The global climate policy process is no longer fit for purpose and requires comprehensive overhaul to ensure planetary stability and a liveable future for humanity.
This is the urgent message of an open letter to the Member States of the UN and Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Secretariat Simon Stiell signed by a group of prominent scientists, advocates and policy leaders as world leaders gather in Baku for COP29.
Signatories include Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Executive Chair of Earth4All and Global Ambassador of the Club of Rome, Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Action Research, Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Christiana Figueres, Former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Mary Robinson, Former President of Ireland.
There have been significant advances made through the COP process, including the landmark Paris Agreement and agreements to end deforestation. However, the letter highlights the limitations of the existing framework to enact the rapid, large-scale changes now urgently required to limit warming to the 1.5°C threshold.
“It is now clear that the COP is no longer fit for purpose” the letter states. “We need a shift from negotiation to implementation. »
The letter follows remarks from the president of COP29’s host country that oil and gas are a « gift of God », and news that an official of Azerbaijan’s COP Presidency had been using the event to advance fossil fuel business deals. Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Executive Chair of Earth4All and Global Ambassador of the Club of Rome said:
“We need a COP process that offers delivery, not delay. We demand COPs that are platforms for government and stakeholder ambition, not enablers of fossil energy contracts and growing greenhouse gas emissions. After 28 COPs, time is up on negotiations that don’t foster action and implementation. Planetary stability is dependent on equality, justice and poverty alleviation to address the greatest existential challenge of our time.”
The signatories warn that we can no longer exclude the possibility of surpassing 2.9°C of warming by 2100. Johan Rockström said: “Planet Earth is in critical condition. We have already crossed six planetary boundaries. There is still a window of opportunity for a safe landing for humanity, but this requires a global climate policy process that can deliver change at exponential speed and scale.”
Christiana Figueres comments:
“At the last COP, fossil fuel lobbyists outnumbered representatives of scientific institutions, Indigenous communities and vulnerable nations. We cannot hope to achieve a just transition without significant reforms to the COP process that ensure fair representation of those most affected.”
