G8: Environmentalists speak on Climate and Corporate power

Friends of the Earth International
Press Release
3 July 2005

The speakers who come from countries which are likely to suffer heavily from the impacts of climate change will address audiences at the day-long event which takes place in four main venues across Edinburgh[1].
Meena Raman, Chair of Friends of the Earth International [2] will address two plenary sessions at different venues, one on corporate globalisation and privatisation and one on climate justice. Tatiana Roa Avendaño, General Director of Friends of the Earth Colombia [3] will be speaking on the urgent need for climate justice. And Nnimmo Bassey, Director of Friends of the Earth Nigeria, will discuss corporate power, revealing Shell’s abuse of human rights, and the environment, and making the case for tough measures to dismantle corporate power.
Meena Raman, Chair of Friends of the Earth International said:
“Just eight countries – the G8 – account for 45% of the emissions causing climate change, yet have only 13% of the world’s people: that’s climate injustice. Unchecked, climate change will impact most severely on the world’s poorest people. The G8 leaders must act now and deliver real solutions to climate change which do not just bring in more profits for multinational companies but instead genuinely benefit the world’s poor”.
Tatiana Roa Avendaño, General Director of Friends of the Earth Colombia:
“Climate change is real and its impacts are already apparent now in Central and South America. Countries in the south are having to bear a triply unfair burden. More severe impacts of climate change, unfair impacts of measures designed to tackle climate change – such as new plantation forests from which the poor are excluded, and devastating impacts of the continued quest for more oil. Instead of supporting more fossil fuel exploitation, the G8 must finance sustainable energy in impoverished countries, and find real solutions to deliver climate justice by reducing emissions at home where most the emissions are actually produced”.
Nnimmo Bassey, Director of Friends of the Earth Nigeria said:
“People of the world have not sold their sovereignty to political leaders or their proxies in the board rooms of multinational corporations. Shell and other oil giants dictate international policies on climate change, hunger and poverty; they have devastated lives and the environment in Nigeria, whilst profiting from global climate change. Yet the G8 leaders listen to them, rather than affected communities. Instead of plotting how to further line the pockets of these companies, world leaders should regain their own freedom and bring corporations under control. Listen to the people now!”.
A Friends of the Earth briefing on G8 and climate change can be found at www.foei.org/media/2005/0622.html

For more information or to arrange interviews:
Edinburgh
Lang Banks or Michelle Lowe +44-(0)131 554 9977 (m) +44-(0)7813 766759 (p)
+44-(0)7654 200937
Helen Burley +44-(0)7778 069 930
London
Neil Verlander, + 44 (0)20 7566 1649/ + 44 (0)7712 843 209 (m)

NOTES:
[1] G8 Alternatives Summit in Edinburgh, 3 July 10am -9pm with four key themes – Africa, climate, corporate globalisation and war/peace Contact http://www.g8alternatives.org.uk for further information
FoE speakers at the Alternative Summit:
Meena Raman:
Plenary Session on Corporate Globalisation and Privatisation at 10.00-12.15 in the Queens Hall, Clerk St, Edinburgh
Plenary Session on Climate Justice at 14.00-15.15 in the Assembly Hall, Royal Mile, Edinburgh
Tatiana Roa Avendaño:
Plenary session on Climate Justice at 13.30-15.45 in the Queens Hall, Clerk St.
Nnimmo Bassey:
Plenary Session on Challenging Corporate Power at 15.30-17.00 in the Assembly Hall, Royal Mile. http://www.corporateg8.org
Friends of the Earth speakers will also be at a range of other events during the week of the summit including the Make Poverty History March and the Global Warming 8 conference at Our Dynamic Earth
[2] Meena Raman is the Chair of Friends of the Earth International and Secretary General of Friends of the Earth Malaysia. After graduating from a Law degree Meena set up the first public interest law firm in Malaysia, and for 20 years has been involved in environmental struggles in Malaysia including the fight against multinational corporations, defending indigenous peoples_ and local communities rights over land, biodiversity and natural resources. Meena was a founding member of E-LAW – a network of environmental lawyers worldwide.
[3] Tatiana Roa Avendaño is General Director of CENSAT AGUA VIVA – Friends of the Earth Colombia. An oil engineer, she has promoted a series of campaigns against oil exploitation and mining in indigenous lands and environmentally significant areas in Colombia. She also participates in Colombian social movements that seek to reach a political agreement for the social and political struggle that afflicts their country.
[4] Nnimmo Bassey, Director of Friends of the Earth Nigeria is along term human rights activist who has worked to uncover the destructive activities of the several oil companies operating in Niger Delta, including Shell, ExxonMobil (Esso), ChevronTexaco and to expose the human rights abuses that are often government sanctioned in the Niger Delta.