Consisting of 75 charities and organisations from across Britain, the #WaveofHope campaign is calling for countries attending the G7 summit and United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021 (COP26) for greater funding against climate change and social injustice.
Both summits are attended by the wealthiest nations to discuss environmental and social issues.
The Fairtrade Foundation is one organisation participating in the #WaveofHope campaign, which was created by the Crack the Crises coalition. Fairtrade is utilising the platform to rally support for farmers and workers who produce foods and goods across the United Kingdom.
“Living with the reality of the climate crisis every day, our producers recognise the urgent need for global change if their livelihoods are to survive,” says Adam Gardner, Head of Campaigns at the Fairtrade Foundation.
“But due to generations of unfair trade and the legacy of colonialism, millions of the people most affected by the climate crisis cannot earn a living income from their hard work.”
Gardner says that while these people are struggling to earn enough for daily essentials, they cannot also be expected to invest into adapting to crises such as the climate emergency or COVID-19 pandemic.
Illustrator Sakina Saïdi has created a video for the Fairtrade Foundation’s #WaveofHope campaign, designed to be shared on social media platforms. The video aims to highlight the need for climate justice, particularly for farmers and workers.
By sharing the post with the caption “#WaveofHope”, the video is aimed to increase public support and pressure for summit leaders to prioritise these environmental and social issues.
Participants are also encouraged to individually craft their own posters for the campaign.
The Fairtrade Foundation warns nations who are contributing significantly to climate change, that it is crucial for them to investment into global green programs which support communities.
As such, the global Fairtrade community is challenging national leaders across both summits to fund US$100 billion, at a minimum, into a climate finance package or towards communities affected by climate change.
The expertise of farmers and workers who have been impacted by climate change must also be heard and recognised, says Fairtrade. The foundation states that these people “on the front line of climate crises” should take a leading role in deciding how the funds are spent.
While the climate crises affects everyone, more than 50 per cent of total carbon emissions is produced by the top 10 per cent of the highest earners globally. Despite this, it is those with low range incomes who are being hit hardest by climate change.
“World leaders at the G7 need to understand that it’s not possible to effectively tackle the climate crisis, without climate justice for farmers and a serious commitment to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale,” says Gardner.
“Wealthier nations like the UK are responsible for, and have benefited from, the global systems that have caused the climate crisis and the crisis of extreme global injustice. So, we need to tell our politicians it’s time to own up to our responsibilities.”
For more information on #WaveofHope please click here.
