Groups Slam 'Corporate Takeover' of UN Climate Summit, Call for System Change [View all]

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http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/09/10/groups-slam-corporate-takeover-un-climate-summit-call-system-change



Representing over 200 million people around the world, groups declare: "To deal with the crisis, we must address the root causes and change the system"

Groups Slam 'Corporate Takeover' of UN Climate Summit, Call for System Change
Sarah Lazare, staff writer
September 10, 2014

Ahead of the 2014 United Nations Climate Summit, which trumpets itself as an event to "catalyze ambitious action," grassroots organizations from around the world are warning that the global gathering, in fact, has been hijacked by corporations that are pursuing "false promises" and "exploiting the tragedy of climate change."

"The undersigned social movements that all together represent more than 200 million people around the world, denounce [the] corporate takeover of the UN and the climate negotiations process and call for a deep systemic change," reads a statement, released Tuesday by international social movement groups, including La Via Campesina, Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, Indigenous Environmental Network, and more.

"There will be no going back from the climate chaos if we do not fight for real solutions and do nothing to confront and challenge the inaction of our governments’ policy-making being hijacked by polluting corporations," the statement continues. "It is crucial for us to unify and strengthen our economic, social and environmental struggles and focus our energies on changing the capitalist system."

But this "capitalist system" will be represented in full force at the upcoming UN summit, which will take place September 23 at the New York City headquarters of the UN. The meeting was convened by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to showcase "government, finance, business, and civil society" solutions to the climate crisis, according to a UN announcement. The summit, which President Obama is expected to attend, will not host negotiations for binding climate commitments, but rather is being billed as a platform for the announcement of voluntary commitments to cut emissions, as well a host of so-called private-public partnerships.