National meeting for Climate Justice takes place next weekend
The 2024 edition of the National Meeting for Climate Justice (ENJC) will take place between April 5 and 7 in Boticas, in the north east of Portugal, to show solidarity with the local movements fighting against plans for open-pit lithium mining.
Aida Fernandes, of the association United in Defence of Covas do Barroso (UDCB) and organiser of the event, told Lusa today: “It means that we are not alone, that there are various organisations and entities from all over the country interested in what is happening in Barroso. And the fact that the meeting is being held here is also an attempt to once again demystify the idea of a green and just transition, which is not green at all and much less just”.
What will be the 9th National Meeting for Climate Justice is expected to bring together around 30 organisations. Over the three days, there will be around 15 events including debates, workshops and concerts.
It is in this district that the London Stock Exchange quoted company Savannah Resources wants to operate a lithium mine, which is being bitterly contested by the local community, including its municipality. It is also in Covas do Barroso that people have been organising pickets for the last four months to stop Savannah’s machines invading ‘common land’ – an accusation contested by Savannah and which is before the courts.
“With the choice of location, the meeting aims to show solidarity with the struggle of local movements for the preservation of their cultures, practices and ways of life, in harmony and symbiosis with their environment,” said the event’s organisers in a statement.
Barroso, which extends through Boticas and Montalegre, has been classified by the United Nations as a World Agricultural Heritage Site.
The ENJC is an annual meeting that brings together activists, scientists, community leaders and citizens and, this year, the topics up for debate are: the relationship between the climate and the ocean, promoting sustainable and public mobility solutions in our communities, combating energy poverty, abandoning fossil fuels and achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.
“This is a space for sharing knowledge and experiences, where you can learn about the battles that are being fought, who is fighting them and the solutions and paths to take in the fight for climate justice,” said the organisation, adding that “the 9th edition comes at a key time in the struggles of the climate movement in Portugal.”
The meeting will be taking place after the new government led by Luís Montenegro takes office and, according to Aida Fernandes, it is also important to hear PSD/ AD’s position when it comes to lithium mining in Portugal.
“We are at a time when the climate crisis demands urgent action, but also the responsibility to choose a fair path for the energy transition that does not reproduce the system and narratives that have caused the current levels of climate, environmental, ecological, social and economic destruction”, said the statement.
“In this sense, we cannot allow the extraction of mineral resources at any cost (…) lithium exploration in Portugal cannot go ahead without considering its social, economic, ecological and environmental impacts, as well as the environmental, social and economic legacy left for future generations“.
“Local communities, who have maintained this territory for centuries, know that the climate and ecological crisis cannot be combated by destroying regions like this for the profit of a few companies, but by preserving them…”
The organisation of this latest meeting includes the Association for Combating Precarity – Inflexible Precarious Workers, Climáximo, Jobs for the Climate, Montalegre Com Vida, the Association for Urban Mobility by Bicycle (MUBi), OIKOS, Quercus, Sciaena, Último Recurso, XR Portugal and ZERO – Sustainable Earth System Association.
The ENJC also has the support of other environmental and anti-mining organisations in Portugal, writes LUSA.
