Expanding UN climate summits hinders progress, experts say

Annual climate talks have grown too large to effectively address global warming, with critics suggesting smaller, focused events could streamline decision-making.

Bob Berwyn reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

• Attendance at UN climate conferences has surged from 5,000 in early years to 85,000 last year, diluting focus and straining resources.
• Experts propose separating negotiations, expos and high-level summits to make the process more efficient and less performative.
• Conflicts of interest, including fossil fuel industry involvement, continue to undermine progress on emissions reductions.

Key quote:

“They have grown organically, without any steering. Some people might even say it’s like cancer, out of control.”

— Benito Müller, researcher at the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute

Why this matters:

The sheer scale of these conferences risks alienating and excluding smaller nations and marginalized groups, perpetuating inequity in climate policy. Streamlining the process could shift attention back to meaningful emission reductions and away from superficial displays of commitment.