A Decade of Acceleration in Our Actions Against Climate Change is Required
That’s what the world needs according to UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres. He was speaking at a recent special climate summit in New York designed to accelerate momentum on climate action. “The science demands action. The law commands it. The economics compel it. And people are calling for it,” declared the UN Secretary-General in his opening statement to the Climate Summit.
Yet somehow our politicians just can’t seem to get their act together!
COP 30
The “Forest COP”, recently held in Belèm at the edge of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, has just come to an end. It was a very mixed bag indeed.
Simon Steill the UN Executive Secretary for Climate Change said in his summing up “We knew this COP would take place in stormy political waters. Denial, division and geopolitics has dealt international cooperation some heavy blows this year. But COP30 showed that climate cooperation is alive and kicking, keeping humanity in the fight for a liveable planet, with a firm resolve to keep 1.5°C within reach. I’m not saying we’re winning the climate fight. But we are undeniably still in it, and we are fighting back. Here in Belem, nations chose solidarity, science, and economic common sense.”
I am not at all sure that is correct. There are clearly many countries that disagree with those comments.
The Ups and Downs of Negotiations
There was a fair amount of drama at this COP. There was also a great deal of intensive discussion on the major issues before them.
1 A Transition Away from Fossil Fuels
Firstly, something that brought for me a surge of hope and quite a lot of scepticism, was the declaration by over 80 countries that the meeting must declare a roadmap for the transition away from fossil fuels. Clearly there were many countries against it, including most of the major petrostates like Saudi Arabia and Russia. Unfortunately, the final declaration did not reflect that positive sentiment. Instead it said “the global transition towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development is irreversible and the trend of the future.”
This has produced a huge amount of commotion and upset as well as a feeling that this was a cop out. (I hope you will excuse my sense of humour!)
Obviously, this result is very disappointing and shows a lot of self-interest from different nations. However, the fact, for me, that so many countries were fighting for an end to fossil fuels was hopeful. Even better, the frustration of those countries has resulted in the planning by Columbia and the Netherlands of a high-level global summit next year. This will be for countries who want to talk of such a transition away from fossil fuels.
“Both countries have taken notable domestic steps. Colombia has vowed to stop issuing new oil and gas exploration licences. At the same time the Netherlands is aggressively reducing coal use and tightening industrial emissions standards. By co-hosting the conference, they hope to accelerate global cooperation at a moment when COP30 talks remain deadlocked.”
Could There Be an End to This?
The new summit itself is good news. However it has developed out of the unwillingness of some governments to grasp the dire situation the world is facing. Making further progress will not be easy. But at least we will be talking about it!
Other Decisions Taken at COP 30
2 Finance for climate adaption
A target of $100 billion a year to help vulnerable countries to adapt to Climate Change was first set in 2009 by developed countries. It was due to be delivered by 2020. Targets to fulfil these pledges were not fully met till 2022. It is well-known that this amount would only cover a fraction of the actual costs, so in 2024 in Azerbaijan they agreed on a tripling of the fund for 2035. At COP 30 this decision was reiterated and rich countries were encouraged to make a bigger effort to help provide this finance.
Developing countries are pretty unhappy about the delay till 2035. They see that as climate impacts worsen, a 2035 target does not meet the growing adaptation finance need of their countries and will delay urgently needed action to protect their communities, economies, and ecosystems. Developed country governments have been slow to respond to this need.
3 A Just Transition
A Just Transition can be defined as no one being left behind in the transition to a low-carbon and sustainable economy. A policy advisor at Action Aid Netherlands describes the agreement made at this COP:
“The major achievement of this COP is the tangible outcome to make Just Transition a reality. For the first time, clear agreements will ensure that ordinary people, workers, communities, and vulnerable groups are protected and involved when it comes to climate action. More importantly, an institution will be established to turn principle into practice. This breakthrough came not from governments, but from a dedicated push by civil society organizations, unions, youth, and feminist groups, as well as the loud calls of Indigenous movements in Brazil. Where governments failed to achieve progress on other issues, it is thanks to civil society that there is in fact a concrete outcome at this ‘implementation COP’ ”. This is a long quote, but for me it highlights the role that ordinary individuals can make in fighting Climate Change.
There Were 193 Countries Plus the EU at COP 30
Nationally Determined Contributions
Other more minor agreements were approved with rather less drama. However, there was one major and obviously rather worrying subject – individual country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). These are the commitments from individual countries to reduce their Greenhouse Gas emissions. According to the Paris Agreement they have to be submitted every five years. This year’s NDCs were supposed to align with keeping the temperature rise to 1.5°C. According to an article in the Guardian the results have been a “bit grim”. NDCs received by Brazil would lead to a temperature rise of about 2.5°C. Basically a disaster.
In response the EU has come up with a new NDC and has been working with partners to encourage them to change. Also, the UN has designed what is called a Global Implementation Accelerator. It is to be hoped that will make a big difference. No doubt it will fit in with the Decade of Acceleration.
So, what does all that mean?
Is it good or bad? Should we be pleased with our governments or not? Should we be hopeful or not?
An article in the Guardian Newspaper by Ed Miliband says that “We delivered a clear message at COP 30: the delayers and defeatists are losing the climate fight. We went to the Cop because working with other countries to tackle the climate crisis is the only way to protect our home and way of life.”
This all gives me hope. The working together is vital, and it feels to me that there is already an increase in the speed of us talking and working together on the problem.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a huge problem, and we have left it very late indeed to tackle it. There are many naysayers and seekers after profit out there. We need to keep our governments on their toes and their feet on the accelerator.
Which is where you come in.
What can you do now?
Now, more than ever we as individuals can act. We must write to our governments, tell them how important the Climate is to our future, march, protest, talk to our neighbours and generally keep making a nuisance of ourselves. The indigenous people of Brazil did a wonderful job of protesting. So must we.
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Photos by NASA, Jeff W and Kyle Glenn on Unsplash