International League of Peoples' Struggles
Speech of ILPS Chairperson Len Cooper during the webinar “COP28 Dubai: What’s in Store for the Peoples and Masses?” last December 1, 2023
Thank you to the ILPS commissions No.10 and No. 13, and the Global Peoples Caravan, for the invitation. Welcome to everyone to this important webinar.
Yet another COP conference, supposedly to deal with the climate crisis, is here. This time COP 28. This is the 28th such conference of world leaders and other participants. This process began more than 30 years ago.
Despite that approximately 30 years, what is the real situation today, that faces the people of the world in the looming climate catastrophe?
Some time ago, scientists were worried that the world would reach or exceed 1.5 degrees of global warming in 20 years or so. Now they are concerned that it will be within 10 years or maybe sooner.
What do the scientists predict will happen if, or when, that 1.5 degrees global warming is reached?
They predict sea level rise, biodiversity loss, extreme weather, food shortages, total system collapse, that is climate catastrophe, all of this putting the lives of billions of people and umpteen non-human species at great risk.
These predictions are becoming more obviously correct each day, witnessed already, by extreme fires, floods and droughts and people being driven, or preparing to be driven, from their homes and countries by sea level rise.
What is the main cause of these frightful developments?
It is in part the continued use of fossil fuels, the expanded use of fossil fuels, and the greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution, created partly as a result of their use.
What do the workers, peasants, other toilers across the globe, and the poor countries in particular face, what will they face and in fact what are they now facing as a result of global warming?
Loss of land, loss of income and employment, being driven out of their home and home country, loss of life, loss of food and food security, being forced to be a refugee, extreme fires, floods and droughts, the loss of their democratic and human rights and so on. The (UNHCR) the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, states that millions of people have already been internally displaced or sought refuge in other countries, as a result of climate change conditions.
Previous COP meetings over 30 years have failed to deliver the results required. Why?
Because capitalism is the dominant force in the world today and capitalism is frantically driven by the need for super profits and by greed, it is not concerned for the plight of the masses. Capitalism has developed into monopoly capitalism, into imperialism, and it will not make the changes required without being forced to by the people, by the workers, peasants and other toilers of the world.
Will capitalism stop fossil fuel production and mining? no it will not. Will capitalism stop the rape and plunder of the third worlds people and countries? no it will not. Previous COP conferences have produced modest emissions targets, and many tongue-in-cheek promises, but they are too little and too pathetic, and even these meagre promises and targets are, in the main, not carried out.
COP 28 will also be pathetic.
Add to this overall situation, the horrors currently being faced in the world by military aggression and fascism, by imperialism, in such places as the Middle East, Ethiopia, Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Philippines, Palestine and other places, including the environmental damage being done by imperialist aggression and war.
We need a united front, and mass movement of the world’s people in country after country to replace the current ‘for profit and greed” rulers and governments.
The demand for an urgent end to fossil fuel production and utilisation, and an urgent end to greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutions, and an urgent injection of the funds to aid the people and governments in poor countries, are some of the urgent requirements.
Imperialism, and its constant drive for super profits, its domination by the commitment to neo-liberal economics and politics, will not meet these and other requirements to fight back against the climate crisis, a crisis that imperialism and its system itself, has created.
Only the people of the world, in country after country, can force the changes required. As you are helping to do in COP28 @Dubai.
Your commitment to mobilising the vulnerable and poor communities who are already facing the onslaught of severe weather events and in many places being driven from their homes and countries, not only by climate change, but also by imperialist aggression and war is fundamental.
The farce of COP28, in the current situation, is further demonstrated by the U.S. Government pushing for the world bank to become the host of the” loss and damage” climate change funds.
The World Bank is one of the very institutions that is used by U.S, imperialism to profit from the people’s and governments of the world, and particularly by driving the programme of neo-liberalism which for decades and decades has robbed the people and governments of the poor countries and even other governments dominated by the U.S.
This proposal would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious.
Only mass mobilisation of the people, demanding and fighting for the urgent actions that are required to provide us a chance to solve the climate crisis, can produce the results necessary.
The young people of the world have been showing us the way in this regard.
Only in this way will we do what science correctly requires to be done to solve the climate crisis.
At the same time, we need to further expose the need to defeat the imperialist governance of the world, and replace it with governance by the united front of working people, peasants and other toilers.
Instead of domination by the profit motive and greed, we would then be governed by the people’s needs and the” common good “thus replacing capitalism with socialism.
Long live the growing anti global warming movement!
Long live the struggle against imperialism!
Long live international solidarity!
Change the system to save the planet!
