Mick Dodson AM

Greenpeace Australia Pacific Board Member

Mick Dodson AM is a former Australian of the year, Yawuru man, barrister, activist and professor. He is best known for his campaigns as a lawyer to secure and improve the legal rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly in relation to land and native title rights.

This work led to Mick being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2003 for services to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and being named Australian of the Year in 2009.

Mick became the first Indigenous barrister to join the Victorian Bar in 1981. Since then he has served as the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. He has served as a Director of the Northern Land Council and as counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Mick was also a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum as a member for the Pacific Region and served on the board of trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations.

It was March this year, during a United Nations General Assembly, that 132 countries voted “yes” for Pacific Climate Justice. 

Specifically, these countries passed a motion proposed by the Vanuatu government, calling on the International Court of Justice to deliver an advisory opinion that confirms the devastating impacts of climate change on human rights..

In doing so, the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion (or ICJ AO for short) would clarify the obligations owed by countries to protect the rights of both current  and future generations from climate change.

We know that strong and compelling evidence about the impacts that climate change is already having on communities across the world will play a key role in convincing the court to hand down a decisive and authoritative opinion. That’s why the Rainbow Warrior visited the Pacific earlier this year; to document the human rights impacts of climate change in this region. 

We sailed to Port Vila and Erromango in Vanuatu, then onwards to Tuvalu, followed by Suva, Kioa, and Rabi – all islands in Fiji. We were welcomed into the homes and hearts of countless people who most generously shared their experience of a changing climate and how it has  impacted on their human rights to their homes, their cultures, and their livelihoods. These stories will live on in our hearts, and amplify the strength of our upcoming submission to the International Court of Justice. Read on for some of these stories from the island of Pele – just one of the many places we visited whilst in the Pacific.

A farewell ceremony is a cultural protocol in the Pacific.

We walked with a local healer named Winnie, who recalled  the uses of the medicinal plants that have been lost due to climate change and shared the repercussions of this loss for her children when they fall ill.

We knelt with Sister Lizzie in a Pele graveyard and mourned after we learned that an additional 20 of the village’s ancestral graves had been swallowed by the sea since her last visit to the site which was a day before the twin cyclones Judy and Kevin hit the region in March this year.

Flora Vano, country manager for ActionAid Vanuatu has been helping communities face the dangers of a changing climate. She shared with us how when the twin cyclones came, communication with Erromango was down. Nobody answered her calls, leaving her to wonder if anyone on Erromango had survived at all. It was three days before Flora heard that there were no casualties, thanks to all the hard work that the women had done to fortify their communities beforehand. Watch her story in full with this video.

Women are not only disproportionately impacted by climate change, but are also often the first responders to climate disasters. Flora is advocating for the leadership of Indigenous women to be acknowledged as a powerful treasure in building climate resilience.

The ICJ AO’s potential to safeguard the human rights of frontline communities, current and future generations in the face of climate change, is why this work is of utmost importance to Greenpeace. Our mission to secure a strong Advisory Opinion is also something that we feel will strongly resonate with you, a legacy gift supporter, who has made a generous commitment to protect future generations through a gift in your Will.

Australia is one of the world’s largest exporters of critical minerals including lithium, cobalt and manganese, with a significant role to play in the transition to a fossil-fuel-free and renewable-powered future. 

With this prominence comes important questions about the role critical minerals have in shaping the country’s sustainable path. As global demand for critical minerals continues to rise, it’s important that we approach mineral extraction, processing, use, reuse and recycling and disposal with care and responsibility.

The following blog explores the role of critical minerals mining in Australia’s clean energy transition and highlights some key principles to guide us to minimise potential social and environmental impacts.

Why are critical minerals important?

Critical minerals are essential for manufacturing various technologies that are integral to our modern world, including mobile phones, computers, banknotes, fibre-optic cables and medical equipment. These minerals are also instrumental in Australia’s transition towards clean energy, powering rechargeable batteries, electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar panels.

As nations unite under the landmark Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change, the commitment to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is paramount for protecting our climate, nature and humanity. By harnessing critical minerals, Australia can play its part in helping our country and the world break free from reliance on climate-destroying fossil fuels.

What role does Australia play?

Australia plays a pivotal role in the global landscape of critical minerals, as the world’s largest exporter of lithium and the third-largest producer of cobalt. Additionally, the country 

produces other vital rare earth elements such as manganese, nickel and copper, as highlighted in S&P Global’s 2021 Mining By The Numbers report.

