A coalition of over 375 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on Monday in Marrakech, Morocco delivered a letter to global leaders with an urgent new demand for climate action: no new fossil fuel development.

Building off of new research showing that the carbon embedded in existing fossil fuel production, if allowed to run its course, would take us beyond the globally agreed goals of limiting warming to well below 2˚C and pursuing efforts to limit to 1.5˚C, the letter calls on world leaders to “put an immediate halt to new fossil fuel development and pursue a just transition to renewable energy with a managed decline of the fossil fuel industry.”

The show of global resistance comes at a critical time after the results of the U.S. election. The letter delivery comes the day before a day of distributed solidarity actions around the U.S. and the world to oppose the Dakota Access pipeline.

Organisations from dozens of countries came together to show that the climate movement will not be deterred in their fight to oppose new dirty infrastructure and keep fossil fuels in the ground.

Letter signatories gathered at the UN climate negotiations in Morocco to deliver the letter to global leaders in an artistic action within the climate negotiations conference centre, where a press conference ensued.

“Our research has demonstrated that if the world is going to live up to the Paris Agreement, there is no room in the atmosphere for any new fossil fuel development. The only way to avoid either dangerous climate change, or an abrupt loss of jobs and investment, is to begin a managed decline of fossil fuel production and a just transition to clean energy. This letter shows the massive global movement that has woken up to this reality. World leaders would be wise to heed this call,” said Greg Muttitt, Senior Advisor with Oil Change International.

“The geophysics of climate stabilisation is clear in that carbon-dioxide emissions have to be phased out to zero to stay within a limited carbon budget. There are various way of doing this, but from a precautionary principle one would try to limit our future reliance on uncertain technologies – and the best way to do that is to increase action to get those emissions down – across all sectors, but beginning with the power sector – and particularly coal,” said Joeri Rogelj, Research Scholar at the Energy Programme of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).

“If the Paris agreement is going to have any relevance, then we need to freeze all new fossil fuel projects and ensure a just transition to a world powered by renewable energy for all. Communities at the frontlines of climate change have been fighting for this for years with escalating risks to their lives and livelihoods. The only way forward is for governments to choose to be on the right side of history and enact the calls of millions worldwide,” said Nicole Oliveira, 350.org.

“Coal is already in a structural decline in key countries like China. Money being chanelled into building new coal power plant risks being stranded there. And around the world, renewable energy, such as wind and solar, are not only capable of meeting new power demands, but it’s also starting to replace dirty fossil fuels. Meanwhile, millions of people in countries China, India, as well as Europe and the US have had enough of their health and their environment being harmed by the burning of fossil fuels. They are calling for leaders to clear the way for clean and accessible energy systems. We will be the generation that ends fossil fuels,” added Li Yan, Deputy Programme Director, Greenpeace East Asia.

The impact of extreme natural disasters is equivalent to a global $520 billion loss in annual consumption, and forces some 26 million people into poverty each year, a new report from the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) reveals.

“Severe climate shocks threaten to roll back decades of progress against poverty,” said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. “Storms, floods, and droughts have dire human and economic consequences, with poor people often paying the heaviest price. Building resilience to disasters not only makes economic sense, it is a moral imperative.”

The report, titled: “Unbreakable: Building the Resilience of the Poor in the Face of Natural Disasters,” warns that the combined human and economic impacts of extreme weather on poverty are far more devastating than previously understood.

In all of the 117 countries studied, the effect on well-being, measured in terms of lost consumption, is found to be larger than asset losses. Because disaster losses disproportionately affect poor people, who have a limited ability to cope with them, the report estimates that impact on well-being in these countries is equivalent to consumption losses of about $520 billion a year. This outstrips all other estimates by as much as 60 per cent.

With the climate summit, COP22, underway in Marrakech, the report’s findings underscore the urgency for climate-smart policies that better protect the most vulnerable. Poor people are typically more exposed to natural hazards, losing more as a share of their wealth and are often unable to draw on support from family, friends, financial systems, or governments.

“Unbreakable” uses a new method of measuring disaster damages, factoring in the unequal burden of natural disasters on the poor. Myanmar’s 2008 Cyclone Nargis, for example, forced up to half of the country’s poor farmers to sell off assets including land, to relieve the debt burden following the cyclone. Economic and social repercussions of Nargis will be felt for generations.

