Climate Alliance

The Climate Alliance is an association of European cities and municipalities that have entered into a partnership with indigenous rainforest people. This worldwide alliance is united by a common concern for the world's climate. More than 600 cities and municipalities are active members of the association ' Climate Alliance of the European cities with indigenous rainforest people/Allianza del Clima e.V.'Regional governments and non-governmental organizations collaborate as associated members.

Already in 1990 ' two years before the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro ' the 'Climate Alliance' was founded by representatives of European Communities and indigenous people of the Amazon. They didn't want to wait any longer for international arrangements an introduced their own local activities in the climate protection. This initative was confirmed on the 'earth summit'  with the Agenda 21 to help the communities in the comprehensive climate protection strategies.

Goals

The greenhouse effect CO2 emission is mainly caused by fossil fuel burning which is practiced especially in industrial countries. In these countries the consumption of energy per person is 10x higher than in the third-world countries. Electricity, heating and traffic in our cities are the main points of the threatening climate change.

The forests of the earth and especially the Tropical Forests have to be saved in their climate stability. In addition it is the environment to be saved for the indigenous people.These goals are set out in the Climate Alliance Manifesto. Provided that a community agrees on this Climate Alliance Manifesto, membership in the Climate Alliance is possible

· Reducing CO2 emission by 50% until the year 2010

· Reducing traffic

· Reducing of all damaging gases, especially abandonment of FCKW

· Abandonment of tropical wood

· Supporting the indigenous people in the rainforests

Objectives

The member municipalities have committed themselves to certain goals, activities and areas. The common task is to elaborate comprehensive climate protection strategies for local action programmes in cooperation with the indigenous people for the stability of the tropical rainforest.

Main objectivs of the CO2-reduction are the  saving of energy (improvement in heat insulation of buildings, efficient use of energy, reduction of traffic and measures to promote local public transport, biking and pedestrians).

Furthermore the communities have the task of involving cooperation with citizens, associations and companies. The support of all information regarding climate protection has to be given.

An important aspect is the establishing of local working groups regarding climate protection and development. Within the climate Alliance the member municipalities support themselves to optimize their local strategies. They stand in for each other regarding new developments e.g. in traffic or energy saving. Accordingly the indigenous people receive a public forum and best support of their demands.

European Agency

The Climate Alliance is the connecting link between the local level and the international policy processes in the climate change, biodiversity and forest policy areas. Decisions and agreements for strategies are arranged with all members im common.

In an anually conference a discussion  on regular base takes place and the election to the board names the member of the board.

The Climate Alliance is coordinated by its European Secretariat in Frankfurt/Main on European level. Supported by national coordination offices it is the task to include disseminating good practice, supporting members by providing advice and initiating joint projects, arranging of conferences with the subjects: energy, traffic, tropical wood, development, biodiversity and Agenda 21.

The implemented measures of climate protection are evaluated by the European Agency for further education and development. Via the mailbox CLIMAIL the communities have access to an information-pool of the Climate Alliance activities.

Furthermore the European Agency supports the cooperation between the member communities and the indigenous people in the form of public relation for the climate protection.

'We're in the middle of a historical change: The two chances are on the one hand to disappear or on the other hand to survive with our people and the forest. Indeed, the forest is not only one of several resources for us, but the forest is the life itself. For us it is the onliest possible place to live. To let the forest disappear means to let the people die. Amazonien is our inheritance for our children.'

(Evaristo Nugkuag Ikana (chairman of the Climate Alliance 1992 until 1995)