This means Australia has the potential to contribute to the climate change fight by becoming a leading exporter of materials, cutting-edge technology and valuable expertise. By harnessing these resources, the country can create a thriving clean energy industry and generate new trade and job opportunities. However, this means Australia also has a critical responsibility to ensure that the mining, processing and manufacturing of critical minerals is carried out in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

Does clean energy mean less mining? 

The short answer is yes, a clean energy future can reduce the scale and volume of mining overall.

Various studies, including the International Energy Agency’s Energy Technology Perspectives 2023 report have indicated that transitioning to a renewable energy-based economy will involve less mining and processing compared to one that is fossil fuel-based.

While fossil fuels are dug up, transported around the world, and burnt once to create energy, critical minerals can be re-used and then recycled multiple times.  

To put it in perspective, approximately 15 billion tonnes of fossil fuels are currently mined and extracted each year. In contrast, the global mining of critical minerals for low-carbon energy amounted to seven million tonnes in 2020. While this amount could increase to 28 million tonnes per year according to the International Energy Agency, that equates to about 535 times less mining than under the current fossil fuelled system.  

By transitioning from fossil fuel-powered energy to an all-renewable electric energy system, we have the potential to drastically reduce the need for extensive mining activities, contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.

Can we reduce the environmental and social impact?

The reality though is all mining activity can have significant negative environmental and social impacts. 

To minimise these impacts, it’s crucial to reduce the overall amount of materials extracted, prioritise their use for climate solutions, maximise the utilisation of recycled materials, and ensure protection of the environment and human rights in the process.

The following guidelines outline ways in which Australia and the world must approach the use of critical minerals more responsibly:

1. Protect the rights of First Nations people

The rights of indigenous people, local communities, and the social wellbeing of workers are vital.

Securing the free, prior and informed consent of First Nations peoples before undertaking any mining activities is essential and project proponents must ensure that the benefits are shared with traditional landowners.

2. Protect biodiversity and climate hotspots

We must not repeat the same extractive model that has contributed to climate change. 

Extraction should be limited to areas far away from biodiversity and climate hotspots such as High Conservation Value areas (HCVs), primary forest and Intact Forest Landscapes (IFL), High Carbon Stock forests (HCS), critical natural wetlands, including peatlands, grassland and shrubland ecosystems, and deep sea areas. 

3. Say no to deep sea mining

Deep sea mining has no place in our oceans. The urgent implementation of a global moratorium on deep sea mining is crucial to conserve and protect our marine ecosystems.

Greenpeace has called on vehicle manufacturers to cease sourcing minerals from deep sea mining, and companies such as BMW, Volvo, Volkswagen, Renault and Rivian have already committed to this.  

4. Adopt circular economy principles

Embracing the reuse and recycling of materials can reduce the environmental impacts of mining and extend the life cycle of materials. 

While fossil fuels are burnt once, major battery inputs like lithium and copper can be recycled multiple times. By 2040, recycled materials have the potential to supply over half of the essential elements for new batteries, even with growing battery demand. Large companies with high use rates of minerals, such as electric car company Polestar, have declared their intention to transition to a closed-loop system. This approach must be scaled and accelerated.

5. Invest in innovative technologies

Governments and corporations must support research and development in, and adoption of,   more efficient battery technology that reduces dependence on mined minerals. 

Battery technology is already improving quickly – wind turbine and electric vehicle manufacturers have been successful in reducing the mineral content of their products year on year. According to WWF’s The Future Is Circular report, the rapid evolution of the sector is likely to lead to a significant reduction in the need for minerals per unit manufactured.

6. Reduce the demand for critical minerals

The world after a successful clean energy transition will not resemble the world we know today.

Significant reductions in the demand for critical minerals can be achieved through societal and policy changes. For example, instead of a one-for-one replacement of internal combustion engines with electric vehicles, we must focus on having fewer cars on the road by investing in affordable and accessible public transport, improving micro-mobility infrastructure, and changing societal expectations to include more shared journeys.

Greenpeace aims to foster an informed dialogue around the responsible use of critical minerals. Join us as we embark on this journey to build a cleaner, greener future for Australia and the world.

From August 7-9, more than sixty civil society representatives from across the Pacific came together on the remote island of Kioa for a ‘talanoa’ or discussion as part of the next stage of the Kioa Climate Emergency Declaration.

