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Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson delivered a global verdict on the human cost of climate change today. The judgment was passed at the world’s first international climate hearing during Humanitarian Day at the Copenhagen UN Climate Summit.

Reacting to business leaders’ proposals on climate change, Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam International said:

The G20 leaders’ summit has made welcome progress in tackling the refugee crisis while also taking tentative steps towards addressing the gap between rich and poor. However, the G20 has done little to build momentum toward an ambitious climate deal.

Ahead of the G20 Summit in Rome, Italy, Oxfam calls on G20 leaders to take urgent action to dramatically scale up manufacturing and access to COVID-19 vaccines around the world, promote a fair economic recovery, fight hunger, lower dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, and help the poorest countries adapt to the climate change already happening.

At the end of the G20 Summit in Rome, Italy, Oxfam panned the lack of bold and effective action from the world leaders at such an important moment in the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In failing to tackle climate change with urgency, rich countries are effectively violating the human rights of millions of the world’s poorest people.

The worst flooding the Philippines has seen in decades highlights the urgent need for US leadership to push UN climate change negotiations in Bangkok forward to help ensure the best chance of securing a global climate treaty in Copenhagen.

“The G20 reiterated previous commitments to reduce inequality, boost the participation of women in work and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. The G20 said they would draw up a proper response to the refugee and migrant challenge next year, which is too late. The world needs urgent action now, not more words.”

On Robin Hood tax/financial transaction tax Speaking at the G20 finance ministers meeting, Max Lawson, Oxfam spokesperson, said: “While the G20 squabbles, poor people from Greece to Ghana

In response to the decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Grand Chamber’s first-ever climate-related cases (Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and Others, and Carême v. France), Evelien van Roemburg, Head of Oxfam’s European Union office said: “European judges have ruled that a government’s failure to do enough to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions violates its population’s human rights. This is a positive step and allows people to require their governments to put in place effective climate regulations and carbon budgets. But the judges did not challenge Switzerland’s decision to give itself almost three more decades to reach net zero emissions, even though people around the world are being harmed now by the climate crisis.”