Greenpeace urges APEC to seek ‘serious response’ to climate crisis

Bangkok, Nov 11 (EFE).- Environmental organization Greenpeace on Friday urged the leaders of the countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to seek a “serious response” to the climate crisis.

Activists gathered at the Benjakitti Park in Bangkok, where the bloc’s meeting is scheduled to be held between Nov. 18 and 19, and urged APEC leaders to implement economically efficient policies in the face of climate change’s impact on society as well as the environment.

Among other measures, Greenpeace said that Thailand should contribute to the creation of a loss and damage compensation fund for countries and communities at risk of the impact of climate change.

It also urged the Thai government to toughen its environmental policies, outlined in the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economic Model set up in March 2021, which seeks inclusive and sustainable growth in line with the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations.

“The government states that ‘BCG offers different approaches to combat the climate crisis’, but we see shortcomings and loopholes in Thailand’s BCG economic model, which uses the environment as a trick to green-washing,” Tara Buakhamsri, Director of Greenpeace Thailand said in a statement.

The summit of APEC leaders will have on its agenda the BCG Economic Model as a way to halt the climate crisis as well as environmental sustainability.

It will also address common objectives and strategies for the recovery and development of the 21 economies that form the bloc.

However, the noticeable absence of US and Russian presidents, Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, as well as Latin American leaders will make it difficult to achieve concrete progress. EFE

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