From ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
The scenario for the two-week Annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) is an open secret. Fly into; sound Alarm; enjoy luxury; pleading and coaxing; go to work overtime; trumpet a last minute breakthrough.
Do not talk about unstable climate science or the positives of carbon dioxide, from global greening to warmer winters. Do not refers to the consumer, taxpayer, or financial discipline. Pretend that current world energy crisis is a bump in the road. Don’t go back! And perhaps most of all, be optimistic and plan for COP28 next year in the United Arab Emirates.
This is the official line. But many activists are losing patience with the party of parties. Here are some samples from true believers.
Andrew GriffithsDirector of Community & Partners, PlanetMark:
Copy and paste the Glasgow COP26 agreements on climate mitigation the equivalent of standing still on a treadmill…. [T]His agreement now represents an empty bucket and details of who will fill it, with how much, then how the money will be distributed and who are quite important characteristics that need to be considered. handle [w]we haven’t even lived up to our 2009 commitment to deliver $100 billion a year….
Griffiths added: “We lose points for each year that passes without meaningful action as the finish line of the climate crisis is further and further away, requiring ever greater efforts to achieve.” Griffiths added. “The fact that the delegations had to fight so hard to keep the climate mitigation commitments agreed in Glasgow in force is deeply disappointing.”
Assad Razzouk“angry clean energy guy”:
#COP27 will be remembered as the year when fossil fuels took the helm of the UN climate talks: attendees with connections to the oil and gas industry were ubiquitous, making COP27 a fossil fuel fair. COPs have become obsolete.
Luis López LemusSystem ecologist:
While the United States has agreed to pay $1 billion in climate compensation to poorer nations, China, by far the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, will pay nothing — that’s why. is a real test as these policies have absolutely nothing to do with the environment… but just redistributing wealth!
Alessandra Lehmenclimate lawyer “the world is on fire”:
COP27’s tagline, “Let’s Do It Together” resonates with what was expected to be a “show me the money” conference. It doesn’t quite deliver….
The “step-down” of fossil fuels from Glasgow – which has been tapered from “phased out” – is again reduced to “renewable energy and low emissions”, opening the door to, for example, gas natural burning…. Progress has stalled in…Glasgow Mitigation Work Program (MWP); lack of concrete action towards Paris’ 1.5-degree target.
Rob CameronDirector of Global Public Relations and Interactions with ESG, Nestlé
There are cheers for the fact that there is an agreement on Loss and Damage… BUT… the boos deserved for the lack of progress in mitigation. Indeed, while the #1.5 degree limit… is still there, the Glasgow text has been adjusted and hopes of staying within that limit are waning.
Greta did not attend COP27, to her credit. But her anger over the COP threatened Civil War in the movement. Consider this Take it from a self-described Climate Justice Policy Expert:
COP 27 has all the characteristics that detractors of the cumbersome, elite and inefficient process like to describe it:
Rich people from all over the world fly to an expensive (forbidden) resort under an oppressive regime with human rights issues. Once there, they participate in flashy corporate events or side events that are well-intentioned but procedurally insignificant. All of this distracts from the main purpose – negotiating the global response to the climate crisis – which is thwarted by people of bad faith and broken promises, away from the attention of the majority in the world. 40,000 people attended.
It’s a circus, it looks awful and erodes public trust. The lavish stalls and lavish drinking are far from the lives of people living in poverty, or struggling under the cost of living crisis or the impacts of climate change. The growing embrace of companies serves to emphasize the underrepresentation of working-class communities. The ease of access by fossil fuel companies, as emissions continue to rise, reduces the authenticity of the work in the public eye.
Seán McCabe proposes “more modest facilities,” less private sector involvement, and “an end to the COP’s ‘World’s Fair’ element.” He also offers an odd suggestion: “Fossil fuel entrants should be banned or provided with a single badge color.”
Inference
Guard (England) declares “The world is still ‘on the brink of climate disaster’ after the COP27 agreement.” This chorus, now in its fourth decade, contradicts official statistics on extreme temperatures and weather — and the bottom line on climate-related deaths. Optimistic climate/CO2 worthy of ending the government’s open forays against affordable, reliable energy.
Annual COP meetings should be allowed to die for lack of progress. But if there is COP28, the theme of the conference should be Rethinking climate alarmism and forced energy transition. Set up a series of debates. Question authority. Prepare for new conclusions. Make midway adjustments—even a full inversion. Well, that time has come after decades of futile and costly operations.
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