Socio-environmental justice movements call fo
tamra@tni.org - 22.04.2004 18:27
Socio-environmental justice movements call for closure of World Bank climate change fund
MEDIA RELEASE
Socio-environmental justice movements call for closure of World Bank climate change fund
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS, APRIL 19TH, 2004. Today, over fifty environmental and social justice NGOs and other groups sent a letter of protest to the World Bank calling for the closure of its new emissions trading fund, The Prototype Carbon Fund.
In the year of the World Bank’s 60th anniversary and in the run-up to intense protests in Washington D.C. at their annual meeting this month, the groups state that the Bank’s new fund is destructive greenwash and has in fact created extra problems for communities and the environment. The fund was set up in 1999 to facilitate the new trade in greeenhouse gases created under the Kyoto Protocol. The NGOs state that so far the fund has exacerbated existing human rights violations and furthered environmental destruction.
One of the fund’s model projects is located in Brazil and involves the expansion of monoculture eucalyptus plantations owned by the corporation, Plantar. The plantations were originally established by forcibly evicting geraiszeiros peoples from the land and since then the plantation’s owners have been accused of creating “slave-like conditions” . Furthermore, the plantations have heavily polluted surrounding water sources thus devastating the livelihoods of local farmers and fisher-folk.
The World Bank will fund the expansion of these plantations in order to generate ‘carbon credits’ for the international trade in greenhouse gases. However on top of the impacts upon the local environment and peoples, there is no guarantee that the project will actually have a permanent positive effect on the climate. Marcelo Calazans from local Brazilian NGO, FASE-ES, states;
“This and many other projects have terrible negative impacts on local people and environments and it is still unclear if there is any real benefits for the climate. We believe that the Prototype Carbon Fund should cease operations and close down immediately.”
Attached is a full copy of the letter sent to the World Bank and the signatories. For more information please contact Tamra Gilbertson on 0642 525766 or Maïmouna Fall on 0645 624106 or see www.tni.org/ctw or www.sinkswatch.org
Carbon Trade Watch
Transnational Institute
Paulus Potterstraat 20
1071 DA Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel++31 20 662 66 08
Fax++31 20 675 71 76
E-mail  tni@tni.org
 http://www.tni.org
The Montes Claros (MG) Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), an organisation originating in the Catholic Church, which is very much respected due to the fact that it defends the peoples' right to the land. It followed closely the first Parliamentary Investigation Commission (CPI) set up in 1994 against the forestation companies, including V&M (which was Mannesman at that time) and Plantar, verifying the practice of slave labour on the companies property. ( http://www.wrm.org.uy/countries/Brazil/fsc1.html)
The Plantar project in Minas Gerais, Brazil is the first carbon sink project seeking credit through the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism. It involves planting 23,100 ha of Eucalyptus plantations to produce wood for charcoal, which will then be used in pig iron production instead of coal. In addition to this so-called fuel-switching component, the project also claims carbon sequestration credits for the trees planted. ( http://www.sinkswatch.org)
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Open Letter to the World Bank 19 April 2004
We, teachers, scholars, activists, scientists, students, Indigenous peoples, landless people, peasants, NGOs, and others from the North and South, do not recognise the legitimacy of the World Bank’s Prototype Carbon Fund (PCF). PCF projects would both be climatically ineffective and disrespect principles of economic, social and environmental justice.
The PCF was born out of the World Bank’s efforts to promote neoliberalism. It is an instrument to commodify the atmosphere, promote privatisation and concentrate resources in the hands of a few, taking away the rights of the many to live with dignity.
The PCF is not a mechanism for mitigating climate change:
· It allows the industrialised North to continue business as usual, thus impacting the planet’s climate.
· It obstructs the necessary change from fossil fuels to climate-friendly and socially-just
energy sources.
· It creates a new market niche into which polluters can spread risk, expand their business
and ensure institutional survival.
· It legitimises a market for an indefinable "commodity" which claims to consist of
greenhouse gases or pollution, but in fact cannot be reliably described, quantified or
verified.
