- At COP29, Indigenous leaders and climate campaigners launched two critical campaigns to underscore the urgent need for wealthy nations and billionaires to take responsibility for funding climate solutions through the launch of The Tax Their Billions Dossier and the Energy of the People campaign.
- The campaigns coincided with finance day at COP where country negotiators will be discussing how to deliver the trillions needed from wealthy countries to fund the just transition and tackle the climate crisis.
Energy of the People is a community-led, decolonial campaign for energy justice in the Brazilian Amazon. It advocates for policies that increase access to clean, reliable energy while ensuring Indigenous rights are respected and protected. The campaign highlights how Indigenous and traditional people are pioneering renewable energy solutions in the region, offering a model for a just energy transition that prioritizes the needs and rights of those most affected by the climate crisis. In the Amazon, many communities still rely on diesel-powered generators for just a few hours of electricity each day.
At the same conference, campaigners launched the Tax Their Billions Dossier, calling out eight billionaires for their extreme wealth and the disproportionate role they play in the climate crisis. The Tax Their Billions Dossier targets ultra-wealthy figures such as Bernard Arnault, the Batista Brothers, and the heirs of the BMW fortune, who are accused of paying far less in taxes than their fair share while profiting from industries that fuel the climate emergency. According to the dossier, progressive taxes on extreme wealth could unlock trillions of dollars to help governments in the Global North finance both domestic and international climate efforts, with a focus on supporting vulnerable communities in the Global South.
Speaking at the press conference Nicolas Haeringer, Associate Director of Movement Support at 350.org said:
“Global North governments here in Baku are reluctant to pay their fair share, pretending that doing so would burden ordinary people in their countries. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The problem is a lack of political will. There is a very simple yet efficient way to get there – by taxing the super rich. It’s a great way to achieve climate justice, not just because of resources they have available, but because they are directly responsible for social ecological destruction and climate change. We have launched the Tax Their Billions Dossier to show how and why this would work.”
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
