EcoRes Forum: Climate Justice Call for Action

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The EcoRes Forum Call for Action Achieving Global Climate Justice in the 21^st Century

Our Vision
We, an international group of academics and activists, scientists and social justice advocates, government and community leaders, professionals and concerned citizens, assembled on the EcoRes Forum virtual platform in April 2007 to discuss the ethical, political, and socio-cultural aspects of climate change and to forge a common vision and action plan.

We hereby commit ourselves to the development and implementation of a climate justice agenda for the 21st century, and we call upon the world's citizens to join with us in this commitment.

Specifically we commit to the following:

To strengthen the ties between the developed countries and the poorer countries and to work collaboratively across geographical, cultural, religious, and political borders to alleviate the impacts of climate change;
To urge all relevant parties to take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gases as rapidly as possible in order to minimize the impact of climate change;
To make the issues of climate change and climate justice a top priority, not only during this crucial window of opportunity, but also over the coming decades when we will have to confront the increasing impacts of climate change;
To take a systems approach in dealing with the many-faceted issues connected to and exacerbated by the climate crisis, including issues concerning public health, the alleviation of poverty, food security, social and material equity, and much more;
To develop communication, diplomatic and intercultural sensitivity skills in order to help all human beings achieve a better understanding of the risks and uncertainties associated with global climate change, as well as potential options for addressing and managing the risks;
To leverage our collective abilities and advantages, taking practical action using the tools and knowledge currently available, while continuing to explore and refine related philosophical and theoretical foundations;
To foster the idea of world citizenship, with its accompanying privileges and benefits, rights, and responsibilities;
To raise awareness about the socio-cultural dimensions of climate change and climate justice by reaching across geographical, cultural, religious, and political borders in an effort to build enduring bridges among global stakeholders who will be most impacted by climate change;
To forge a common vision and action plan for moving forward in addressing these issues, whether individually, socially, politically or economically, by adopting a transdisciplinary, multi-track, multi-level approach that involves and empowers global stakeholders;
To seek out and promote specific rationales, actions, and policies aimed at mitigating the intensity of future climate change and reducing its adverse impacts on vulnerable socioeconomic and ecological systems, at all levels ranging from the global to the local;
To mobilize our combined resources, knowledge, and wisdom to deal with the many-faceted aspects of the climate crisis; to bring these aspects to the attention of our communities, leaders, decision makers, scientists, and youth, for this generation as well as for future generations; to call public attention to the many aspects of the climate crisis and stimulate public debate and discussion about key issues, and engage the public in determining and implementing climate solutions; to call for the commitment of societal and economic resources to meet the needs of the climate crisis; and
To focus on not only minimizing the negative aspects of social injustice, but also promoting and acting on the positive elements of sustainable socio-cultural, environmental, and economic practices, to share our vision of a new world in which global citizens will work together to combat the clear evidence of growing unsustainability at all levels, including poverty, social inequity and environmental degradation, and to demonstrate that our combined wisdom and effort can have lasting positive effects towards fostering a more sustainable future on our increasingly interdependent planet.

With the above in mind, we call upon leaders in each of the following areas to take action to the fullest extent of their abilities and in all possible capacities.

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