Over two days, delegates discussed pressing climate issues facing Pacific communities, and progressing the design of a regional finance mechanism, the Kato Pacific Community Climate Fund.

Sepesa Rasili, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said the dialogue highlighted the urgent need for global and regional solutions to the climate crisis.

“Pacific Island nations have been leading the way on a range of climate issues, from the establishment of a Loss and Damage fund at COP27, to calls for a moratorium on Deep Sea Mining, and the historic Pacific-led campaign for an advisory opinion on the human rights impacts of climate change from the International Court of Justice,” he said.

“The Kato Pacific Community Climate Fund is yet another example of Pacific Island leadership and an illustration to the rest of the world of what’s possible when civil society organisations and governments work together with the collective goal of climate justice.

“We are humbled to have been included in this process and remain committed to working alongside our allies in the Pacific and amplifying the demands they have developed in recognition of the unique challenges that the region is facing.

“Greenpeace Australia Pacific will continue to escalate key demands within the Kioa Declaration in recognition of Australia’s position as a global laggard on climate and a major contributor to the climate crisis — that means no new coal, oil and gas approvals and no more fossil fuel subsidies.

“We also call on Minister Penny Wong to make the strongest possible submission to the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion.”

The residents of Kioa island are descendents of Vaitupu in Tuvalu who began migrating to the Fijian island in the 1940’s. They identify as Tuvaluan, and speak and practise the unique language and culture of Tuvalu. Kioa is considered an example of a successful model for future climate migration, one which preserves culture and human dignity.

In his opening address to the conference, Guest of Honour the Hon. Seve Paeniu, the Tuvalu Minister for Finance and Climate Change, said high emitting countries must act to protect Pacific nations from rising seas as a matter of moral principle.

“The Pacific island countries contribute the least to the cause of climate change, and yet we do not only suffer the most damage in terms of the impacts of climate change, but we have to consequently bear the heaviest price in terms of cost of adaptation and mitigation,” he said.

“It is within this context that this Kato conference held in Kioa is very timely and visionary.”

The Kato Fund is seen as a powerful vehicle to amplify the unique challenges and solutions small Pacific communities face, and an opportunity to strengthen collaboration across the region.

The Rainbow Warrior leaves Kioa today for Rabi Island to celebrate International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, before returning to Suva. The ship has been travelling across the Pacific since June, sailing around Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Fiji in solidarity with climate impacted communities and gathering testimonies of climate harm to present to the International Court of Justice.

For more information and a map of Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s Ship Tour: greenpeace.org.au/act/pacific-campaign

—ENDS—

This is how we welcome people into our Pasifika families in the beautiful islands of Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Fiji and it will be the welcome that will be provided to the Rainbow Warrior when she lands on the shores of the Pacific Islands next week.

The Rainbow Warrior will continue its journey to the Pacific — this time, in support of a groundbreaking Pasifika led legal campaign, taking climate harm to the world’s highest court, the International Court of Justice.

Join our campaign for an 8-week inspiring journey where you’ll meet and connect with the most powerful activists and social justice warriors in the world.

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN

We will be collaborating with the most resilient human beings with connections to cultures deeply rooted in respect, trust and love spanning thousands of years. You can also follow our voyage through our interactive map below. 

FOLLOW THE JOURNEY

The beautiful Pacific nations are made up of over 7,500 islands across one quarter of the Earth in the largest ocean in the world. Our Pasifika ancestors were some of the greatest navigators using nothing but stars, planets and constellations. It was and is all about being one with everything around us and our connection with the Moana or Wasawasa – the ocean.  

Greenpeace has a long and proud history of working alongside local communities to protect the oceans, lands, and people of the Pacific.

We will be travelling to Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Fiji to celebrate beautiful cultural traditions and document human rights stories from the impacts of climate change. These accounts will be included as part of the legal case at the International Court of Justice.

The Journey

Stop One: Cairns

The Pacific Campaign Launch. ‘Mura Kalmel Sipa’: Together we stand.

In Cairns, the Rainbow Warrior welcomes First Nations leaders from the Guda Maluyligal in the Torres Strait, Uncle Paul and Uncle Pabai – plaintiffs in the Australian Climate Case who have taken the Australian government to court for failing to protect their island homes from climate change.

