Press Release Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) Bonn, 6.11.2017-Today the Climate Change Conference COP23 Fiji located in Bonn is officially opened. On November 4 and 5, 2017, many elements from civil society organizations and individuals caring for the safety of all living creatures and earth did an action or climate parade with a crowd up to 20,000 people, together they shouted out for climate justice and urged the termination of the use of dirty energy such as coal and Coal Electric Steam Power Plant (Coal PLTU) which have burnt the earth and caused the climate change. On November 5 in coal mining of Hambach, 50 kilometers from the location of COP23, the crowd occupied the coal mining; they come from German activists and other countries urging the same thing. Yuyun Harmono, Climate Justice Campaign Manager of WALHI states “this action is part of our effort in stopping the use of dirty energy and urging the world leaders to take it seriously in dealing with climate change as well as correcting fundamentally the global economy development paradigm leaning toward the dirty and deadly energy like coal is.” The National Executive of WALHI, WALHI South Sumatera, WALHI Babel, WALHI Jambi and WALHI Aceh participate in this two-day action.
Hadi Jatmiko, Director of WALHI South Sumatera states that “many coal mining problems in Indonesia become the undeniable facts, causing the forest destruction and people’s management area, pollution, social cultural and economy crisis, food sources destruction and ecology disaster and climate change”. “Our effort to participate in this global action, many horrible facts on coal mining and coal PLTU and environmental crisis in many regions throughout Indonesia as well as what happens in many parts of the world, so the fighting solidarity and movement alignment are important to conduct” M. Nur, Director of WALHI Aceh emphasizing. “We also urge the world leaders, the government of Indonesia in particular, to stop the false solution in dealing with climate change, including over the restoration which at the end is hijacked by the corporates” said Rudiansyah, Director of WALHI Jambi. “We are aware that environmental crisis and climate change have big impact for the community, especially in the coastline and small islands such as Bangka Belitung. The extractive industry is massively dominating in Coastline and Small Islands, which adds the vulnerability of these areas” explained Ratno Budi, Director of WALHI Bangka Belitung Islands. Eventually, WALHI as part of the Indonesian civil society movement and the global society urge that during the COP 23, the world leaders and in particular the government of Indonesia to seriously discuss the fate of the earth and safety of the people threatened to be affected by the climate change, by taking serious measurements in terminating the use of fossil energy, especially coal, that is dirty and deadly, considering they have the commitment stated in the Paris Agreement. End.
Contact Person: Yuyun Harmono, Climate Justice Campaign Manager WALHI harmono@gmail.com Hadi Jatmiko, Director of WALHI South Sumatera hadi.walhisumsel@gmail.com Rudiansyah, Director of WALHI Jambi rudi.jambi@gmail.com Nur, Director of WALHI Aceh mnur.walhiaceh@gmail.com Budi Ratno, Director of WALHI Babel udaywalhi@gmail.com
