During the plenary session, MEPs call for EU to protect people displaced by climate crisis. MEPs ask for increased EU climate finance for developing countries, in line with Europe’s commitments under the Paris Agreement. Statement by María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS (Renew, ES), Rapporteur

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

respect for human rights in the world (T)

fight against climate change (T)

RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS, María Soraya (Renew, ES)

The effects of climate change on human rights and the role of environmental defenders on this matter: statement by María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS (Renew, ES), Rapporteur

Title: The effects of climate change on human rights and the role of environmental defenders on this matter: statement by Mar&#237;a Soraya RODR&#205;GUEZ RAMOS (Renew, ES), Rapporteur (EBS)

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Mar&#237;a Soraya RODR&#205;GUEZ RAMOS (Renew, ES), Rapporteur, The most important thing is to clearly link human rights violations with environmental deterioration and therefore, the responsibility that we all have, all the administrations, all the private entities, we have to work together to put an end to environmental deterioration. Because as long as we don't, the human rights of our fellow citizens are being violated.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Mar&#237;a Soraya RODR&#205;GUEZ RAMOS (Renew, ES), Rapporteur, Recently, the German Constitutional Court recognized for the first time in a judgment that if we do not deal effectively with the reduction of greenhouse gases, we violate the freedoms and the rights of our future generations. Therefore, there is a recognition of an intergenerational responsibility in the defense of the human rights of future generations.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Mar&#237;a Soraya RODR&#205;GUEZ RAMOS (Renew, ES), Rapporteur, We cannot ignore the thousands of people who die every year, victims of pollution in our cities. The people who die every year very close to us from the heat waves that are repeated or unfortunately in my country, in the southern countries, third generation fires, which not only kill people, but cause very many displacements and the destruction of many social and economic activities in other countries.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Mar&#237;a Soraya RODR&#205;GUEZ RAMOS (Renew, ES), Rapporteur, We have possibly never experienced a greater violation of human rights than the environmental and eco systemic deterioration of the planet that is currently taking place. And no one can be left on the sidelines. Neither is the European Parliament. That is why we call for measures from the point of view of policy, of external action on which we work, so that these human rights are recognised internationally and consistently within the European Union. We want the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to introduce the fundamental right of all European citizens to a healthy environment, to a sustainable ecosystem. Consequently we are asking that diplomacy, ecologic diplomacy, the Green Deal diplomacy is activated and is present in all our relations with third countries.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Mar&#237;a Soraya RODR&#205;GUEZ RAMOS (Renew, ES), Rapporteur, And we cannot forget in this report those who give their lives to defend the planet, who ultimately do so to defend our human rights to that planet. That's why we're talking about environmental defenders. I would just like to point out that in 2020, in the middle of the COVID 19 crisis, with all the lockdown measures, people killed, activists killed have increased and 69 percent of human rights defenders killed were environmental defenders.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Mar&#237;a Soraya RODR&#205;GUEZ RAMOS (Renew, ES), Rapporteur, Impunity is the greatest driver of the violence of these murders, and that is why we call for the European Union to be a leader in ending this impunity. And in agreement and in conversation with the parties with whom we can talk about how ecocide has been placed as an international crime.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Mar&#237;a Soraya RODR&#205;GUEZ RAMOS (Renew, ES), Rapporteur, Because it is not only the defense of the lives of those who defend their environment, it is the defense of everyone. When we say we have to save the planet, let's be honest, we have to save our life on the planet.