Uncle Paul and Uncle Pabai alongside other inspiring Australian climate litigants like Anjali Sharma will travel on the Rainbow Warrior to the Pacific in a show of solidarity with communities around the world taking action into their own hands after decades of government failure to act on climate change.

Stop Two: Port Vila, Vanuatu

“We can change the world if we change the law”.

Vanuatu is the most climate-vulnerable nation in the world and is also one of the most ambitious countries in tackling climate change. 

Greenpeace is bringing climate litigants from around the world together in Port Vila, from Bonaire in the Caribbean to the Philippines and Australia in support of a historic legal climate campaign.

Born in Vanuatu, this ground-breaking legal campaign is taking climate justice to the world’s highest court – The International Court of Justice –  in a case to protect the human rights of those most impacted by climate change and see legal consequences for big polluters.

Stop Three: Erromango, Vanuatu

Bearing witness to loss and damage

Erromango, a culturally rich island in Vanuatu, experienced severe damage from multiple cyclones, including a rare and devastating ‘double cyclone event’ this year. 

Greenpeace will join the Erromango community to celebrate beautiful cultural traditions and document human rights stories of the impacts of climate change, encompassing the rights to life, health, food, water, sanitation, housing, self-determination, culture, and development. 

These accounts will be included as part of the International Court of Justice submission process.

Stop Four:  Funafuti, Tuvalu

Leadership and Solutions from the frontlines of the climate crisis

Tuvalu is an atoll nation with a population of approximately 11,000. ​​Tuvalu’s land rarely exceeds 3m above sea level, making it highly vulnerable to rising sea levels. 

Tuvalu also became famous as the first country in the world to create a digital replica of itself on the metaverse to preserve its culture in the face of climate loss.

Greenpeace will engage with climate leaders and highlight the resilience of Pacific communities who are at the forefront of addressing the climate crisis. 

Greenpeace will offer action training on the Rainbow Warrior ship for local activists.

Stop Five: Suva, Fiji 

Co-powering with communities in the region

Bula! Fiji holds significant diplomatic and economic ties with Australia. It faces severe impacts from intense cyclones, hurricanes, floods, droughts, and extreme temperatures, affecting both its GDP and community resilience. 

The Rainbow Warrior’s return to the Pacific Islands is an opportunity to strengthen relationships with civil society, non-governmental organisations, and allies in the region. Greenpeace’s focus is to collaborate with communities, amplify the visions of climate justice activists, and foster discussion, talanoa, action, and friendship.

Suva, home to the University of the South Pacific, witnessed the birth of this groundbreaking legal campaign bringing climate change to the highest court in the world. To bring this full circle, Greenpeace will co-host a University open day with Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC), who played a vital role in the ICJAO campaign.

Stop Six: Kioa and Rabi, Fiji

Fiji, grappling with climate migration challenges of its own, is home to Kioa and Rabi islands, each with distinct narratives of relocated communities due to the impacts of climate change. 

The Kioa community’s journey, initiated after World War II from Tuvalu’s Vaitupu Island, serves as a global inspiration.

Greenpeace will join leaders, civil society groups, climate impacted individuals, and climate organisations from across the Pacific on Kioa Island for discussions as part of the ongoing Kioa Climate Declaration. 

This grassroots regional initiative places Pacific demands at the forefront of conversations surrounding Loss & Damage. The commitment to a Loss & Damage mechanism at COP27 ensures that funds from the most polluting countries are directed towards supporting developing nations disproportionately affected by the climate crisis.

Following this, the Rainbow Warrior will journey to neighbouring Rabi Island to commemorate World Indigenous People’s Day and stand in solidarity through a candlelit vigil, supporting global climate litigants making submissions to the International Court of Justice. 

Stop Seven: Suva, Fiji

Rainbow Warrior says Sota Tale to the Pacific

Sota Tale, bye for now, to our Pacific friends, allies and leaders whose strength and leadership have inspired us so much during our Pacific tour.

This journey is an opportunity to strengthen relationships and collaborate with communities, amplifying the visions of climate justice activists, and foster discussion, talanoa, action, and friendship.

We will weave together stories from Pacific Island communities and share with the world the unique threats to culture that are being faced, but also the need for collective response on the journey towards climate justice.

Culture and cultural connection for our Pasifika people is what unites us. It’s what makes us different. It’s what defines us, it’s what breathes life or wairua (the spirit of the soul) into us. Our culture is our identity, our culture is our mana, our culture is a significant part of the tapa (fabric) of our lives.

