The progress of unborking the climate relies on a collaboration between two forces: The climate activists who create the will for change, and the scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs (the climate “operators”) who create the means of change. These two groups are not always fully aligned, but they require each other. An attack on any of us is an attack on all of us.

The Washington Post reported today that Vietnam has been jailing climate activists with one hand, while accepting $15.5 billion in international aid for climate mitigation with the other. Hoàng Thi Minh Hồng and four other climate activists have been imprisoned by the Vietnamese government on spurious charges of tax evasion (as if professional climate activism is some sort of well-paid activity?).

The aid is well intentioned: rich countries should be helping poorer countries to transition to renewables, to offset the economic impact largely caused by our emissions. And it contains explicit requirements that “regular consultation” is required with “with media, NGOs and other stakeholders so as to ensure a broad social consensus.”

 International aid without oversight will not lead to reduced emissions, it will lead to corruption. By jailing the very activists who have given the Vietnamese government legitimacy on the international stage, the authoritarian government hopes to avoid scrutiny of how it spends that money, so it can give it away to crony capitalists instead of high-impact projects. As Shel Silverstein said, “Some kind of help’s the kind of help we all can do without.”

I would like to join with 350.org and other organizations by calling on the entire climate tech community to demand the release of Vietnamese climate activists. The Just Transition Energy Partnership should suspend release of the funds until they are released.