· It generates further negative impacts on local peoples, particularly in the case of carbon
"sink" tree plantations.
The PCF says that it offers a "learning-by-doing" opportunity to its stakeholders:
Participants in the Fund agreed on a set of project selection and portfolio development criteria designed to serve the "learning-by-doing" objective of the PCF while reducing project risk through portfolio diversity. (www.prototypecarbonfund.org).
However, having followed the PCF’s activities and projects to date, we have learned-by-its doings that it does not avert dangerous climate change but instead increases hardship for local communities. This exposes inherent flaws not only in its own projects, but in project-based "carbon trading" as a whole and the offset culture underpinning it. Any other similar fund or trading regime will systematically replicate these flaws.
The World Bank has shown itself to be an undemocratic institution, dogmatically enforcing "free-market" ideology and promoting corporate interests. More than half a century of its activities have persistently failed to implement even the Bank’s own environmental and social standards. World Bank policy has had a profound negative impact on the South, alienating, excluding and indebting communities which cannot afford to participate in, or defend themselves from, a neo-liberal globalised economy.
The PCF extends the World Bank’s unacceptable political activities into a new sphere with its own special technical impossibilities. The PCF accordingly must be closed down as a first step in the right direction. It is neither "carbon" nor pollution that is being traded, but people’s lives and paper certificates claiming to be carbon credits. Offset culture and pollution trading must be rejected as false solutions to climate change.
We are committed to reclaiming space from the neo-liberal institutions for community led solutions towards environmental justice.
Signatures for the Open Letter to the World Bank
1- ACPO - Associação de Combate aos POPs - acpo94@uol.com.br / http://www.acpo.org.br
2- ACPO - associação de COnsciência à Prevenção Ocupacional - acpo94@uol.com.br / http://www.acpo.org.br
3- Alert Against the Green Desert Movement, Brasil
4- André Messias dos Santos – Zumbah – Rapper e Bailarino – zumbah.hiphop@click21.com.br
5- Associação de Mulheres Unidas da Serra (Women´s United Association/Serra/Espirito Santo/Brazil)- cddh@terra.com.br
6- Aina Seering, ECOTERRA Intl
7- CADH – Centro de Apoio aos Direitos Humanos – dhumanos@uol.com.br
8- Campaign for the Reform of the World Bank
9- Carbon Trade Watch, The Netherlands
10- Carlos Lobo – Direção Estadual do PT/ES (Member of State Directroy of Workers Party/Espirito Santo/Brazil) - lobopt@hotmail.com
11- Centro de Direitos Humanos de Teixeira de Freitas (Human Rights Centre of Teixeira de Freitas/Bahia/Brazil) - pejose@uol.com.br
12- CDDH-Serra - Marta Falqueto (Centre for Defence of Human Rights/Serra/Espirito Santo/Brazil) - cddh@terra.com.br
13- CEDEFES - Centro de Documentação Eloy Ferreira da Silva - www.cedefes.org.br
14- CEPEDES - Centro de Pesquisa P/Desenvolvimento do Extr. Sul da Bahia (Research and Development Centre of the Extreme South of Bahia/Bahia/Brazil) - cepedes@vrnet.com.br
15- CIMI Equipe ES - Conselho Indigenista Missionário (Indigenist Missionary Council - Espirito Santo/Brazil) - cimies@terra.com.br
16- Concrete-Dok
17- Coopesca - Rosa Maria Nascimento Miranda - Cooperativa de Pesca de Jacaraípe (Fisherpeople coooperative of Jacaraípe/Espírito Santo/Brazil) - cddh@terra.com.br
