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础听听was adopted in Paris on Saturday evening, but it will leave activists demanding direct action on fossil fuels and energy market reform.

Before the Paris talks even began there were activists arguing that the negotiations would not deliver what they want. The Climate Justice Action network听听the COP21 will continue a 20 years of ineffective climate policy, demonstrated by a 65% rise in fossil fuel emissions听.

听she 鈥渞efused to put our future in the hands of [negotiators] cloistered in the Bourget鈥�. Klein places more hope in bottom-up听.

惭别补苍飞丑颈濒别,听听were about saying听.

Has activist pessimism about the agreement been justified?

The Paris Agreement doesn鈥檛 stack up

听that there is some 鈥済ood language鈥� in the agreemnt. The听听recognises the need to cap temperature rises at 1.5鈩�. However, the language doesn鈥檛 match听. These pledges are so weak that a dangerous 3 or 4 degrees warming is likely.

The agreement also notes 鈥渢he importance for some of the concept of 鈥渃limate justice鈥�, when taking action to address climate change.鈥� But the substance of agreement falls far short of what movements mean by the term.

One of the main issues activists have raised is the听听辞蹿听听in the Paris Agreement. The agreement aims for 鈥渂alance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks鈥� after 2050.

Reference to reducing fossil fuels, or even 鈥渄ecarbonisation鈥� would have been better. The vague language of 鈥渂alance鈥� between (fossil fuel) 鈥渟ources鈥� and 鈥渟inks鈥� opens up the possibility for loopholes, such as听听and technologies activists oppose such as 鈥渃lean coal鈥� and nuclear energy.

Loopholes are familiar terrain for Australian negotiators, who听听the continuation of a 1997 land carbon听听to meet Australia鈥檚 2020 target. It is an accounting rule that will allow further emissions increases in energy and industrial sectors with no penalty.

Opaque carbon terminology听听turns the climate issue into听. The concrete problems climate movements want addressed are about听, which are systemic and difficult to change.

Movements want 鈥榮ystem change鈥�

Activist pessimism about the Paris Agreement reflects the fact climate movements want to change society and transform energy systems more rapidly and fundamentally than the UN system allows for. They do this by bringing people together, online and in听, to put pressure on governments and corporations to change.

The climate movement is a contemporary version of what Immanuel Wallerstein called 鈥溾��. Anti-systemic movements want to transform societies, and in this case, humanity鈥檚 relationship with 鈥榥ature鈥�.

Movements calling for 鈥溾��,听听traditions of the alter-globalisation movement, other forms of environmentalism, feminism, anti-colonial and socialist movements.

Climate justice movements are diverse, but there is a fundamental principle informing activist practice: climate change is a consequence of unequal, colonial, economic and social power relations.

Protests during the Paris negotiations illustrate the diverse strands of this anti-systemic agenda. The slogans were 鈥溾�� and 鈥淐onnect the dots鈥�. Flood the system is a reference to听听during the peak of the financial crisis. Connecting the dots means recognising the links between climate change and systemic inequalities.

Activists consistently point out that the impacts of climate change are greatest for marginal social groups, and that historical responsibility for climate change is concentrated in a听听丑补苍诲蝉.

Their analysis was symbolised in protests in the past weeks. The听and the听听were both represented by Pacific Islanders, indigenous people, and mining-affected community members. They targeted Parliament, as well as a听听补苍诲听.

Given that climate justice movements want systemic change, it鈥檚 unsurprising that the Paris Agreement is not enough for activists. However, this is not to say that anti-systemic movements simplistically oppose all reform, or that movements don鈥檛 create new policy agendas.

Movements want reform too

There are two strong messages from activists about energy policy.

1. There needs to be a limit placed on fossil fuels
2. There needs to be regulation and public investment to facilitate affordable renewable energies.

As time as gone on, the political focus on abstract carbon targets and carbon pricing has diminished. Climate organisations like 350.org have听听their focus on global carbon target of 350ppm (a technical term for concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere) into connected local campaigns to keep fossil fuels in the ground.

There are new research organisations documenting the听听听that need to be retrenched in order to stay within a 1.5-2-degree limit. This year鈥檚 Australia Institute campaign for听听is concrete policy that would help keep fossil fuels in the ground.

Whether or not direct regulation of energy markets is politically feasible is an unanswered question. However, seeking change through complex and ineffective emissions policy like听听has also been difficult for activists.

The road from Copenhagen goes beyond Paris

The last major climate talks held in Copenhagen in 2009 saw public protests like those last week. There was a broad sense that it was the last chance for a global agreement that could avoid dangerous climate change.

When the Copenhagen Accord was deemed a flop, a sense of failure was keenly felt by climate movements. The numbers of people engaged in climate activism dropped considerably from 2010.

But activists did continue to mobilise. After Copenhagen the social and environmental effects of Australia鈥檚 export mining boom in coal and gas were intensifying. New campaign organisations such as听听补苍诲听听changed Australian climate politics. These groups are resisting fossil fuels, but climate mitigation is not the only, or central, motivation.

Food and water security, indigenous land rights, and farmer鈥檚 property rights have become much more salient than ever before. These campaigns have led to听听on coal seam gas, numerous inquiries, new听, and a听听whether land owners should be able to say no to fossil fuel companies.

Renewable energy campaigns have matured since 2009, with new citizens campaigns developing the case for听听补苍诲听听for Australia鈥檚 1.4 million rooftop solar owners. While these campaigns have struggled to get new policies, the resilience of the Renewable Energy Target is evidence that governments cannot risk losing voters听.

This week鈥檚 climate negotiations were one moment in a long battle. Activists are moving 鈥溾�� and 鈥溾�� Paris and will continue campaigns against fossil fuel dependence and for a 鈥渏ust energy transition鈥�.

In doing so, movements will go on highlighting the failures of climate policy. They are changing what is politically feasible for Australian governments.

is a research associate in the . This article was first published on .听

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