On Monday September 16th, the Global Alliance for Tax Justice coordinated Tax Justice Day under the Global Week of Action for Climate Finance and a Fossil-Free Future.
Tax justice and climate justice are deeply interconnected. The same polluters who are causing the climate crisis take advantage of harmful tax incentives and abuse our out-of-date international tax system to avoid paying their fair share in taxes. Tax abuse reduces the ability of countries to finance urgent climate action. The Global South, who has contributed the least to the climate crisis but suffers the worst effects, is owed significant climate finance from the Global North. Recovering these lost revenues is therefore a question of tax and climate justice: this money that must contribute to climate finance for the Global South.
This is why tax and climate justice advocates stand united with the following demands:
📢 There is sustainable finance for #ClimateJustice
The #UNTaxConvention will finally give countries the ability to tax the profits of multinationals + raise the revenues required to deliver on #ClimateJustice
🌎 🌍 🌏 pic.twitter.com/g9vZp1RYd3
— Global Alliance for Tax Justice (GATJ) (@GA4TJ) September 16, 2024
Throughout the day, climate and tax justice advocates came together to discuss how the demands of the tax justice movement will also deliver on climate justice. These perspectives were further elaborated by panelists on a webinar explaining The Interconnectedness of Climate & Tax Justice:
“Tax havens hide over $21 trillion USD which could be used to respond to the climate emergency.
We need to stop illicit financial flows and redirect public money from military expenditures and fossil subsidies to climate action.”
– Carola Mejía, @latindadd pic.twitter.com/U7main584U
— Global Alliance for Tax Justice (GATJ) (@GA4TJ) September 17, 2024
“Africa is feels some of the worst impacts from climate change while losing billions to illicit financial flows.
A #UNTaxConvention is needed to rectify this loss & deliver on climate finance.”
– Solomon Mwampikita, @CTPDZambia
— Global Alliance for Tax Justice (GATJ) (@GA4TJ) September 17, 2024
Commenting upon the Tax Justice Day, Dereje Alemayehu, Executive Coordinator of the Global Alliance for Tax Justice said:
“Linking tax justice and climate justice will put us on track to end the social and ecological devastation caused by our extractivist and exploitative economic systems. Tax is not only a resource mobilisation tool but also a weapon to prevent the externalisation of costs, to repair damages, to overcome inequality within and between countries, and to bring about sustainable and equitable development.
Our diverse movements must unite to bring about the structural change necessary to overcome all forms of injustices.”
Watch the full webinar here:
About the Global Alliance for Tax Justice
GATJ is a South-led global coalition in the tax justice movement. Together we work for a world where progressive and redistributive tax policies counteract inequalities within and between countries, and generate the public funding needed to ensure essential services and human rights.
Created in 2013, GATJ comprises regional tax justice networks in Asia (Tax & Fiscal Justice Asia), Africa (Tax Justice Network Africa), Latin America (Red de Justicia Fiscal de América Latina y el Caribe), Europe (Tax Justice-Europe) and North America (Canadians for Tax Fairness & FACT Coalition), collectively representing hundreds of organisations.