The theme for today’s Global Climate Strike is “Uproot The System” which is meant to spotlight the most climate-vulnerable communities.
Organizers say uprooting the system means addressing the historical legacies of injustice that exacerbate the most severe impacts of the climate crisis.
“The current system actively strives towards highlighting the voices of the most privileged through a racist and white-savior narrative that portrays people from the Global South as underdeveloped, poor, and voiceless,” organizers said.
Against the backdrop of the UN General Assembly, climate activists are calling on developed nations to not only rapidly slash greenhouse gas emissions, but to also push for climate financing toward helping developing countries from being left behind.
Wealthier nations are the largest greenhouse gas emitters in the planet, yet vulnerable communities such as small island nations and Indigenous peoples feel most of its consequences. These countries also disproportionately suffer the most severe impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.