It is about fighting for what is right and creating space for people who are at the front lines of the climate crisis with the most progressive of solutions.

I look forward to bringing you along on this journey merging the cultural pulse of the Pacific with the cultural pulse of Greenpeace itself. Forging a united path across islands and oceans. This journey is about listening, it’s about heart to heart healing. It’s about learning, growing and sharing solidarity with each other. 

I started this blog with something that is severely threatened by climate change and something that we hold close to our beings –  our languages stemming from our beautiful Vanua and fenua (land). I will end this email with the same. There is only one language when it comes to fighting for what is right – the language of the soul.

Tankyu Tumas, Fakafetai Lasi,  Vinaka Vakalevu

Australia is one of 105 nations officially registered as co-sponsors of the resolution, including the United Kingdom, France, and New Zealand. The groundswell of formal support follows the release of the final resolution at the UN General Assembly, where members will soon be asked to refer the matter to the ICJ, the world’s highest court.

It comes as Cyclone Judy lashes the island nation of Vanuatu with evacuations underway, which Pasifika activists say demonstrates the need for transformative, global initiatives that prevent climate harm and protect the human rights of vulnerable peoples. 

Shiva Gounden, Pacific advisor, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “As the people of Vanuatu look ahead yet again to repairing their communities and counting their losses, the support of Australia and other countries around the world will provide hope for a better future.

“Having been part of post-disaster work during Cyclone Winston in Fiji, during Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, and now during Cyclone Judy, I know the scale and pain of intangible losses like burial grounds being washed away, ancestral and cultural land that stood for centuries being completely decimated, and precious ways of life being lost forever.

“To see Australia and nations around the world standing with Vanuatu and Pacific island nations on the frontlines of the climate crisis cannot stop these impacts or end the pain they cause. But it does bring the Pacific Vuvale [family] closer together and show that the world recognises Pacific leadership in driving global solutions from the frontlines.”

Hon Minister Jotham Napat, Vanuatu’s Foreign Minister, said: “While severe Cyclone Judy is today showing no mercy on the people of Vanuatu it is welcoming news that countries are committing to co-sponsor Vanuatu’s UN Resolution on clarifying international climate obligations.”

The long-running campaign for an ICJ advisory opinion linking climate change and human rights began in a university classroom in Vanuatu, before being picked up by the Vanuatu government and put to the UN General Assembly. 

More than 1,500 civil society groups across 130 countries have endorsed the proposal, which is expected to strengthen states’ obligations to protect human rights from the adverse effects of climate change and catalyse more ambitious climate action. 

—ENDS—

Notes

Images of Pasifika activists sailing past the UN HQ to the Statue of Liberty calling for nations to support climate justice through this resolution are available for download here. 

The final resolution has landed at  the UN General Assembly, where members will be asked to refer the matter to the ICJ, the world’s highest court. It is the product of five months of negotiations and consultations, with nations working together to shape the future of climate justice.

It also meets the promise of the long-running campaign which began in a university classroom in Vanuatu. More than 1,500 civil society groups across 130 countries have endorsed the Vanuatu government’s proposal, while dozens of countries have championed the initiative, which is expected to strengthen states’ obligations to protect human rights from the adverse effects of climate change and catalyse more ambitious climate action.

Vishal Prasad, campaigner, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, said: “Our journey to this point has been long. It has had to overcome barriers and challenges. But it has picked up supporters from around the world, from citizens to leaders, all with different backgrounds and experiences but all united by a single mission – climate justice.

“From a classroom in Vanuatu, to the universally recognised seat of power for multilateral action, we have stayed the course to help save the lives, livelihoods, and ways of life of current and future generations.

“The resolution text is a result of months of consultation and negotiation, but importantly, it reflects the calls from young people around the world. Now those calls must be heeded by every member of the United Nations General Assembly by supporting the resolution. Our futures depend on it.”

Katrina Bullock, General Counsel for Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “This advisory opinion was of the utmost importance when it was first proposed by students in the Pacific, and has only become more urgent since.

“The Pacific is on the frontline of the climate crisis, and the IPCC states the window for taking meaningful action is rapidly closing. This is not a matter of global politicking, but of a global imperative.

“The impact of the resolution passing would be groundbreaking and help to tackle some of the greatest challenges every nation and person on earth faces. We are calling on every nation to support the resolution and change the course of climate history.”