The report assesses, for the first time, the benefits of resilience-building interventions in the countries studied. These include early warning systems, improved access to personal banking, insurance policies, and social protection systems (like cash transfers and public works programs) that could help people better respond to and recover from shocks. It finds that these measures combined would help countries and communities save $100 billion a year and reduce the overall impact of disasters on well-being by 20 percent.

“Countries are enduring a growing number of unexpected shocks as a result of climate change,” said Stephane Hallegatte, a GFDRR lead economist, who led preparation of the report. “Poor people need social and financial protection from disasters that cannot be avoided. With risk policies in place that we know to be effective, we have the opportunity to prevent millions of people from falling into poverty.”

Efforts to build poor people’s resilience are already gaining ground, the report shows. For example, Kenya’s social protection system provided additional resources to vulnerable farmers well before the 2015 drought, helping them prepare for and mitigate its impacts. And in Pakistan, after record-breaking floods in 2010, the government created a rapid-response cash grant programme that supported recovery efforts of an estimated eight million people, lifting many from near-certain poverty.

Building resilience is key to meeting the World Bank Group’s twin goals of ending global poverty and boosting shared prosperity.

A month after the Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, announced government’s intention to demolish “shanties” along waterfronts across the state – and just days after the Lagos State High Court issued an injunction restraining the same – the authorities appear to have moved into action.

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, 9 November 2016, a gang of boys with reported ties to a powerful royal family, entered Otodo Gbame community – a fishing settlement on the edge of the Lagos Lagoon in Lekki Phase I, made up predominantly of Eguns and other ethnic minorities in Lagos – and began setting fire to houses in the community.

The police reportedly arrived the scene shortly thereafter but, according to eyewitness reports, instead of addressing the situation, opted to lend assistance to the spreading of the fire.

Megan Chapman, Co-Director of Justice & Empowerment Initiatives (JEI), said in a statement: “They shot into the community and chased away persons bringing water to quench the fire. They helped to set more structures on fire. Four persons – two women, one man, and one child – reportedly drowned as they rushed into water.

“It was only when help from other Egun communities around Lagos Lagoon such as Makoko and Oke Ira Nla arrived that residents began succeeding to put out the fire and police turned back.

“By the time JEI arrived in the Otodo Gbame, about a third of the community – an estimated 800 structures – had been razed to the ground and fires were still smouldering across the community. An estimated 10,000 people rendered homeless in a matter of hours tried to recover what properties they could and dozens of people huddled in boats off the shore of the community.

“At least 15 police vehicles were on ground and, around 1:30pm, the Commissioner of Police Fatai Owoseni arrived on the scene in person for ‘inspection’ and to order the community sealed.

“Interviews with affected residents throughout the day confirmed the complicity of the police in the spreading of the fire and loss of life in the early part of the day. They also indicate that police are working in tandem with those that initiated the fire to serve private interests of Otodo Gbame’s wealthier and more powerful neighbours. Residents pointed fingers at the Elegushi Chieftaincy Family and to the neighbouring International Children’s School.

“On 7 November 2016 – just two days before – Hon Justice Onigbanjo of the Lagos State High Court issues an injunction restraining the Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police from demolishing waterfront communities – including Otodo Gbame – or evicting residents therefrom or otherwise giving effect to the 9 October 2016 eviction threat.

“As evening fell in Otodo Gbame, tens of thousands of residents – some newly homeless and some terrified but lucky to still have their homes – tried to get some rest after the wearying day. JEI-trained paralegals had delivered a copy of the subsisting injunction to the local Ilasan Divisional Police Station to ensure their awareness and pasted the order around the community.

“Shortly after midnight on 10 November 2016, however, JEI received reports from numerous residents of Otodo Gbame that a bulldozer with an escort of at least four police vehicles had started working to destroy remaining homes. There has been no indication that our efforts to notify the Nigerian Police Force at various levels – from Zone II Command to the Complaints Response Unit (CRU) in the office of the Inspector General of Police – have stopped the demolition ongoing with blatant impunity and disregard for life and wellbeing of citizens.”

