All articles tagged with #unfccc
Brazil's COP30 climate summit in Belém adopts an unconventional approach, emphasizing action and implementation over traditional negotiations, with innovative diplomatic efforts, Indigenous involvement, and a focus on practical measures to combat climate change, despite concerns over the absence of a comprehensive cover decision.
The article argues that the current global climate policy framework, centered around the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, is ineffective in achieving meaningful decarbonization. It highlights the failures of market-based solutions like carbon offsets and pricing, the broken promises of climate finance, and the influence of fossil fuel interests through investment protections. The author advocates for a shift away from the UNFCCC towards direct economic reforms, such as taxation and reducing fossil fuel subsidies, to accelerate the transition to green energy and address the climate crisis more effectively.
The COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, faces criticism for being ineffective and accused of greenwashing and supporting fossil fuel interests. Notable leaders, including President Biden, skipped the event, raising questions about its relevance. Critics argue the conference has become a platform for unrealistic expectations and corporate influence, particularly from the fossil fuel industry. Calls for reform include smaller, more frequent meetings and a focus on policy implementation. The summit's integrity is further threatened by allegations of corruption and human rights concerns in host countries.
The CEO of Cop29, Elnur Soltanov, was filmed agreeing to facilitate fossil fuel deals at the climate summit, sparking calls to ban fossil fuel industry involvement in future Cop talks. Undercover campaigners from Global Witness posed as a fake oil and gas group, leading Soltanov to connect them with Azerbaijan's national oil company, Socar, and waive climate requirements for sponsorship. This incident follows a similar scandal at Cop28, raising concerns about the influence of fossil fuel interests in climate negotiations. The UNFCCC emphasizes the need for impartiality and ambitious outcomes at Cop29.
An undercover investigation by Global Witness reveals that Azerbaijan, the host of COP29, is using the UN climate conference to facilitate fossil fuel deals, raising concerns about conflicts of interest. Elnur Soltanov, CEO of COP29 and Azerbaijan's deputy energy minister, was recorded discussing potential oil and gas investments with a fake company, EC Capital, highlighting the influence of the fossil fuel industry at climate talks. The investigation underscores the challenge of balancing commercial interests with climate goals at international summits.
Activists at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai have accused the UN climate secretariat (UNFCCC) of unprecedented policing of their actions and expressions of solidarity with Palestine. Civil society groups reported that activists have been threatened with removal for wearing keffiyehs or pro-Palestine badges, and there have been tight restrictions on speech used during pro-Palestine protests. The UNFCCC has banned certain slogans and chants, including "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." Activists believe the pressure is coming from the United States, Israel, and others within the UN.
The Bonn Climate Change Conference ended with negotiators expressing frustration over the lack of progress on climate finance and carbon pollution cuts. The conference was designed to prepare decisions for adoption at the COP28 summit in the United Arab Emirates later this year. The lack of progress on climate finance was a major issue, with low-income countries left deeply frustrated that funds pledged to them to implement their climate plans had not yet materialized. The Dubai summit will see the U.N. publish a global stocktake on tackling the climate emergency — the first since the Paris accord in 2015.