Subject: Request to support the indigenous peoples threatened with imminent and serious harm by the Santa Rita Hydroelectric Dam in Guatemala
Dear Special Rapporteur Tauli-Corpuz, the undersigned organizations respectfully write to you to bring your attention to the Santa Rita hydroelectric dam in Guatemala. The dam was registered as a project under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) – established under the UN’s Kyoto Protocol – in June 20141. Numerous violations against the indigenous Q’eqchi´ and Poqomchí communities have been reported prior to and since project approval, most recently in violent incidents from 14 to 16 August 2014 resulting in several injuries and deaths.
ENGLISH The Santa Rita Hydroelectric Plant in the Dolores River in the Alta Verapaz region in Guatemala was registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project in June 2014. The communities living in the Alta Verapaz region are completely dependent on the water of the river for their livelihoods. The Guatemalan Agreement on Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples …
Read more “Fact Sheet – Santa Rita, CDM Hydro Dam in Guatemala”
24 February 2015
Subject: Promoting human rights in all climate actions – EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy
Dear Mr Lambrinidis, the undersigned organisations urge you to include in the updated EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy an objective for the EU to pursue a human rights based approach in all areas of its external action without exception, including climate change related activities. Climate change is a global injustice to present and future generations, and one of the greatest human rights challenges of our time. We are highly concerned about the grave harm that climate change is already causing both in Europe and beyond, and will continue to cause, to people and communities as well as to the environment on which we all depend.
The Movement 10 of April M10 makes public its rejection to the last activities taking place as the de facto entrance of machinery and excavators to the riverbed of our Tabasará River which we defend against these non consulted projects with the community, specifically the Hydroelectric Project Barro Blanco whose promoter is Generadores del Istmo S.A. GENISA.
The Alliance for Conservation and Development (ACD) ratifies its position expressed in the commentaries that we sent last year in relation to the validation of the Barro Blanco project on the part of AENOR, and as much laments that the promoter of the project as the Government of Panama would seem to be abusing the validation system of the CDM when retiring and to return to present a project that already had been put previously under a validation process. This practice seems irregular and would seem to us to indicate an excessive interest of the promoter to capitalize over what should be instead an international mechanism for the reduction of greenhouse gas emmissions. Also, we lamented the interest of the European Investment Bank (EIB) to finance a project that seemed not to satisfy the additionality requirement and that in addition, has been implied in the violation of human rights of the Ngöbe population and peasants of the Republic of Panama.
The communities next to the Tabasará river as much as those of Bellavista, Veladero and Cerro Viejo and in the district of Tolé (in the Province of Chiriquí), as those of Bakama in the district of Müna (in the indigenous region of Ngöbe Buglé) live intimately interrelated with Rio Tabasará from time immemorial of the colony.
Fighting against climate change and fighting for sustainable development are two sides of the same coin – one will not prosper without the other. It must be made clear to world leaders shaping the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that without an ambitious climate goal, the post-2015 sustainable development agenda cannot reap success.
In Lima, Carbon Market Watch together with local Indian launched the ‘CDM Benefit Tracker India’, an interactive map that compares the sustainable development objectives outlined in CDM project application documents with eye witness accounts from local communities. Project owners have now been invited to comment on the results that find severe discrepancies between claims and local realities.
The event “Pitfalls Of Hydropower Project To Meet Climate And Sustainability Objectives”, held at the COP20 Mountains and Water Pavilion, gave participants the opportunity to listen to first hand experiences of affected communities in Guatemala, Panama and Colombia.
Brussels/Lima 8 December 2014, today the ‘CDM Benefit Tracker India’ will be launched in Lima, Peru. The Tracker compares eye witness accounts of local communities with sustainability objectives of CDM projects and finds severe discrepancies between claims and local realities. Local groups are now calling on countries in Lima to establish monitoring and verification provisions …
Read more “Press Advisory: Carbon Offsetting Benefit Tracker launched to showcase local reality of CDM projects”
