TPNS was delighted to be invited to speak and participate at the Climate Action Network’s Annual Strategy Meeting, held in February in Mombasa, Kenya.
CONTEXT
The Executive Director of the Climate Action Network, Tasneem Essop, was introduced to TPNS’S work through TPNS/TNI Climate Crossfire Report. That conversation in turn led to plans to meet at COP28 in UAE. TPNS organised a Side Event at COP28 on military spending and Loss & Damage finance, with Tasneem joining our panel which included Prof Neta Crawford, Lindsey Fielder Cook (QUNO), Katrin Geyer (WILPF) and Deb Burton (TPNS) and was a valuable context-setter for Tasneem. Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza was at the forefront of minds globally and at COP specifically. Tasneem followed up on all these conversations with TNI’s Nick Buxton and Deb Burton (TPNS) with an invitation to participate in the Climate Action Network’s Annual Strategy Meeting in Kenya, Feb 2024.
CAN INTL ASM PROGRAMME
TPNS and TNI were placed directly into the 3 day programme. Day One – Deb Burton was one of only 3 external (ie non-CAN members) to speak to the ASM on ‘new’ issues to be potentially considered as part of CAN’s climate finance ‘escalation’ work in 2024. We took the issue of military emissions, spending and climate finance into three key spaces.
- Day One Main Session: Perspectives on Finance System Change Keynote: Decolonising the Finance System: Fadhel Kaboub Panel: The aim of this session is to provide a range of perspectives about finance system change that allows for broader entry points into the discussions and planning and helps participants have a content basis for our planning session the next day. Facilitator Mariana Paoli Christian Aid
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- Finance and Fossil Fuels – Tzeporah Berman Chair Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty
- Militarisation and Finance – Deborah Burton Co-Founder Tipping Point North South
- Feminist perspective on Finance System change – Gina Cortes Co-Facilitator UNFCCC Women and Gender Constituency
- Tax as a social and climate justice issue – Jacobo Ocharan, Oxfam International’s Climate Justice Lead.
Deb Burton presentation here.
- Day 3 Workshop on Militarism. Led by Nick Buxton with Deb Burton and Michelle Benzing (WILPF). A group of 8 joined for an intro session on the issue, which led to a discussion about the group forming an informal task-group on militarisation and a possible discussion paper.
- Tax Justice/Climate Finance workshop. Deb Burton and was asked by both CAN Africa co-ordinator and Action Aid Int’l Global Climate Lead to share TPNS’s proposal for an excess profits tax on defence sector.
ATTENDEES
Mombasa hosted approx 120 participants, representing member organisations, CAN Int’l regional networks (Asia, Latin America, Africa, Europe) and the CAN Secretariat. Climate Action Network (CAN) is a global network of more than 1,900 civil society organisations in over 130 countries driving collective and sustainable action to fight the climate crisis and to achieve social justice. CAN convenes and coordinates civil society at the UN climate talks and other international fora.
CAN Int’l Participants
IMPACT
By the end of the conference, it was formally agreed to include militarism- especially spending- as part of the work-plan going forward. Indeed the term ‘profiteers’ was a new term brought into the discussion and strategy as a result of our inputs on military/ profiteering. Various proposals are now in development to enable the progress made at CAN Mombasa.
Tasneem Essop & System Change
FINAL WORD-GAZA
There is no doubt that Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza was a critical reason for the ASM to be so very open to our messages. From New Zealand to Mozambique, Sri Lanka to Colombia, participants from all over the world as well as senior CAN Secretariat were at pains to find us and tell us how much our presentation meant to the meeting.
Michelle Benzing (WILPF), Nick Buxton (TNI), Deb Burton (TPNS)
Transform defence for sustainable human safety 