According to Edukpo Tina, a young woman in Otodo Gbame interviewed in the early morning of 10 November by JEI, “Police came again after midnight with caterpillar [bulldozer] and started breaking everywhere, putting fire on peoples’ houses. They are seriously beating our people and threatening to shoot unless we leave. All of us are on top of water now, there is nowhere to go.”

According to JEI-Nigeria, it strongly condemns the actions of the Nigerian Police Force and any branches of the Lagos State Government or private parties at whose behest the NPF may be working.

The group adds: “We decry the extremely false and misleading press release issued by the Nigerian Police Force in the late afternoon of 9 November 2016 that seeks to characterise the police’s actions as a ‘rescue,’ while announcing that the community in question will be taken over by the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and remaining structures will be demolished.

“We note that there is absolutely no legal basis for eviction or taking over of land in the aftermath of either security or fire incident. We further note there have been no statutory or paper notices whatsoever served on any residents of Otodo Gbame. Rather, the police are acting completely outside the scope of the law and in overt disregard for a subsisting order of court. We call on all conscientious citizens concerned for democracy and rule of law to join in condemning this action.”

While bodies of two persons drowned on 9 November have been found, others are however still missing.

Indeed, many of the evictees remain in the evicted areas, living in unsavoury conditions and subjected to regular police harassment. On Saturday 12 November, police reportedly came into the community and arrested two women for undisclosed reasons, and allegedly chased others into the lagoon. As at Saturday, about 100 structures on water were remaining where many were still squatting.

Last night (on Sunday), there were unconfirmed reports that the police visited the community yet again, allegedly setting fire to the remaining houses and have arrested someone obviously still staying there. It was gathered that when police came, he tried to show them a copy of the injunction protecting the community, but he was said to have been handcuffed and taken to the station.

On Friday, 11 November, the police reportedly went to a neighbouring informal area called Ebute Ikate and gave everyone three hours to pack out. Bulldozers came in with police and people not in uniform who were said to have started demolishing the entire area, affecting hundreds of houses and shops.

Following the alleged forced eviction, affected residents of Otode Gbame, those from nearby Ebute Ikate and indeed members of the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation will on Tuesday (15 November, 2016)  stage a mass peaceful protest to the Governor’s Office at Alausa in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital.

“The peaceful protesters will include evictees from Otodo Gbame and residents of other waterfront communities and other Federation member communities across Lagos standing in solidarity with a number of civil society supporters,” stated Chapman.

More reactions have trailed the shock emergence of businessman and Republican candidate Donald Trump as the President-elect of the United States of America, who defeated Democrat, Hillary Clinton.

Experts have expressed views bordering on the fact that a Trump presidency could portend great danger to the widely-accepted Paris climate change agreement, which commits all Parties to limit global temperature at 1.5 C in order to significantly reduce risks and impacts of climate change.

However, several commentators have expressed fears that the emergency of Donald Trump as the President-elect of the US could scuttle the climate change deal. Mr. Trump has never hidden his disdain for issues related to climate change, which he described during one of his campaigns as a “hoax”.

Addressing journalists on Friday in Abuja on Nigeria’s participation at the UN climate change talks (COP22) holding in Marrakech, Morocco, the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, expressed similar concerns about Trump’s position on the phenomenon.

She said the earlier he (Trump) understood that those things he said during the campaigns had no basis in reality, the better for the US and also for the global community.

According to the minister, so many evidences abound across the world to convince anyone that climate change is real.

She said, “We congratulate the American people for their process with democracy. That has really tested them. We are looking to see exactly what it is President-elect, Donald Trump, is going to do in reality.

“In his election campaign, he said  a number of things that gave grave concern to governments around the world. You cannot say that climate change is not real today. Science has proven it, so also has the extent of human suffering and attendant loss of lives and valuable property, given credence to it.

“We can make those connections. This agreement has gone very far, we want US to be part of this because they will benefit as well as us. Our job, when we go to COP this time, is to sit with the delegation and make sure they know the importance of transitioning to the President-elect with clear indications of how important it is to remain at the table with their commitments.”

Mohammed, however, said if the US refused to be persuaded, the world would not wait, saying that “it will not have effect if they don’t go the way they are supposed to go.”

She added, “I hope his rhetoric that we had in the campaign is where he begins to change and he faces realities and knows that much of it cannot be sustained in the reality of today. We are concerned, but we believe we can make him see the light.”

