International Transform conference in Copenhagen, Saturday, 16 March 2019
Venue: HK Københavns lokaler, Svend Aukens Plads 11, 2300 Copenhagen S
The climate crisis calls for action. There is a focus on individual solutions, but we are in dire need of common ambitious political solutions to make a difference. Why do politicians lower ambitions and choose to obey the demands of the market? Why for example do they promote privatizations of our common goods such as energy and water, thereby losing the tools to strengthen the red and green transformation needed of our societies? This conference will seek to contribute to this debate and highlight the necessity for popular pressure and action from below.
9:30 Registration and coffee/tea etc.
10:00 Welcome
10:15-11:00 Ashok Subron, Mauritius, Founder and Spokesperson of Rezistans ek Alternativ – Red-Green Eco-Socialist – political movement of Mauritius. Programme Coordinator of the Center Alternative Research and Studies (CARES), responsible of the Annual Indian Ocean and Southern Africa International School of Ecology.
In the name of life! An eco-socialist plea from the Small Islands and Ocean People
Ecological crisis, Anthropocene, product a systemic crisis, rooted in colonialism & DNA of capitalism. While political powers-structures, 24 years of COP failed, new waves of far right climate denialism rises, people from the Ocean and the South, cannot await another 20 years! An eco-socialist alternative, putting life first, is a survival imperative, for both south and north people.
11:00-11:45 Roland Kulke, Germany, Transform!europe coordinator
Ecological transition – why we need a pro-public reclaiming of the energy and climate policy
presentation in Copenhagen, Transform Denmark confernce, 16th March 2019 
Social movements, unions and left policy groups need to come together in support of the new pro-public reclaiming of the energy and climate policy. Only a pro-public approach can establish the need for radical transformation and put decarbonisation back on track. We need to reject the investor- and market-based system and discuss what energy democracy means. The current system has failed us utterly. The next energy system must be one of solidarity and renewable energy. The usual appeal to “more ambition” will not help us. Only a system based on public control and social ownership of the energy production and distribution will enable us to reach the Paris Agreement targets.
11:45-12.00 Break
12:00-13:00 Questions and debate
13:00-14:00 Lunch
14:00-17:00 Parallel seminars on
1) Why the EU Cannot Save the Climate – a closer look at EU policies
2) Climate Change and Eco-socialism/Ecofeminism – finding answers in systemic alternatives
Seminar 1: EU got to Change to Save the Climate – a closer look at EU policies Nanna Langevad Clifforth, NOAH – Researcher and campaigner with NOAH Friends of the Earth Denmark. Nanna works on EU policies and campaigns related to climate, agriculture and trade. Nanna is also a board member of Friends of the Earth Europe and part of climate grass roots movements the Climate Collective, Ende Gelände and Free the Soil.
The fight for climate justice is inherently about democracy and participation and in stark opposition to current policies
Nanna Clifforth presentation
False neoliberal solutions are dominating the approach to action on climate change. Climate and nature are increasingly commercialized through financialisation and off-setting with severe environmental, social and unjust consequences. The fight for climate justice is inherently about democracy and participation which is in stark opposition to current policies.
Jens Holm, MP and MP and former MEP for Vänsterpartiet – the Swedish Left Party
Why climate must trump the market
Jens Holm Presentation
A scrutiny of today´s neoliberal EU from a climate change perspective and launch of the political solutions needed for a European red-green left.
Member states forced to roll back environmental legislation, an EU Constitution/Lisbon treaty where state subsidies are banned by law, trade policy that permits corporations to sue environmentally ambitious states, neo-colonial trade policy; an EU where the market trumps the climate. It is time to change the premises for making politics in the European Union. Save the climate/planet must always be prioritized over market and corporative interests.
Manuela Kropp, Die Linke, Germany, and political advisor GUE/NGL (European Parliament): The European Union needs to increase its targets
Manuela presentation
The European Union needs to increase its targets for its energy and climate policy. The targets recently agreed upon are not sufficient to meet the two-degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement. This includes that the investments done by EU and Member States have to be directed to renewable energy sectors, including the transport sector. Otherwise we will end up with stranded assets which will cause high costs for the climate and the taxpayers.
Seminar 2: Climate Change and Eco-socialism/Ecofeminism – finding answers in systemic alternatives
Josef Baum, economist and geographer, Austria.
Justice and equality as precondition for effective environmental and climate policy. Climate change and distribution – Basics for an eco-socialist narrative
Josef Baum presentation
Concrete distribution issues are underexposed in the climate discourse.- When lower income groups are relatively more disadvantaged by different socioeconomic and socio-ecological inequalities, the burden for these groups will even increase when climate change continues. In a reverse conclusion overall impacts of climate policy are basically pro-poor, and can be augmented by specific (tax) structures.
Janna Aljets, Germany, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Brussels. Active in the climate justice movement, Germany, for many years, including press spokesperson of the campaign of mass actions of civil disobedience of Ende Gelände in 2017.
Fighting the Climate Crisis = Fighting for Global Justice, Gender Equality and for Radical Economic Transformation
Presentation
16:00-16:15: Coffee break
17:00-18:00: Panel conclusion and short round-up
Organizers: Transform!Danmark – in cooperation with Transform!europe, Enhedslisten/the Red-Green Alliance, Afrika Kontakt, Solidaritet, NOAH Friends of the Earth Denmark, Det Ny Clarte, Nørrebro Park branch of Enhedslisten/RGA and others.
Fee for the conference is 100 kr. to be paid at the entrance.
Enroll by sending a mail to: kontakt@transformdanmark.dk
The report from the conference can be read here:
Report: The International transform! Conference in Copenhagen 16 March 2019