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NewsDay

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Climate action coalitions for sustainable development

Opinion & Analysis
Collective climate change interventions in developing countries are usually disjointed, sporadic and disintegrated due to unperceived self-interests, toxic political allegiances and the desire to lead and become number one.

Collective climate change interventions in developing countries are usually disjointed, sporadic and disintegrated due to unperceived self-interests, toxic political allegiances and the desire to lead and become number one. Guest column with Peter Makwanya

The magnitude of the climate change problem can no longer be won outside group efforts, coalitions and alliances for sustainable climate development.

This can only be realised through countries concerned with nurturing, in utmost good faith, viable and versatile climate action coalitions.

Climate action coalitions facilitate the bringing together of multiple organisations with integrated and co-ordinated efforts and actions on pressing national climate concerns.

These co-ordinated climate action coalitions invest significantly in nurturing the climate voice, to engage responsible authorities to put firm footprints in attempts to curb climate injustices perpetrated by the largely untouchables in the corridors of power, drunk with power and influence.

The current and existing forms of climate sinning need to be confronted head-on. Unfortunately, authorities in developing nations, in their wildest of imaginations, think that they can go it alone, leaving out some important stakeholders in their own countries.

These are none other than concerned environmentalists and groups, who are typically green at heart, but lack support from those in authority.

In our dear country, I have not heard of any group condemning massive forest destructions that are currently taking place, criticising organisations and industries that deposit toxic industrial affluent into streams, rivers and dams, leaving only the government to comment here and there.

But it always ends where it started and no action will be taken further. The government loves this kind of scenario, as it will be seen as the only voice of reason, yet it is not.

We are not seeing environmental groupings, if there are any, speaking against various forms of environmental injustices currently unfolding.

Is it that these nature groups are denied platforms to articulate their concerns or they are simply non-existent or that they are pre-occupied with other issues that are not environmental in nature, while leaving the environment at the mercy of trigger happy eco-freaks.

Local councils, towns and cities remain quiet as politically connected land barons terrorise urban councils into submissions so that they venture into unsustainable urban expansions and unorthodox building practices, destroying natural ecosystems, such as urban wetlands in the process.

This is where climate action coalitions should come in and make their voices heard, or even sue those involved in the sham practices.

Climate action coalition groups should, indeed, lead the way and be defenders of the environment.

We don’t seem to have grassroot activists who appear to know what to offer in terms of climate protection.

There has not been any major outcry against the parcelling out of urban land that will end up unlocking lots of carbon into the atmosphere, thereby accelerating the rate of global warming.

Climate coalitions invest in their sustainable green voices and actions in order to promote climate stability.

Climate action coalitions are there to demonstrate the kind of actions needed to respond to the climate crises.

Climate action coalitions should be the change that environmentalists have been dearly looking for.

All this enables climate action coalitions to nurture climate-awareness in information starved citizens. That climate change has become the most notable issue locally and internationally, does not seem to worry responsible authorities much.

Climate action coalitions made up of relevant government ministries and authorities, universities, civic organisations, local environmental stalwarts, religious organisations and traditional leaders as well as local communities are in a very good position to influence domestic climate interventions.

Climate change, as an interdisciplinary issue comprising multiple sectors and stakeholders, has to appeal to a variety of contexts, settings, situations and policy pronouncements.

It is also within the concerned authorities’ frame of reference as well as their key result area to seriously consider the role of climate action coalitions for a sustainable future.

Unpolluted climate action coalitions are necessary in capturing and forging interactive learning platforms and alliances with the prevailing established coalition groups.

The composition of these groups into a wide range of actors will hasten to shape climate change advocacy and networking into formidable stables with context specific skills.

These closely knit and interwoven climate-based action groups would promote issues of perspective and sustainable world views, shared values and consensus utilisations.

The establishment of climate coalition groups is not meant to deconstruct existing government operational parameters, but would seek to merge the groups into one and formidable national voice.

Therefore, these climate action coalitions would fall under the large picture of parent ministries for consistency and continuity sakes.

These State boundaries are significant and necessary in managing ensuing related conflicts based on suspicions and role duplications.

Even the establishment and creation of new alliances would enable them to fall within the recognised framework of the existing climate based action coalitions.

Finally, sustainably established climate coalition groups would do a lot to shape the politics of climate change.