Climate justice

Climate change can be seen and felt everywhere, but its effects are greater in some parts of the world than others. And some groups of people are more vulnerable to, for example, drought or flooding, than others. They have often contributed least to climate change and also have fewer resources to arm themselves against its consequences.

National and international climate policy should therefore focus on mitigating further climate change and on helping especially the poorest and most vulnerable groups to adapt to the consequences.

The Paris Climate Agreement states that global warming must be limited to a maximum of 2 – but preferably 1.5 – degrees Celsius. To achieve that goal, we need to switch to renewable energy without delay and on a large scale, and the fossil fuels that are still in the ground must, as far as possible, remain there. Governmental support for the fossil-fuel sector through, for example, export credit insurance, investments by pension funds and other public support, is not in line with the Paris Agreement, and Both ENDS believes that they should be phased out as soon as possible. We are therefore urging national and international governments, financial institutions and pension funds to base their policies on the Paris Agreement.

At the same time, Both ENDS is supporting local organisations, women's groups and others in the Global South in their fight against climate change. We focus especially on local organisations that help communities in areas where the effects of climate change are clearly visible. All around the world, these local civil society organisations, as well as local authorities, knowledge institutes and businesses, are working on ways to adapt to climate change that work best in their local situations, such as small-scale irrigation, restoration, erosion prevention and switching to indigenous crops that are more resistant to drought. Both ENDS is convinced that local knowledge and adaptation strategies offer the best basis for climate policy and is promoting this approach among national and international policy-makers, financial institutions and donors. We also facilitate the sharing of knowledge and information between organisations in our worldwide network.

In addition, since the Green Climate Fund was set up in 2012, we have advocated for direct access by the people that should benefit from the funds: those who are most severely affected by climate change and who are actively arming themselves against it, for example by protecting their natural environment. Women often play a leading part in this struggle. Rather than support large institutions and project developers, the Green Climate Fund should be more accessible to local organisations. Small grants funds can play an important role in achieving this by forming a bridge between big money at international level and local realities. Both ENDS actively monitors the decisions of the Green Climate Fund, supports the participation of environmental and women's groups in decision-making at international and national level and helps to distribute knowledge on the Green Climate Fund more widely.

Our work on the subject of Climate justice

Transformative Practice

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)

About one in every six people, particularly women, directly rely on forests for their lives and livelihoods, especially for food. This shows how important non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and forests are to ensure community resilience. Not only as a source of food, water and income, but also because of their cultural and spiritual meaning.
Transformative Practice

Analog Forestry

Analog forestry is a transformative approach to the ecological restoration of degraded lands. Natural forests are used as guides to create ecologically sustainable landscapes, which support the social and economical needs of local communities.
Dossier

Uganda’s Energy Future

Despite the existence of many hydropower dams, foreign investments and large government spending on energy, and new plans for hydropower, oil and gas projects, the vast majority of rural Uganda still remains without electricity. Together with our local partners we are striving towards a sustainable energy strategy for Uganda that starts from the needs and wishes of local communities.
Dossier

Inclusive ways to sustainable and healthy food for all

All around the world small-scale farmers are using sustainable and inclusive methods to produce food. Working together with nature and each other, they provide their families and communities with sufficient and healthy food. But their production methods are under pressure from large-scale agriculture and the globally dominant system of industrial food production. Together with our partners, Both ENDS is trying to turn the tide in favour of sustainable, local practices that are mostly known as 'agro-ecological' or 'nature-inclusive'. Why are we focusing on these methods? Agro-ecological practices are climate-proof and inclusive and increase the opportunities for communities around the world to produce their food sustainably.
Dossier

The Netherlands, the world and the elections

Elections are soon to be held in the Netherlands. The political parties are sharpening their knives and have outlined their plans in hefty manifestos. Not surprisingly, they mainly focus on domestic issues. International themes are primarily addressed in terms of opportunities for Dutch companies and threats in areas like health, privacy and competition that we need to protect ourselves against. But if we want to make the Netherlands sustainable, we especially need to look at our footprint beyond our own borders and make every effort to reduce it. In the weeks leading up to the elections, Both ENDS looks at where the parties' manifestos offer opportunities to achieve that.
Dossier

Everything becomes fluid under pressure: behind the scenes in Corona time

In these times of worldwide lockdown all attention is focused on the care sector, on the sorrow of those who are losing their loved ones, on children getting home-schooling and the neighbour who can no longer go the supermarket herself. Politicians and civil servants are hard at work trying to control the COVID-19 crisis and the economic crisis it has caused.
Dossier

Gas in Mozambique

In 2011 one of the world’s largest gas reserves was found in the coastal province of Cabo Delgado, in the north of Mozambique. A total of 35 billion dollars has been invested to extract the gas. Dozens of multinationals and financiers are involved in these rapid developments. It is very difficult for the people living in Cabo Delgado to exert influence on the plans and activities, while they experience the negative consequences. With the arrival of these companies, they are losing their land.
Dossier

The merits of community-based restoration

Globally, the area that is suffering desertification and land degradation is ever expanding. Unsustainable and often large-scale agricultural practices, including the copious use of pesticides and fertilisers, are a major driver of land degradation, aprocess that is further exacerbated by climate change, causing more erratic rainfall patterns, longer periods of drought and unpredictable growing seasons. This is very problematic not only for the hundreds of millions of people who directly depend on land and water for their livelihoods, but also for life on earth as a whole. It is clear that this process must be stopped and reversed, better sooner than later. But how to go about it?
Dossier

The Climate lawsuit against Shell

Both ENDS is co-plaintiff in the climate lawsuit brought by Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth The Netherlands) in 2018 against Shell to stop the company from causing harm to the climate. In 2021, the judge ruled in favor of the climate, but unfortunately the company appealed. The court will therefore render its verdict at the end of 2024.
Dossier

Small Grants Big Impacts

Small grants funds offer an effective, alternative way to channel big money from large donors and funds to local groups and organisations that are striving for a sustainable and just society everywhere around the world.