How does Greenpeace prioritise environmental issues?
A significant percentage of the work we do is on the campaign to avert catastrophic climate change. After extensive discussion, with input from all of our offices around the world, it was decided because we felt that climate change is the most urgent issue facing our planet today. Otherwise we look for issues that we feel are important to the well-being of our planet and in which we feel we can have a substantial impact. Our work currently includes protecting the world’s rainforests and oceans, achieving sustainable agriculture and eliminating toxic chemicals.
What role does Greenpeace play in international climate conferences such as the recent COP15?
We are present at these meetings to make sure decision makers hear the will of the people and understand that the world is watching. It is important to work at every level to tackle climate change and other threats to the environment, including engaging directly with politicians and industry, as well as through what we are probably best known for, non-violent direct action, in order to draw attention to the urgency of problems and show there are solutions.
It will take many millions of people coming together, making their voices heard and putting pressure on industry and government if we are to achieve our current goal of a fair, ambitious and binding (FAB) international treaty to avert catastrophic climate change. For this reason I see Greenpeace becoming even more inclusive; broadening and expanding its membership base and activities around the globe. Greenpeace already works within coalitions comprising human rights, anti-poverty and faith-based groups as well as trade unions and other organisations. We will intensify and expand this approach of working with civil society partners in coalition. Unity is critically important if we are to convince governments to undertake the changes necessary to protect the planet for our children and our children’s children.
Greenpeace will also intensify the use of peaceful civil disobedience, drawing on the inspiration of Mandela, Tutu, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and Gandhi. Those with power need to be kept under strong pressure if we are to ensure that they deliver the urgently needed change. Finally, I also plan for Greenpeace to broaden our presence and programmes in developing countries and I am extremely pleased that Greenpeace Africa is becoming well established with two fully operational offices on the continent: in South Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
How did you feel when you addressed the 100,000 strong Greenpeace supporters in Copenhagen?
I cannot tell you how amazing it was to address all of those motivated people, many of whom had traveled great distances, who had come out despite the freezing temperatures to help in the struggle for climate justice. It was just amazing. And if anything gives me hope post-Copenhagen that we will soon get a FAB treaty (fair, ambitious and legally binding), it is exactly this energy and dedication, this willingness to working together, this commitment to our cause on behalf of so many parts of civil society in both rich and poor countries.
I believe that people who come from places in the developing world like Africa sometimes carry an extra sense of authenticity. For us, climate change is not something that might cause some inconvenience sometime in the future – it is something dramatic and awful happening here and now. We have seen first-hand the horrific suffering and injustices that result from climate change.
Kumi Naidoo will be speaking at the SA Business Club in London tonight, 16 March 2010.
