Equity

We believe that social and economic equity between and within countries lies at the heart of all solutions to climate change. These must include:

· a just transition to renewable energy sources, ie. a transition which doesn' t fall hardest on low income communities, communities of colour or low income employees of industries who rely on fossil fuels.
· repayment of the ecological debt of the north to the south. Ecological debt is caused by the extraction, use and destruction of southern resources like fossil fuels, minerals, forests, marine & genetic resources. Such resources are usually exported to the north exploiting unequal terms of trade; typically to pay back third world debt. Northern industrialised countries have an obligation to help repair and reverse the damage caused to the biosphere.
· equal access to - and responsibility for - common global resources amongst all peoples.

Diversity

We believe that successful solutions will be defined by those most severely affected by climate change and who have been systematically excluded from negotiations, for example developing countries, island states, indigenous peoples, women, children and refugees of all kinds.
We need to recognise the plight and the rights of refugees fleeing from the effects of climate change, economic collapse or wars, which always have inequality and exploitation at their core.
Energy to meet basic needs is an essential element of climate justice. Subsistence emissions of marginalised groups must not be targeted by any plans to reduce global emissions.
We also need to protect other animal and plant species, many of which face destruction in the wake of climate change. Challenging sexism and racism are at the core of Rising Tides's principles and actions.

Effectiveness

The targets agreed for industrialised countries in the Kyoto Protocol (a 5.2% average reduction of 1990 carbon emission levels by 2012) dangerously underestimate what is needed. The Rising Tide network believes that this protocol is another aspect of the economic globalisation that is also promoted by international institutions like the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World Bank. This globalisation, with its accelerating demand for fossil fuel consumption, is triggering ever-faster climate change.

We need to make a minimum of 60% reductions in carbon emissions now, as proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In fact, we need to go beyond the IPCC to cuts of 90% in coming years. We acknowledge the magnitude of these changes, but are convinced that only cuts of this kind can hope to stabilise the climate. Reducing carbon emissions has to mean ending fossil fuel exploration and shifting to renewable energies. These could play a substantial role in achieving the cuts we need, but only when coupled with a low-consumption lifestyle. We believe in grassroots action to challenge the corporate and other elite interests responsible both for climate change, and for blocking real efforts to find solutions to it.

Colonialism

The market in carbon emissions trading is colonialism with a modern face. The biggest polluters have not only evaded responsibility for their emissions, but have created carbon trading, which perpetuates and deepens unequal access to and control of resources. A key element of carbon trading is the carbon sink, which is a strategy designed to appropriate indigenous lands. Other development projects, such as nuclear energy, large dams and other large-scale, hi-tech projects have come to be known as Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanisms in the Kyoto Protocol. These are false solutions which are being dumped on marginalised communities, thus widening the gap between rich and poor. They create the illusion that southern countries are benefiting, while masking the fact that it is rich countries and companies which are profiting from access to emissions permits and control of new southern markets. People are being cheated in the name of sustainable development.

Rising Tide advocates

· a just transition to renewable energy sources with a low consumption lifestyle
· repayment of the ecological debt of the north to the south.
· equal access to - and responsibility for - common global resources for all peoples.
· that solutions to climate chaos and the achievement of climate justice must be defined by those most severely affected.
· current and future support for refugees of all kinds.
· a minimum of 60% reductions in carbon emissions now leading to a 90% cut in the next 10 years

Rising Tide is against

· new fossil fuel exploration
· emissions trading, carbon sinks, Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation and other false solutions being used as a way to escape responsibility for reductions

The Rising Tide network will take action until the threats of climate change have been resolved in an equitable and effective way.