'Life cannot be bought': Global south voices demand action at COP30 - Video
At this year’s climate summit, calls for climate justice grew louder, especially from Indigenous communities in the Andes, who say their demands are still being sidelined in global discussions dominated by finance and technology.
Sonia Astuhuamán Pardavé, Andean coordinator of Indigenous organisations, put it plainly: “They have to understand that it is not about money, not about cards, it is about life. And life cannot be bought. Air cannot be bought. Water is increasingly being seen as a commodity. But for us, water is our mother, it is sacred, it has life, it has spirit. And without water we will all dry up. And money will not make you live.”
Her words reflect a growing frustration among Indigenous and Global South leaders who argue that the energy transition and climate financing remain designed for the interests of the world’s richest nations.
Pedro Zapata, consultant for the Chile Project at the Natural Resource Governance Institute, echoed this concern, highlighting the need for a truly inclusive transition. “We hope that this energy transition will be positive for the Global North but also for us in the South, as long as we can also see its benefits. And as has been said many times, this transition must include everyone and leave no one behind, especially the countries that are producers and also feel responsible for this energy transition.”
As negotiations continue, voices like theirs remind global leaders that climate action cannot be measured solely in investments or carbon credits, but in the protection of water, land, and life itself.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
