Nov 17 report back –.This week thousands of people took nonviolent direct action in San Francisco to block the at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Earlier in the week, thousands of allies gathered together in downtown San Francisco to march on the Moscone Center and deliver our demands. And a big action on Wednesday confronted President Biden and other world leaders – forcing a high-profile meeting between president Biden and President Xi of China to be held way out of town. And we were definitely in the faces (and in the minds) of CEOs and staff from the world’s biggest polluters – like Exxon, Shell, BP, and Chevron.
This week’s actions blocked numerous heads of state and thousands of corporate delegates from negotiating deals that would trade away our future by allowing more expansion and use of fossil fuels in the face of the deepening climate crisis. The timing was perfect as we compared trade deals to expand fossil fuel extraction, use and exports with three new reports out from the United Nations, the United States, and impartial observers, all of which make it plain that President Biden and other leaders are still trading away our future. And thanks in part to all that action and attention, we’re hearing the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) trade deal is on hold.
While all our actions were peaceful and non-violent, one comrade was violently assaulted by a delegate. She faces substantial medical bills and needs our community’s help. Please donate here to support her full recovery. You can share any of the links on this page to spread the word about our actions this week.
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About those climate reports
Nov 14 update – On this date, three new reports were released that show how the United States, and the rest of the world, are far off track from meeting the promises we made under the Paris climate agreement, and which President Biden has frequently re-iterated. There’s a nice write up in today’s Washington Post, so we won’t try and recap all three in detail but here’s the gist:
There are a lot of new climate reports being released right now because the international climate talks start in a few weeks. Countries that signed the Paris Climate Agreement are required to report on their progress so far, and release new and updated plans at that meeting. So governments like the US’, the United Nations, and interested parties are all tallying up their emissions, climate impacts, and measuring them against the promises to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius; And Biden’s more-specific promises to cut US emissions 50% by 2030 and to “net zero” by 2050.
Today’s three reports and findings are:
A New United Nations report finds that countries are:
[T]aking baby steps to avert the climate crisis. And it shows why governments must make bold strides forward at COP28 in Dubai, to get on track.
https://unfccc.int/news/new-analysis-of-national-climate-plans-insufficient-progress-made-cop28-must-set-stage-for-immediate
Specifically, the UN report finds that if all countries (including the US) stopped with implementation of existing policies (like the Inflation Reduction Act) the result will be a nine percent INCREASE in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Meanwhile, the Biden Administration’s own fifth annual National Climate Assessment quantifies how badly climate chaos is costing America. Specifically:
The US now experiences, on average, a billion-dollar weather or climate disaster every 3 weeks
https://nca2023.globalchange.gov/
This assessment is compiled by the White House every few years and provides Congress and other US policy makers an accounting of how much climate change is costing us, and how much it will cost to adapt, fix, or address it.
The final report out today is not by the United Nations or the United States. Instead it’s an assesment by a bunch of non-profits and independent scientists, many of whom were big supporters of the Inflation Reduction Act. Even those optimistic people find that the US and the rest of the world are ‘woefully off track’ on 41 goals. Specifically the report finds:
[R]ecent progress toward 1.5°C-aligned targets isn’t happening at the pace and scale necessary
https://www.wri.org/research/state-climate-action-2023
The only category we’re on-track for is adoption of electric vehicles –which has a lot to do with recent gains made by the UAW and US auto companies.
So, that’s the Bad News. But what are we going to do about it? If you’re near enough to San Francisco, make a plan to join us tomorrow to shut down the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum. That’s the day that President Biden and President Xi of China —the Presidents of the two largest climate change polluters on the planet — are scheduled to meet. If you can’t make it tomorrow, sign on here for updates and a report-back later this week, & use the links below to share the news. And, as always, if you can chip in $1.98 or more to support our ongoing work, we’d be grateful.
October invite & APEC context
This November in San Francisco, the United States and 20 countries are convening the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum. There will be a CEO summit with more than 1200 corporations including the CEOs of Exxon, Chevron, Citibank, and more. And President Biden will welcome more than 20 heads of state to a summit that includes President Xi Jinping of China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines.
Officials in San Francisco have dubbed it the “Super Bowl of World Economies.” We’re calling it an orgy of corporate polluters and climate deniers. If you’re in California, or can get to the Bay area November 11-18, click here to RSVP and join us in the streets. If you can’t make it, click here to donate and support those who can – or, use this toolkit to share on social media.
APEC will have major impacts on the climate crisis, the global economy, human rights, worker rights and more for decades to come. Meanwhile, as corporate CEOs and lobbyists rub elbows with President Biden and world leaders, the people have been completely shut out of these discussions.
There is a long history of mass resistance to the corporate state — from the Battle in Seattle to the anti-war shutdown of San Francisco in 2003 to Trump’s 2017 inauguration, and just last month many of us put our bodies on the line to end the era of fossil fuels in New York City.
We’re following the lead of local Bay Area climate justice organizers and a huge coalition of labor, trade, student, & local community justice groups organizing saying NO to APEC’s corporate agenda. In an act of global solidarity, as part of that history of mass resistance, we will take mass direct action at the APEC Summit in San Francisco during the week of November 11-18.
But to change everything, we need everyone, including you, to join us. Click here to sign our pledge to resist APEC’s corporate agenda in November — organizers will follow up with more tools, planning calls, and details you need to get ready.
Our Revolution – East Bay endorses this effort.