Press releases

Oxfam's reaction to the Summit of the Future "Pact": ‘The Pact’s offer pales in comparison to the urgent challenges of our time—climate crisis, deepening poverty, inequality, and escalating conflict. While Oxfam welcomes its renewed commitments, the roadmap for implementation is sorely lacking.

Up to a quarter of a billion people are at risk of falling into extreme poverty this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, climate crisis and the crisis in Ukraine. Global inequality threatens to rise massively unless more is done to effectively address this situation.
 

“Climate change has set our planet on fire, millions are already feeling the impacts, and the IPCC just showed that things can get much worse," said Raijeli Nicole, regional director for Oxfam in the Pacific.

The European Commission unveiled measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions focused on transport, buildings, land and agriculture, which Oxfam says puts the EU at odds with its commitments under the Paris Climate Agreement.

Russia’s absence from the G7 summit is a stark warning to Europe that political turmoil on its doorstep risks an energy price crisis, at the same time as the effects of climate change on food imports could drive up costs.

Governments and aid agencies have to tackle the politics and power at the heart of the increasing effects of climate change, rising inequality and people’s vulnerability to disasters according to a new report published today by international agency Oxfam.

As UNGA77 kicks off, Oxfam experts are engaging with a delegation in New York along with remote participation. Oxfam experts will be focused on issues including Hunger and the Global Food System, Climate Justice, the crisis in Yemen, Ukraine, COVID-19 recovery, Inequality, Education, and more. 

The poorest half of the world’s population - 3.5 billion people - is responsible for just 10 percent of carbon emissions, despite being the most threatened by the catastrophic storms, droughts, and other severe weather shocks linked to climate change.  

The situation looks grim as Oxfam awaits the release of a revised and likely second-to-last draft of a global climate change agreement, expected to be released on Wednesday afternoon. Our experts are concerned that negotiators might be settling for the lowest common denominator in several critical areas.

Oxfam welcomes today’s orientation debate on the EU Emissions Trading System as some Member States spoke out in favor of the ETS being a more predictable source of funds for climate action in poor countries.