Rose Kulak, Climate Justice Campaigner at Amnesty International Australia, said: “This campaign to take the human rights impacts of climate change to the world’s highest court is about recognising that we are at a point where we are now measuring the climate crisis in human lives. Together, we must be bold and ambitious to shape climate action to safeguard human rights to health, food, water, housing, livelihoods and life itself.

“We need governments to urgently change what they are doing, recognise that inaction on climate change amounts to human rights violations, and fully support this crucial step towards better protecting the human rights of present and future generations.”

—ENDS—

Notes

• Images of Pacific activists sailing past the UN HQ to the State of Liberty calling on nations to support climate justice are available for download here

Greenpeace Australia Pacific has two questions we believe Chris Bowen should answer before he jets off for COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Question 1: One of the most prevailing demands of the Pacific nations Australia is looking to co-host COP26 with is for major emitting countries like Australia and the US to financially compensate for the damage caused by climate change. What are the Albanese Government’s plans for addressing loss and damage finance?

Currently, there is no dedicated fund or funding facility for countries experiencing loss and damage. A Loss and Damage Finance Facility has been championed by countries in the developing world including the Pacific since the 1990s, to ensure the mobilisation and coordination of funds for climate-impacted countries. Australia, along with the US and EU has been a historic blocker of such a facility. At COP26 Australia joined the US and EU in doing so again, instead offering The Glasgow Dialogue, a three-year discussion process without clearly defined milestones or outcomes. 

Question 2: The Vanuatu Government is pursuing an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice on the human rights impacts of climate change, which has been offered in-principle support from all members of the Pacific Island Forum, including Australia. Considering that co-hosting a COP requires unprecedented levels of alignment, will Australia vote yes on the advisory opinion?

The International Court of Justice can issue advisory opinions which inform the development of international law. In this case, force governments to consider the human rights impacts of climate policy, which would help compel more ambitious action under the Paris Agreement.

The campaign for an ICJAO has generated global support. It stands on the precipice of a historic vote at the UN General Assembly, where it must secure a majority of votes to be referred to the ICJ.

Ahead of COP27, Germany, New Zealand, Vietnam and several other nations have stepped up as high-level country champions, and advocating for a yes vote at the UNGA. Australia has offered in-principle support as part of the Pacific Islands Forum, but has yet to commit to voting yes.

—ENDS—

First devised in a University of the South Pacific classroom in 2019, the campaign now led by the Vanuatu government is seeking an advisory opinion from the ICJ, the world’s highest court, which would investigate how climate change is affecting the human rights of people and create legal clarity on how to address it.

Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, Uganda, Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, The Federated States of Micronesia, Costa Rica, and Lichtenstein have backed the Vanuatu government’s bid and will continue to publicly support and advocate for it as the matter is put to the UNGA for a vote late 2022-early 2023 before it can be referred to the ICJ.

While Australia endorsed the campaign in principle, pressure is now mounting on the Albanese government to join these countries in stepping up and advocating for the bid. 

Vishal Prasad, Campaigner with Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, said: 

“This campaign began in a small South Pacific University classroom in Vanuatu, a nation on the frontline of the climate crisis where our human rights are under threat. 

“This experience is not limited to the Pacific, with hundreds of millions of people around the world having their human rights impacted by climate change. Today’s announcement that these twelve countries are standing shoulder to shoulder in championing the bid for an ICJ advisory opinion is testament not only to the global impact of the campaign, but in our increasingly unified response to a shared experience. Together, we can establish a global precedent to link human rights and climate change, and protect the rights of current and future generations.”

Sepesa Rasili, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: 

“With climate change causing a human rights crisis, we need global leaders to stand with those hit hardest by the climate crisis, ensure their voices are heard, and act to protect their human rights by voting yes for the resolution for an ICJ advisory opinion resolution at the UN General Assembly.

“It is incredibly disappointing that Australia has not stepped up on the global stage and joined its peers to champion this Pacific-led campaign for climate justice at the UN General Assembly.

“To live up to its promises of reconnecting with its Pacific Vuvale, Australia must give meaning to these pledges and ensure they go beyond words. We call on Australia to be a true Pacific family member and join us on this voyage for climate justice by championing the campaign for an International Court of Justice advisory opinion through COP27 to the vote at the UN General Assembly.” 

