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Climate justice

Climate justice means equitable solutions to climate change which are based on the rights, needs, participation, and agreement of the communities who are feeling the greatest impact of climate change or who will be affected by mitigation attempts.

Climate justice and sustainable livelihoods are closely linked, since community management of resources that support livelihoods offers a better chance of long term sustainability than top-down development schemes which serve the interests of national and international business elites, and reinforce global inequality.

Indonesian civil society protest in Copenhagen, December 2009

Twenty years of DTE

Down to Earth No.80-81, June 2009

In January 2009 DTE marked its 20th birthday by inviting friends to a gathering in Bogor. On the same occasion we launched an Indonesian language compilation of climate change articles taken from recent DTE newsletters. The following review of our activities was published as the introduction to that book.

DTE writes to UK minister about UK Climate change MoU with Indonesia

Down to Earth No.80-81, June 2009

The following letter was addressed to Ed Miliband, Britain's Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The letter raises questions about a UK-Indonesia Memorandum of Understanding on climate change signed in December 2008.1

A crucial year for climate justice

Down to Earth No.80-81, June 2009

This is a key year for decision-making about climate change as governments work towards a global agreement in Copenhagen in December. Will COP15 bring social justice, environmental sustainability and protection for human rights into the negotiations, as many civil society groups around the world are calling for?

The pressure for REDD

Down to Earth No.79, November 2008


International pressure to get pilot schemes for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD) up and running between now and the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009 could mean that crucial issues - including land and resource rights in forests - are sidestepped.


Why the pressure for REDD? Land use change and forestry are estimated to account for around 20% of annual carbon emissions, second only to the energy sector.

Action needed on human rights and development

Down to Earth No.78, August 2008

NGOs have called on British MPs to take action on climate justice and sustainable livelihoods, impunity, Aceh and West Papua.


In a meeting with British parliamentarians in London, June 3rd, a group of UK-based NGOs, including Down to Earth, called on the British government to take action on a range of issues related to human rights and development.

Who pays for Climate Change?

Down to Earth No.78, August 2008

A DTE workshop at this year's UK climate camp drew attention to climate change concerns in Indonesia.