18- Corporate Europe Observatory, The Netherlands
19- CPT - Comissão Pastoral da Terra - Estado de Minas Gerais (Pastoral Land Commission of Minas Gerais State/Brazil) - cptmg@inet.com.br
20- CUT – Central Unica dos Trabadores, Rio de Janeiro
21- Dennis Brutus, campaigner, South Africa
22- Dr. Klemens Laschefski, Friends of the Earth, Germany
23- Dudu Mabona, community activist, South Africa
24- Eduardo de Biase - Vereador PT/São Mateus (town-councillor São Mateus/Espirito Santo/Brazil) cmsmes@escelsanet.com.br
25- Educafro - Maria da Penha Gaspar Pereira - Pré-vestibular alternativo de Carapina (alternative education course of Carapina/Espírito Santo/Brazil) - cddh@terra.com.br
26- Escola Família Agrícola de Jaguaré - responsável Madalena Tonieri (Family School for Agriculture Jaguaré/Espírito Santo/Brazil) - tel. +55 27 37691345
27- Escola Família Agrícola de Nestor Gomes - responsável João Rodrigues Pinto (Family School for Agriculture Nestor Gomes/Espírito Santo/Brazil) - tel. +55 27 37630027
28- Espaço Cultural da Paz (Cultural Peace Centre/Bahia/Brazil) - Rua da Paz,73/São Lourenço/Teixeira de Freitas(BA)
29- European Youth For Action
30- Evanete Negris - Vereador PSB/São Mateus (town-councillor São Mateus/Espirito Santo/Brazil - cmsmes@escelsanet.com.br
31- FASE/ES - Federação de Órgãos p/ Assistência Social e Educacional (Federation of Social and Educational Organizations/Espirito Santo/Brazil) - fasees@terra.com.br
32- Federação Sindical e Democrática dos Trabalhadores nas Indústrias Metalúrgicas, Mecânicas e de Material Elétrico do Estado de Minas Gerais e, seus Sindicatos dos Trabalhadores Metalúrgicos filiados das cidades de (Trade Union and Democratic Federation of Workers in Metal, Mecanic and Electric materials Industries of the State of Minas Gerais and the metal trade unions that are member of this federations of the towns that follow/Minas Gerais/Brazil): Alfenas, Araxá, Betim, Belo Horizonte e Contagem, Caeté, Cambuí, Divinópolis, Extrema, Governador Valadares, Itajubá, Itaúna, João Monlevade, Juiz de Fora, Lavras, Ouro Preto, Patos de Minas, Pirapora, Pouso Alegre, Raul Soares, Sabará, Santa Luzia, Timóteo, Várzea da Palma, Vespasiano, Varginha, Três Marias, e São João Del Rei. - fsdmg@pib.com.br
33- Fórum Estadual de Mulheres/ES (State Forum of Women/Espírito Santo/Brazil) - gilsahb@terra.com.br
34- Friction Films
35- Geraldo Armando Martins.- STR Curvelo – MG - gearmando@bol.com.br
36- Groundwork, South Africa
37- Helder Gomes, mestre em economia pela UFES (economist/Espirito Santo/Brazil)- heldergomes@uol.com.br
38- Igreja de Confissão Luterana/Brasil - Sínodo do Espírito Santo a Belém - (Lutherian Church-Synod of Espirito Santo at Belém/Brazil) - fam.schubert@uol.com.br
39- Indigenous Environmental Network
40- International Indian Treaty Council
41- ITAVALE – Instituto dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras na Agricultura do Vale do Jequitinhonha - strmed@ligbr.com.br
42- Jeffer Castelo Branco - jeffer@acpo.org.br
43- Joana Tolentino - auxiliar de pesquisa CNPq/IPPUR-UFRJ.(Researcher's assistant) - joanatolentino@hotmail.com
44- João Batista de Almeida Costa - antropólogo (anthropologist/Brasília/Brazil) - joba@unb.br
45- João Batista da Silva - ambientalista (environmentalist) - bicuda@bicuda.org.br
46- Jorge Luiz B. Ferreira - AGB-RJ (Brazilian Association of Geographers/Rio de Janeiro/Brazil) jb.borges@ajato.com.br
47- Khanya College, South Africa