Rose Kulak, Climate Justice Campaigner at Amnesty International Australia, said:

“Amnesty International Australia is disappointed that Australia has not yet stepped up to be counted among the champions of a campaign led by Pacific civil society and nations to take the human rights impacts of climate change to the world’s highest court. 

“The impact on human rights by climate change is undeniable, and countries like Australia need to be more ambitious in their goals if we are to protect the rights of present and future generations against the adverse impacts of climate change. Australia must show its intent to be a good global citizen by championing and co-sponsoring the UN resolution for an International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion.”

—ENDS—

Wow, what a journey we have been on with our Pacific Island activist team. After months of training around the Pacific and mobilisations across 12 countries (and on our very own Rainbow Warrior ship), our rockstar GPAP team joined youth and Indigenous activists for an action in New York to encourage world leaders to #VoteYes for climate justice at the UN General Assembly.

______

A rocky start

What this trip revealed is that no matter how much planning you undertake, there are always issues you cannot anticipate.

In the hours leading up to the long flight from Fiji to the USA, we met our first challenge. 

Whilst on his way to the airport, one of our youth activists was involved in a bus accident just 10 minutes outside of Nadi Town. Fortunately he has since been discharged and is steadily recovering at home however it meant that he was unable to continue his journey to the UN General Assembly. Although this was a huge blow to the team, Fane and Broderick reluctantly said their goodbyes and boarded the next flight to New York a few hours later.

New York! New York!

After some much needed rest, from travelling 10 hours across the globe, Fane and Broderick joined our energetic Volunteer Coordinator, Shiva (who had travelled to New York a few days prior) for a briefing with the Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change and other activists on the actions for the week. 

It’s worth noting that this journey started in 2019 when a group of law students from around the Pacific Region, first made a presentation on climate change and the impacts on human rights. It has, since then, prompted more than 1500 civil society organisations and several Governments to join hands with the Vanuatu government in its quest to “clarify the obligations states have under international law to protect the rights of the present and future generations against the adverse impacts of climate change” through a legal opinion from the International Court of Justice.

After a full day of banner preparations and sewing, our team set off at 6am the next day for a Flotilla Action.

Our team were honoured to be welcomed to Country/Land by Owl and Mukaro, who are First Nations elders from Ramapo Munsee Lanape Nation and Taino Tribal Nation, along with volunteers from other cultural backgrounds who joined in solidarity with, and for, the Pacific’s call for climate justice.

First, we sailed down Newton Creek, as an homage to the climate justice fight that New Yorkers have been fighting for decades. More commonly known as the Greenpoint oil spill, it was here that in 1979, an estimated 17 to 30 million gallons of petroleum spilled in the area over 140 years. 

As we sailed down the New York East River towards the UN Headquarters for the second part of the flotilla action, we honoured our ancestors, people and lands with our Pacific chants, songs and dances and called on world leaders to uphold climate pledges made in Rio de Janeiro, Kyoto and Paris.

Vinaka vakalevu and tagio tumas to our coordinator Monica who ensured that our Pacific and first nations people were able to board the larger boats in order to proceed to the Statue of Liberty for the last action of the day.

The next day, we joined a Climate March with “Fridays for Future” where approximately 2000 young activists from around the world joined hands to call on world leaders and demand climate justice. Broderick took charge and led the chanting and music for the Pacific and ACJAO.

It was an emotional experience for our Pacific and First Nations activists, knowing that, in that moment, our struggle for the survival of future generations had reached the hearts and minds of so many across the globe.

Climate Justice Camp

As Broderick and Fane travelled back to Fiji, Varanisese, who was part of our Pacific training program, joined the 350 Youth activists in Tunisia for the The Climate Justice Camp. The week-long camp was attended by over 400 youth climate representatives from over 65 countries around the global south and focused on building intersectional solidarity and developing pathways towards long-term political and systemic change around climate adaptation, justice, access to energy, and loss and damage associated with the disproportionate impacts of the climate crisis.

Although it’s still unclear when exactly a vote will take place, this journey to New York and Tunisia was critical in  ensuring that Pacific and frontline communities are visible and that our voices are heard.

We will continue on this journey and ask everyone to join our Pacific vaka (canoe) in pursuit of climate justice.

[button href=”https://www.greenpeace.org.au/act/pacific-climate-justice-2″ style=”flat” size=”medium” color=”#6aca25″ hovercolor=”#cccccc” textcolor=”#000000″]Sign Our Petition[/button]

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