Dear environmentalists, on behalf of the ICOR (International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties and Organizations) I would like to welcome you and thank Rode Morgen for organizing this rally. I welcome the participants from other countries: from France and Belgium,from Surinam; we have come from Germany.

Dear friends and comrades

We are holding our Europe-wide ICOR Environmental Struggle Day for the first time in the situation of an open political world crisis. In the USA, the election of Donald Trump on November 6 poses an acute threat of fascism. His fascist program is determined by the oil and gas monopolies and even environmental protection measures that have already been fought for are on the hit list. The acute threat of world war is exacerbated by a gigantic arms build-up. The EU is also at the forefront of the withdrawal of measures to protect the environment; attacks on the social situation of the masses and on workers are on the agenda of those in power. I come from Germany, where the open political crisis has reached its temporary climax with the resignation of the government and early elections. All of this is extremely dangerous and many people are worried! The order of the day here is for the militant environmental movement to become part of a broad united front.

1,5 % … 2.3 % ... 3.0 % What do these figures remind us of? Of the never-achieved goal of the 2015 environmental summit in Paris, of the current global warming in Europe, of the expected global warming at the end of this century. It would mean millions of victims of flood disasters, refugee flows on an unprecedented scale, uninhabitable parts of the world. 2024 will be the warmest year since weather records began.

In addition to warmer climate zones, there have been more severe droughts, more intense forest fires and stronger storms than ever before in recent years, and the overexploitation of people and nature is destroying the basic conditions for human existence on earth. The capitalist and imperialist world system doesn't give a damn, and is even willfully driving this process forward. The climate is not the only burning environmental issue: the extinction of species (of 8 million animal and plant species, 1 million are threatened with extinction), the chemical pollution of our food, the contamination of huge areas of land through wars are other threatening factors.

This development is being fueled by fascists in government and programs such as D. Trump's push for oil and gas drilling, fracking, withdrawal from conservation agreements and the easing of CO₂ restrictions. "Drill, baby, drill" is his mantra. (Drill, baby, drill). But also the increased right-wing development when the forest protection law was postponed in the EU Parliament with the votes of a coalition of right-wing, reactionary parties in conjunction with fascists such as the AfD (Germany).

Who among all the environmental conferences, research institutes and world weather organizations can stop this development? None of them! Shameful failure of those responsible. Just two weeks ago, the World Conference on Nature in Cali ended in a fiasco. After 12 hours of final plenary, it did not even end with a bang, but silently. 12 days of deliberations had not led to any results, the delegates had long since departed.

So who are the people who protect our environment? Often at risk, under political repression, with great selflessness?

The families: men, women and children are fighting with blockades and everything that makes noise in Serbia, in the Jadar Valley, against the threat of contamination of drinking water, rivers and soil by lithium mining, as well as against the expropriation of their own land. "There will be no mines" is their slogan.

The solidarity helpers: After the dramatic flood disaster in Andalusia, Spain, men, women and young people from all over the country came to support the affected families.

The youth: The Fridays For Future movement has learned. In the midst of the open political crisis, it is strengthening a direction critical of capitalism that says: "Under capitalism, our demands are difficult or impossible to fulfill. System change is the watchword. "

The accusers: "Only the people will save the people" chanted 130,000 demonstrators in Valencia. The reactionary, fascist deniers of the global environmental and climate catastrophe could no longer sweep their responsibility under the mud. They have over 220 lives on their conscience. And the anger of the people on their necks: "Mazón – murderer" (Mazón is the regional president) – "We are stained with mud – you with blood" was written on the protest signs.

The workers are challenged for the union of steelworkers and environmental fighters for the implementation of the ecological direct reduction process with hydrogen (instead of natural gas). Since September, 300,000 workers in the automotive industry in Germany (but also in Belgium ...) have taken part in militant protest meetings, warning strikes and days of action against the destruction of their jobs. They are challenged not to allow themselves to be played off in favor of an extension of combustion engines. The environmental movement needs a close alliance with the labor movement. We are currently seeing around the world that when the working class takes to the streets, social protests gain clarity, organization, fighting power and perspective.

The ICOR has sent delegations to the COP conferences of recent years. And what a paradoxical situation! The largest oil-producing countries as hosts of climate conferences? The perpetrators of the destruction of our natural resources are the international monopolies, the financial capital. Glenco and Rio Tinto in mining, Bayer and Monsanto in chemicals, Stellantis, Ford, GM – to name just a few hated names. In the meantime, the NGOs have been silently integrated into the greenwashing process.

The 5th ICOR World Conference came to the conclusion: "The environmental struggle today must be society-changing and must fight for and consolidate the unity of humanity and nature in socialism. The ICOR criticizes illusions and greenwashing in capitalism by monopolies and the parties representing them, as well as the reformist division of environmental protection and jobs. It recognizes the leading role of the working class in the environmental struggle." It will organize solidarity in regional disasters, work to raise awareness and organize struggle, and push the struggle for socialism in the face of a veritable race against time.

Resolute struggle for socialism to save humanity and preserve the unity of man and nature!

Forward with the ICOR and the international united front in the society-changing environmental struggle!