48- Koinonia/RJ - Presença Ecumênica e Serviço (Koinonia/Ecuminic and Service Presence/Rio de Janeiro/Brazil)- koinonia@koinonia.org.br
49- Landless Peoples Movement, South Africa
50- Larry Lohmann, The Corner House
51- Latin America Centre, Amsterdam
52- Marilda Telles Maracci – Geógrafa – marildamaracci@uol.com.br
53- Movimento de Desenvolvimento Rural de Nestor Gomes/São Mateus - Paulo Chagas (Movement of Rural Development Nestor Gomes/Espirito Santo/Brazil) - tel. +55 27 99312546
54- Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos/Regional Leste I (National Movement for Human Rights/Easter Region I/Brazil) - cadh.es@uol.com.br
55- MPA- Movimento dos Pequenos Agricultores (Movement of Small Peasants/ Espírito Santo/Brazil) - strsgp@veloxmail.com.br
56- MST - Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra/Espírito Santo (Movement of Landless Peasants/Espirito Santo/Brazil) - mst-es@escelsa.com.br
57- Pastoral Operária Arquidiocese de Vitória - Luzineide R.F. Pinto (Church assistence for Workers - Archdiocese of Vitória/Espírito Santo/Brazil) - zena.po@bol.com.br
58- Paulo César Fernandes – Bailarino – enki7es@uol.com.br
59- Paulo César Scarim - Geógrafo (Geographer/Espirito Santo/Brazil) - pscarim@hotmail.com
60- Ponglert Pongwanan, Alternative Energy Project for Sustainability, Thailand
61- Professor Patrick Bond, Witswatersrand University, South Africa
62- Projeto Brasil Sustentável e Democrático/FASE - jpierre@fase.org.br
63- Recuper Lixo - Joel Fanticelli - Associação de Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis (Association of Workers in Recycling of Materials/Espírito Santo/Brazil) - cddh@terra.com.br
64- Ricardo Carrere, World Rainforest Movement
65- Ricardo Salles de Sá – Cineasta - tchokusa@zipmail.com.br
66- RisingTide, Oxford, UK
67- Sajida Khan, community member from locality of Bisasar Road project, South Africa
68- Scottish Education for Action and Development (SEAD) sead@gn.apc.org
69- Sebastião Ribeiro - Advogado Ambientalista (environmental lawyer/Espírito Santo/Brazil)- sefil@uol.com.br
70- Sindicato dos Petroleiros/Espírito Santo (Trade Union of Oil Industry Workers/ Espirito Santo/Brazil) - sindipetro-es@uol.com.br
71- Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Rurais de São Mateus e Jaguaré (Rural Workers Trade Union of São Mateus and Jaguaré/Espirito Santo/Brazil) - strsaomateus@terra.com.br
72- Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Rurais de Medina - Márcio Pereira - (Rural Workers Trade Union of Medina/Minas Gerais/Brazil) - strmed@ligbr.com.br
73- Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Rurais de São Gabriel da Palha e Vila Valério (Rural Workers Trade Union of São Gabriel da Palha and Vila Valério/Espírito Santo/Brazil) - strsgp@sgpnet.com.br
74- SOBREVIVENCIA, Friends of the Earth Paraguay
75- Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee, South Africa
76- Southern Africa Centre for Economic Justice
77- Super Coonfex - Marilene Ost Leal - Cooperativa de Confecção de José de Anchieta (cooperative of workers with textile/Serra/Brazil) - cddh@terra.com.br
78- TimberWatch South Africa
79- Tom Griffiths, Forest Peoples Programme, UK
80- Transnational Institute, The Netherlands
81- Trevor Ngwane, community activist, South Africa
82- Valdemar Moraes - vereador PSC/São Mateus (town-councillor São Mateus/Espírito Santo/Brazil) - cmsmes@escelsanet.com.br
83- Waldo Motta – Poeta – waldomotta@bol.com.br
84- XminY Solidarity Funds, The Netherlands
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