Global warming is now a global issue and a reality.

Fairtrade movement calls for urgent review of climate action.

9 November 2023 - Today, the Fairtrade Movement is calling on governments, businesses and world leaders to scale up their collective efforts and take bold, immediate, meaningful and comprehensive climate action before it's too late.

With less than a month to go until the UN COP28 Climate Change Conference in the United Arab Emirates, Fairtrade International, the Fairtrade Advocacy Office (FTAO) and the World Fairtrade Organization (WFTO) are jointly calling for financial commitments to be delivered to support countries and communities most exposed to climate risk.

"Climate change can no longer be ignored, nor can the fact that its impacts are both unfair and equitable," said Sophie Aujan, Global Advocacy Director at Fairtrade International. "Our general conclusion is one of disappointment with the world's political leaders. The Fairtrade movement is determined and committed to building a better tomorrow, but the future of our planet depends on all of us. Addressing the climate emergency requires a collaborative approach."

These organizations represent more than two million farmers, producers, workers and artisans in small businesses and cooperatives around the world and are demanding that financial commitments be made to support countries and communities most exposed to climate risk.

"It has become impossible to ignore climate change and its impacts, as well as the fact that its impacts are inequitable and equitable," said Charlotte Vernier, FTAO Senior Coordinator for Climate Change and Deforestation. "Climate justice must be the foundation of all climate action to generate meaningful and sustainable impact, but the window of opportunity is narrowing rapidly and must be seized now."

The Fairtrade movement recognises that climate finance can play a major role in achieving the goals, but current gaps must be fully addressed: "To create meaningful and sustainable impact, it is more urgent than ever to prioritise actions that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while simultaneously helping communities adapt."

They also need to ensure that producers, especially small-scale women farmers, have access to financial products and services tailored to their needs, including flexible repayment terms, low interest rates and simplified application processes.

Finally, the compensation fund agreed at COP27 must not become mired in endless debates about who pays what. The most climate-vulnerable countries are already suffering disproportionately for climate disasters they did not cause.

But Vernier cautions: "While climate finance has an important role to play, it is not a magic wand. A multidimensional approach is needed and is essential to fully understand, prevent and address the consequences of the climate crisis we face." The joint statement makes clear that to achieve real change, global leaders must urgently consider the bigger picture and explore concrete ways to help small farmers, SMEs and artisans transition to climate-resilient practices.

"There can be no climate justice without trade justice, and vice versa," said WFTO CEO Leida Reinhout. "Fair Trade Enterprises are driving the change needed to move away from an economic system based on exploitative and extractive practices to one that is just for people and the planet. Through their business models, they are proving that an alternative exists. If we follow their example, we have a concrete chance of achieving sustainable development."

The active participation of local stakeholders, farmers, workers and communities is essential to the design, prioritization, implementation and monitoring of effective climate tools. “Farmers and farming communities are best placed to identify specific challenges and solutions in their local context,” explains Juan Pablo Solís, Senior Climate and Environment Advisor at Fairtrade International. “Farmers’ expertise and traditional knowledge are important, but unfair market prices and power imbalances in the supply chain make the transition to agroecology out of reach for most farmers.”

"For emerging supply chain laws to be truly transformative, global leaders and policymakers will need to step up efforts to address remaining barriers and effectively link measures that foster decarbonization with the global fight against inequality and poverty," Vernier concludes.