Climate Justice

The climate crisis is upon us. How we respond to it will shape the future of the planet and every species upon it. For too long our rivers and watersheds have been treated as habitats to be exploited. To achieve climate justice, we must change the practices that destroy our freshwater systems.

It is essential, in these pivotal years, that we put justice at the center of the coming energy transformation. Those who have contributed the least to today’s crisis, are disproportionately affected by it. And we believe the burdens and benefits of our response to climate change must be shared equitably and fairly. 

Lower Klamath Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Siskiyou County, CA in September 2000 during an average water year in which the refuge was allotted water. In 2001 this same area had gone dry due to drought and over allocations of water to agriculture.| Photo by International Rivers.

Our Work in the Movement for Climate Justice

We promote sustainable energy that does not sacrifice the environment, the climate, or basic human rights. We challenge false solutions such as megadams and carbon trading schemes that undermine indigenous sovereignty while failing to genuinely rein in emissions.  We undertake independent research to illuminate the path to the Paris Accord’s implementation and a fair and just energy transition 

Permanently protecting rivers will help solve the climate crisis. Rivers are regulators of the earth’s carbon cycle. Their damming and diversion alternately drowns and starves carbon sinks. On the other hand, free-flowing rivers  are one of the world’s strongest, natural defense mechanisms against climate catastrophe. Free-flowing rivers help communities build resilience by recharging groundwater, nourishing productive deltas and farmland, and allowing migratory fish populations to thrive.

Fighting False Solutions

We expose the truth about hydropower’s dismal performance in an era of climate change and campaign to prevent scarce climate dollars from financing destructive dams in the name of reducing carbon emissions. Instead, we propose a socially-just energy revolution to cut the use of fossil fuels, deliver modern energy to those who need it most, and preserve our life-giving rivers. Learn more.

Sustainable Alternatives

In the 21st century, swift advances in renewable technologies are rendering coal and hydropower too expensive, too destructive and too dirty to pursue. At International Rivers we advocate for robust and consultative energy planning and we believe that integrated resource planning (IRP) is a key tool to chart a path forward. Learn more.

Renewable Energy

Across the regions, we work with river communities to identify energy needs and find ways to meet them without harming their lives, livelihoods, rivers, or the environment. We offer communities crucial information, exposing hydropower’s true costs, providing the latest research and education on alternatives and enabling knowledge-sharing across river basins and regions. Learn more.

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