Climate justice

Organising corner

The climate justice movement has regrouped after COP26 and is ready for action. With BP and Shell recently posting huge profits, energy costs spiralling (which many argue is a symptom of past failures to properly invest in renewable energy), and further North Sea oil exploration being licensed, there is no time to take our foot off the pedal.

The broken rules of our global economy have created the climate crisis, and they need to be rewritten if we are going to have any chance of limiting it. That’s why we’ll continue to campaign for climate justice through our work on trade and debt. And we’ll continue to push for increased climate finance and the total divestment of UK aid from fossil fuels during the rest of the UK’s COP presidency. Later this year, we will also be developing work outlining the need for corporate climate reparations.

Upcoming events

On Saturday 19 February the COP26

Coalition is hosting a local hubs gathering in

Birmingham. The meeting is part of shaping what the coalition will look like in the future and a part of the agenda will take place online as well as in person. More info and registration via: https://bit.ly/3LvcueT

Fridays for Future are organising their next

Global Climate Strike for Climate Reparations

on 25 March. Find more information at fridaysforfuture.org/ march25

If you’d like more to organise a local talk on climate justice with one of our campaigners, email activism@globaljustice.org.uk.

With Guy Taylor, groups co-ordinator

As things move towards a ‘new normal’ it’s worth looking at how out most successful groups organise. The commonest difficulty faced by groups is a lack of organising capacity, with everything coming down to one or two people. Some groups counter this by using a less rigid division of responsibilities. At a meeting they’ll agree who will organise the next one. Other tasks get sorted via a WhatsApp group where someone can quickly ask for help without contacting six people individually.

Global Justice South East London have a particularly lively WhatsApp group where they also share articles of interest and activity ideas. They’re one of several groups who have included me in their WhatsApp chat. I only chip in when I can help or to make quick announcements. If you’d rather use Signal or Telegram, I can be included in those groups too. More generally groups can also turn to me for help with meeting ideas, speakers, promoting events, providing contacts and resources and bouncing ideas around.

So, I’m inviting your group to give me more work this year, as part of a three-step plan towards more effective group organising: 1. Set up a WhatsApp group or similar, making sure everyone is included 2. Use everyone’s ideas, interests and talents to organise meetings, online or

‘in real life’. 3. Include me and get help where you most need it.

You can get hold of me on 07956 681328 or guy.taylor@globaljustice.org.uk.