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As we slowly put 2022 behind us, I write this with a heart filled with gratitude – to a memorable year in the climate movement. To briefly recap, we were privy enough to the historic inclusion of the Loss and Damage fund at COP27; more and more insurers and banks are dropping from the East African Crude Oil pipeline and other fossil fuel projects around the world, and we are seeing renewable energy sources spread all over. Overall, the year was solid, topped with many many eventful campaigns and actions from all parts of the globe, organised by our wide climate movement, by 350.org and by our many active partners.
As the new year edges closer and closer, what better way to start it than with a trip across the world? Africa, Canada, Japan, Latin America, and the U.S. Yes, we will be entering the new year with a bang, loaded with exciting plans for each region they’re involved with. Now isn’t that something to look forward to?
Before I go, let’s end the year also celebrating YOU for showing up; opening this newsletter; clicking on links and petitions and taking action to contribute to ending the era of fossil fuels.
Happy holidays to you, and wishing you a blissful New Year!
Why don’t you join our Fossil Free mailing list for all the latest stories on climate organizing from around the world? Stories that matter. Campaigns that inspire. All delivered directly to you every month!
You can’t miss it
Tshepo Peele, 350.org Organiser in South Africa
“My name is Tshepo, and I am an organiser with 350.org in South Africa. A lot of my job is to enable the work of our campaigners and of the local groups we work with – and I support around 30 local groups, giving them training and strategic advice.
In 2023, our plan is to support these local groups to develop continuous and longer term campaigns, to welcome new members and youth and to build sustainable communications strategies for amplifying their projects and wins! We also want to support the groups we already work with to be more independent, financially and strategically, so we can keep growing our network and adding more voices to our climate action stage.”
Eri Watanabe, 350.org Finance Campaigner in Japan
“Hello, I am Eri! This last year was full of wins for us in 350 Japan. We’ve put a lot of energy into trying to stop the money and support of Japanese banks and companies to fossil fuels projects around the world. And we are seeing quite a lot of progress!
We will keep pressure up on Japanese financial institutions in the year ahead. And one of our biggest plans for doing that is to skill up activists all around the country with a Finance Campaigning Training Programme. We want to help them gain skills and network, connect with those in impacted communities and explore different pathways to take action.”
Chris Gusen, Digital Campaigner in Canada
“Hi, there! Chris, from 350 Canada speaking here. After years of pressure, the Trudeau government is signalling that it will put forward Just Transition legislation early in 2023.
We are already preparing for that, and will be ready to push for a bold and ambitious Just Transition Act that matches the scale of the climate crisis and leaves no one behind. 2022 was not shy in showing us the impacts of the climate crisis around here, making it evident once again that delaying climate action is not an option. And we don’t intend to scale down the pressure!”
Maria Victoria Emanuelli, Latin America Campaigner
“Hola, I’m Maria Victoria and I live in Argentina. I’ve been a campaigner for many years now – enough years to know that there is a lot of truth to the saying that ‘together we are stronger’.
In Argentina, in 2022 we focused on research and building awareness over the huge social and environmental costs of fracking in Patagonia. Vaca Muerta is the world’s second-largest shale gas reserve and the fourth-biggest for shale oil reserves. We have also been working closely with the impacted communities in the region of Neuquén, where shale gas and oil are extracted, to keep it in the ground. In the next year, we plan to expand our support to another fight that is emerging in the Atlantic coast of Argentina: the government is planning to build a pipeline and a harbor in the Gulf of San Mathías. We will support them in their fierce opposition now again, and help connect their fight with those in Neuquén and in other countries. Because together, we are indeed stronger!”
Thanu Yakupitiyage, Communications Director in the United States
“Hi, I am Thanu. As a communicator, I see myself as a storyteller. Here in the US, we’ve helped shift narratives and have successfully changed the conversation about the climate crisis.
In the last decade, the climate movement has fought hard to see real climate action and to work to have financial institutions and others divest their holdings from fossil fuels. Now that the Inflation Reduction Act has passed, we have another big task on our hands: to ensure this gets implemented correctly. We have a role to play in how the IRA gets implemented and in 2023, we will focus our energy on putting pressure on politicians and institutions to drive investments in the direction of real solutions!
Pipeline by pipeline, policy by policy, we will take down the fossil fuels industry and build a better and more equitable future. In 2023, we have an enormous opportunity to ensure real and just climate solutions, and phase out fossil fuels – and we need your help for that!”
One to read
How does one really wrap-up a year filled with so many activities?
Well, we got you covered. We took the opportunity to highlight some of the major wins that our movement has managed to achieve for the year 2022.
Through this recap, we hope you can truly marvel at the eventful year and all the action we all were part of! We hope 2023 will have even more extraordinary moments and wins, and that we can keep counting on your support!
Quote of the month
“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
– Dr. Jane Goodall
