Ahead of the G20 summit in Brazil, the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) held a peaceful protest in Rio de Janeiro that denounced the world's leading nations for their lack of effort in combating climate change. As part of this protest, they sank cutouts of the heads of these leaders in the water in front of Sugarloaf Mountain.
Taking place just two days before the summit began on November 18, the faces of U.S. President Joe Biden, China's President Xi Jinping, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Russian President Vladimir Putin were splashed into the water. In a statement, the group said that the action was the launch of an “Indigenous mobilization towards the 30th Climate Conference (COP-30),” which is set to be held in Belém, Brazil, next year. As Belém is located in one of Brazil's Amazon states, it will bring these leaders close to the heart of the rainforest.
“With the imminent collapse of living conditions in the world, strong and effective actions must be taken. There will be no preservation of life on a planet in flames,” the Brazilian Indigenous peoples’ movement said in a statement. “We will never give up defending life and we will not get lost in empty discussions and sterile commitments. While governments continue to want to mediate insufficient goals and empty funding, we want to announce that, from now on, we will take the lead in a global mobilization for life on the planet.”
“We Are the Answer” (“A Resposta Somos Nós”) is the name of the campaign launched by the group. It demands accountability by the world's richest nations and a commitment toward saving the planet, with an increased inclusion of Indigenous peoples in fighting climate change.
The group points to a lack of funding commitments and the proper allocation of available funds as a big problem. While 2021's COP26 saw a pledge of $1.7 billion to support Indigenous groups, APIB states that only 7% of this amount was directly allocated to Indigenous organizations, without intermediaries. On the other hand, they point to large oil subsidies and the failure of October's Biodiversity COP as signs that priorities are not pointed in the right direction.
“It is urgent to correct this policy that puts the profits of large companies above the protection of populations. The richest nations need to assume their responsibility and finance climate solutions for people who, like Indigenous people, are on the front line of the crisis,” says Dinaman Tuxá, executive coordinator of APIB.
With leaders at G20 acknowledging that trillions more in funding were necessary to fight climate change but providing little in the way of funding commitments, the work of organizations like APIB is critical for keeping pressure on politicians.
Ahead of the G20 summit in Brazil, the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) held a peaceful protest in Rio.
By semi-submerging the heads of their leaders, they hold the wealthiest nations accountable for helping preserve the planet.
“The richest nations need to assume their responsibility and finance climate solutions for people who, like Indigenous people, are on the front line of the crisis.”
