As the Bonn Climate Conference - or SB 56 - convenes this week, the International Climate and Policy Campaign is marking the one year anniversary since the Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth US hosted the first Global Grassroots Leaders’ Climate Summit. Following President Biden’s Global Climate Leaders Summit on Earth Day 2021, where Global Grassroots Activists and Leaders were not present, our grassroots partners around the world convened and participated in the Global Grassroots Leaders’ Climate Summit, which brought attention to the demands of grassroots and frontline activists from the Global South. Too often, global grassroots leaders who are on the frontlines of the climate crisis are not invited to tables where solutions to the climate crisis are being discussed. For the past year and a half, we have been committed to bring attention to the voices and asks of global grassroots leaders whose localized issues need action and accountability, particularly from US agencies and the US government.
Last summer’s Global Grassroots Leaders’ Climate Summit and the second summit in October launched a year of activism aimed at connecting grassroots leaders to each other and also
setting up meetings with relevant Biden administration staff for the grassroots leaders to problem solve with, about important fossil fuel finance issues with a clear US nexus and voice their demands. For example, the first summit connected leaders to staff at several US agencies with internationally-facing projects or policies who expressed being unaware of how communities on the ground were being impacted. For the second summit, the campaign connected grassroots leaders with the office of US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, his staff, and COP negotiators just ahead of the COP26 climate negotiations. 44 organizations across 20 countries in the Global South came together at the second summit raising overarching demands and some country-specific issues. A lot has happened since those meetings that reflect the United States moving in a better direction including the US Treasury Department issuing new guidance for Multilateral Development Banks to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency, to strongly oppose oil and coal projects, and to only support gas projects in extenuating circumstances and only if specific criteria are met.
To mark the anniversary, the Campaign is taking this celebratory moment to launch a new podcast called “Global Impact,” which will feature the voices of grassroots climate leaders from around the world, many of whom were a major part of both of last year’s summits. The Campaign is also hosting a live discussion the Sierra Club’s Facebook page on Wednesday, June 8 at 8am EDT with several global climate activists who took part in last June's climate summit and learn about issues related to adaptation, loss and damage, and how countries around the world need the US and other countries to act.
Then later in the week, the Campaign will be hosting the next in its series of monthly conversation on climate and the African Diaspora with the #BLAIRISMS (see the May conversation on Instagram here). Throughout 2022, the Sierra Club has been in partnership with the #BLAIRISMS to highlight leaders in Africa and bring together conversations around climate leadership and climate justice in the lead up to this year’s COP27 in Egypt. Each conversation features grassroots leaders in Africa working in their communities to combat the climate crisis as well as notable influencers and celebrities. This month’s celebrity guest is Shaun Derik, and the conversation will be this Sunday, June 12 on the Sierra Club’s and the #BLAIRISMS’ Instagram pages.
The Sierra Club’s International Climate and Policy Campaign will continue to uplift and feature the voices of global grassroots climate leaders throughout 2022 and most importantly work to ensure accountability around grassroots demands . Will you join in the conversation and take action?