerful civil society
Our goal is that civil society can work openly and safely, make their voices heard and influence decision-making on ecosystem challenges and matters of environmental justice and human rights. A strong civil society is indispensable to a healthy society. It checks the power of both state and corporate actors, holds decision-makers accountable, and defends the rights of those marginalised from positions of influence. A strong and independent civil society can advocate for fair and ecologically responsible policies as well as challenge structural inequalities in decision-making. It can also use accountability mechanisms to seek redress for the negative consequences of such inequitable decision-making, and instead promote, implement and upscale transformative practices.
-
Pathway /
Advocating for just governance worldwide
Our goal is to achieve systemic change at all levels of social, political and economic institutions, to ensure that these unconditionally respect human rights and planetary boundaries. This requires policy coherence and consistent decision-making across all sectors - from trade, finance and energy to food production, agriculture, climate action and water management - and across all sections of society - from individual to family, farm, neighbourhood, city, province and national levels.
-
News / 11 June 2024
Stand in solidarity; sign the petition
Together with a vast majority of Dutch NGO's, political movements and other concerned professionals we have started a petition to call out to the Dutch new government to invest in international cooperation and stop the planned budget cuts (2,5 billion euros).
-
News / 5 June 2024
Appeal by 70 parties: The Netherlands’ strategy for global food security works!
A broad coalition of Dutch companies, knowledge institutes and civil society organizations wants to work together with the new government to make a real difference in improving global food security. The main focus will lie on supporting farmers and consumers in the Netherlands and beyond, and promoting climate-proof food systems in low- and middle-income countries. The coalition believes that, with our knowledge, expertise, experience and reputation for international cooperation and trade, the Netherlands must adopt an ambitious strategy for making our food systems more sustainable, and so contribute to achieving the targets in the Paris Climate Accord and the Sustainable Development Goals.
-
News / 29 May 2024
Serious questions about possible Dutch export support for Mozambique's LNG gas project
Members of Parliament Daniëlle Hirsch (PVDA-GL) and Christine Teunissen (PVDD) ask serious questions about possible Dutch export support for the Mozambique LNG gas project. Both ENDS has been advocating for the file for years.
-
Blog / 28 May 2024
Democratic Values Under Attack in Europe: The Need to Look Beyond the Dutch Dikes and the Role of Philanthropy
Mid May, I read about the expected – yet still shocking – implications of the radical shift to the far-right in the Netherlands. The current coalition agreement includes measures previously adopted by other European countries with similar election outcomes, leading to a curtailment of democratic freedoms, an inward focus, and attempts to limit the role of civil society. With the European elections on the horizon and another rightward shift anticipated, it is more important than ever for philanthropy to join forces in advancing a just climate transition, promoting democratic values, and ensuring all voices are heard.
-
Video / 18 May 2024
Charity Migwi of Oil Change International
Oil Change International is mainly focused on research, communication, and advocacy. Charity Migwi helps with campaigning to get fossil fuel companies to face out their production of oil and gas. In Africa, for instance Nigeria and Senegal, she works together with communities, especially where the projects are happening to see how they can collaborate and strengthen each other. And they are under pressure of time. Where advocacy takes patience and time, climate change impacts are rising daily. A personal talk about the importance of things that are worth fighting for. At Both ENDS, our aim is to connect people for change.
-
Video / 17 May 2024
Muhammad Al Amin of WAHLI-Sulawesi
Muhammad Al Amin works as the executive director at WALHISulawesiSelatan. WALHI is an Indonesian environmental non-governmental organization, which is part of the Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) network and the biggest environmental non-profit organization in Indonesia.