[Vision2020] 'Greta Thunberg et. al. "At Davos we will tell world leaders to abandon the fossil fuel economy'"

[Ted Moffett]

 'At Davos we will tell world leaders to abandon the fossil fuel economy'
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/davos-abandon-fossil-fuel-economy-climate-change-greta-thunberg/

"Anything less than immediately ceasing these investments in the fossil
fuel industry would be a betrayal of life itself," writes Greta.
-----------------

We have just entered a new decade, a decade where every month and every day
will be absolutely crucial in deciding what the future will look like.
Towards the end of January, chief executives, investors and policymakers
will gather in Davos for the 50th anniversary of the World Economic Forum
<https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/26/davos-2019-10-things-we-learned-at-the-world-economic-forum>
.

Young climate activists and school strikers from around the world will be
present to put pressure on these leaders.

We demand that at this year’s Forum, participants from all companies,
banks, institutions and governments immediately halt all investments in
fossil fuel exploration and extraction, immediately end all fossil fuel
subsidies and immediately and completely divest from fossil fuels.

We don’t want these things done by 2050, 2030 or even 2021, we want this
done now – as in right now.

We understand and know very well that the world is complicated and that
what we are asking for may not be easy. But the climate crisis is also
extremely complicated, and this is an emergency. In an emergency you step
out of your comfort zone and make decisions that may not be very
comfortable or pleasant. And let’s be clear – there is nothing easy,
comfortable or pleasant about the climate and environmental emergency.

Young people are being let down by older generations and those in power. To
some it may seem like we are asking for a lot. But this is just the very
minimum of effort needed to start the rapid sustainable transition. The
fact that this still – in 2020 – hasn’t been done already is, quite
frankly, a disgrace.

Yet, since the 2015 Paris agreement
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/13/climate-change-deal-agreed-paris>,
33 major global banks have collectively poured
<https://www.ran.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Banking_on_Climate_Change_2019_vFINAL1.pdf>
$1.9tn (£1.5tn) into fossil fuels, according to Rainforest Action’s report.
The IMF concluded that in 2017 alone, the world spent $5.2tn subsidising fossil
fuels
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/01/fossil-fuel-subsidy-cash-pay-green-energy-transition>.
This has to stop.

The world of finance has a responsibility to the planet, the people and all
other species living on it. In fact, it ought to be in every company and
stakeholder’s interest to make sure the planet they live on will thrive.
But history has not shown the corporate world’s willingness to hold
themselves accountable. So it falls on us, the children, to do that. We
call upon the world’s leaders to stop investing in the fossil fuel economy
that is at the very heart of this planetary crisis. Instead, they should
invest their money in existing sustainable technologies, research and in
restoring nature. Short-term profit should not trump long-term stability of
life.

The theme of this year’s gathering in Davos is “stakeholders for a cohesive
and sustainable world <http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AM20_Overview.pdf>”.
According to the Forum’s website, leaders will meet to discuss ideas and
improve our global progress on climate change. Our request to them is
perhaps not so far-fetched considering that they say they understand and
prioritise this emergency. Anything less than immediately ceasing these
investments in the fossil fuel industry would be a betrayal of life itself.
Today’s business as usual is turning into a crime against humanity. We
demand that leaders play their part in putting an end to this madness. Our
future is at stake, let that be their investment.

• Greta Thunberg <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/greta-thunberg>
is a 17-year-old environmental campaigner from Stockholm, Sweden. This
article was co-written with youth climate activists Jean Hinchliffe,
Australia; Danielle Ferreira de Assis, Brazil; Joel Enrique Peña Panichine,
Chile; Robin Jullian, France; Luisa Neubauer, Germany; Licipriya Kangujam,
India; David Wicker, Italy; Julia Haddad, Lebanon; Oladosu Adenike,
Nigeria; Iqbal Badruddin, Pakistan; Arshak Makichyan, Russia; Holly
Gillibrand, Scotland; Alejandro Martínez, Spain; Isabelle Axelsson, Sweden;
Sophia Axelsson, Sweden; Ell Jarl, Sweden; Mina Pohankova, Sweden; Linus
Dolder, Switzerland; Vanessa Nakate, Uganda; Tokata Iron Eyes, USA

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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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