Climate finance is needed urgently by the people of the South to enable them to deal with the impacts of climate and pursue an alternative development pathway for equitable and sustainable societies. Climate finance is part of the reparations for the climate debt that northern countries owe the South for causing the climate crisis. It is also an obligation of North countries (“Annex 1”) under the UNFCCC. Climate justice movements have been advancing demands and proposals regarding 1) the scale and nature of climate finance, 2) sources, 3) a global climate fund, 4) allocation and use. However, climate finance is also being used to promote policies and projects that are harmful to communities, workers, farmers, fishers, indigenous peoples, women and other marginalized groups. From the local to global there are many struggles and campaigns resisting and protesting so called climate projects.

This Climate Finance Action Alert aims to facilitate collective and coordinated actions on climate finance issues.

TO THE TRANSITION COMMITTEE OF THE UNFCCC: NO WORLD BANK ROLE IN THE GREEN CLIMATE FUND

A new global climate fund that will be responsible for managing and disbursing climate finance for the South is vital and has been the subject of climate justice campaigns and of international climate negotiations. A key demand of climate justice campaigners as well many South countries (“developing countries”) is that the World Bank not be given a role in this new global climate fund given its track record in harmful projects and policies, undemocratic structures and operations, its neoliberal development paradigm, and its involvement in dirty energy.

One of the “decisions” of the Conference of Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC last December 2010 in Cancun was to set up the “Green Climate Fund” or GCF. A “Transition Committee” was formed with the task of drafting a proposed design for the GCF and submitting it for action at the next COP in Durban, South Africa in December 2011. Further, the World Bank was appointed as “trustee” of the Fund for the “interim period.”

The Transition Committee had its first meeting last April 28 to 29, and a major issue that sparked debate was the role of the World Bank in the Technical Support Unit (TSU) of the Transition Committee. A number of developing country members of the TC clearly stated their position that the World Bank not be given an influential role in the TSU and in the regular structures and operations of the Green Climate Fund itself. This position has been strongly articulated by many movements and civil society groups in various statements addressed to the UNFCCC and the Transition Committee.

It is urgent and vital that climate justice movements and all concerned groups and citizens take action in to intervene in this process, with the aim of
· Expressing opposition to the World Bank being appointed Trustee of the Green Climate Fund in the interim period; Preventing the World Bank from being given any further role in the Green Climate Fund
· Raising greater awareness of the World Bank’s harmful policies, projects, paradigm of development
· Promoting demands and alternatives regarding the design of the Green Climate Fund

To these ends, we urge you to join us for immediate actions this coming week. On July 12 to 13, the Transition Committee will be holding its Second Meeting. In the days leading up to the meeting, we invite you to:
1. Join an email action addressing members of the Transition Committee. Open the link: (www.worldbankoutofclimate.org/?p=536) and sign and send the email. The email is urging members of the Transition Committee not to give the World Bank a role in the GREEN CLIMATE FUND
2. Send letters addressed to the Ambassadors of Mexico, South Africa and Norway in your cities. These countries are the Co-Chairs of the Transition Committee. Please find attached a template you can use.
3. Send letters to the editor of your newspapers expressing your concerns as citizens.

Jubilee South - Asia/Pacific Movement on Debt and Development * Africa Jubilee South * Pan African Climate Justice Alliance * Third World Network * European Network on Debt and Development (EURODAD) * LDC Watch * South Asian Alliance for Poverty Eradication * South East Asia Fishers for Justice (SEAFish) * Migrants Forum Asia (MFA) * NGO Forum on the ADB * World Development Movement UK * Jubilee Debt Campaign UK * Jubilee Scotland * Jubilee USA Network * Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns – USA * Slett U-landsgjelda (SLUG) Norway * Campagna per la Riforma della Banca Mondiale (CRBM) Italy * Alliance Sud - The Swiss Coalition of Development Organisations Switzerland * ATTAC Japan * Daughters of Mumbi Kenya * EquityBD Bangladesh * VOICE Bangladesh * International Campaign on Climate Refugees' Rights (ICCR) Bangladesh * Bangladesh Krishok Federation (Farmers movement) * SUPRO Bangaldesh * Unnayan Onneshan Bangladesh * KRuHA Indonesia * WALHI/Friends of the Earth Indonesia * Koalisi Anti Utang (KAU) Indonesia * Serikat Petani Indonesia (SPI) * Solidaritas Perempuan (SP) Indonesia * Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR) Indonesia * National Hawkers Federation India * Indian Social Actin Forum India * Himalaya Niti Abhiyan (HNA) India * Monitoring Sustainability of Globalization Malaysia * National Network on Right to Food Nepal * Campaign for Climate Justice Network Nepal * Rural Reconstruction Nepal * General Federation of Nepalese Trade Union (GEFONT) * Freedom from Debt Coalition Philippines * Tambuyog Philippines * Kalayaan Philippines * Makabayan Pilipinas * AMA Philippines * Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum * Center for Environmental Justice / Friends of the Earth Sri Lanka * Kenya Debt Relief Network (KENDREN)