The minister also confirmed that President Mohammadu Buhari, who is leading the delegation from Nigeria to Marrakech, would fulfil his promise by ratifying the climate change agreement during the meeting.

According to her, those who will accompany the President on the trip include: ministers holding related ministries, members of the National Assembly, governors, a team of national negotiators, CSOs, states and the private sectors.

In a related development, environmentalist and climate change negotiator, Prince Lekan fadina, stated that the issue of climate change being a global concern is reflected in the historic acceptance of the Paris Agreement.

His words: “It’s not child’s play to say it is one of the greatest challenge of this generation. It is on record that never in the history of global diplomacy has a treaty been ratified and accepted by the whole world within one year. It shows how important, serious and the need to face its challenges. I honestly believe that there is a wide difference between politicking and governance and this point was underscored by the US President-elect when he said in his acceptance speech that he will be President of all Americans. l believe we should hold him to that statement because he has a responsibility to ensure and sustain the livelihood of the people who live in a world that is threatened by climate change and its attendant consequences.

“It must be stressed that countries negotiated, signed and ratified the climate change issue after extensive discussion, realignment of views and other diplomatic ways of addressing a topic of concern to the world. As a participant and negotiator for many years on climate change, one can say that the Americans not only participated in the COP sessions but provided leadership to ensure that we get to where we are today. It is necessary therefore  to guide, inform and educate the American President-elect as to where we are coming from, where we are and the next steps to ensure the success of the  Agreement and survival of humanity.

“After all, we are all ‘Trustees’ and we must ensure the future of the generations after us including the children and grand-children of the President-elect. The message from the President of COP22 to Trump was timely and to the point. We must follow this path and ensure that he not only supports and acknowledges all the efforts of the American leadership and other world leaders who have played and continue to play significant roles. ln this regard, he must not only strive to make the world a safer and better place, but use his wide experience as a businessman to champion and drive the process the same way he was able to drive the movement of change that propelled him to the corridors of power.

“I will appeal that we all keep hope alive and, through all available means, get to Trump to share our vision and be an active partner in the process.”

About 105 Parties have now deposited their instruments of ratification of the Paris Agreement.

COP22 President, Salaheddine Mezouar, who made the disclosure on Saturday in Marrakech at a press conference held in the company of UNFCC Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, disclosed that the development constituted an important political signal in the fight against climate change.

The press conference was held to mark the halfway point of COP22 and to take stock on progress made at the Marrakech Climate Change Conference ahead of the High-Level Segment scheduled to take place on November 15, with an opening ceremony in the presence of His Majesty (HM) King Mohammed VI of Morocco, UN SG Ban Ki-moon, scores of Heads of State and Government and participating delegations.

The opening day of the High-Level Segment will include the reading of the “Call of Marrakech”, which is a call to action that is a result of a highly inclusive consultative process among Parties.  November 15 will also mark the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1).

Mezouar called on all remaining parties to follow suit as soon as possible in order to keep up the important climate action momentum. Nigeria has said that it will ratify the agreement next week.

At the halfway point of COP22, slated to wrap up on November 18, the COP22 President spoke with a positive tone, saying, “Negotiations are going will and are exemplified by a highly inclusive and consultative process among all Parties.”

He underscored positive actions taken by civil society in the lead up to and during COP22, pointing to the remarkable commitment and engagement of the youth population, who participated in the Conference of Youth (COY12) in Marrakech from November 4 to 6, and who have been highly active in both the Blue and Green Zones during the first week of the COP.

The COP22 President also pointed to the fact that progress is being made on the Paris Agreement rulebook and that important announcements would be made next week regarding capacity building for developing countries. He also underscored the importance of making headway during the UN Climate Conference on the question of climate finance especially as it relates to matching bankable projects with climate funds and mobilising private sector finance to leverage public money.

Following several questions from journalists on the U.S. Presidential election results, the COP22 President answered, “The American peopled are very engaged and committed to the fight against climate change.”

In her remarks, Ms Espinosa thanked Mezouar for his leadership as COP22 President, disclosing: “More than 90 countries have moved from Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to formal Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). This transition has happened in record time which confirms the world’s commitment to addressing climate change.”