Leading experts push for reform in UN climate summits
Future United Nations climate conferences must prioritize action over negotiation and restrict fossil fuel influence, experts urge.
Fiona Harvey, Dharna Noor, Damian Carrington and Ajit Niranjan report for The Guardian.
In short:
- Over 1,700 fossil fuel lobbyists attended COP29, outnumbering representatives from scientific, Indigenous and vulnerable communities.
- Experts like Ban Ki-moon and Mary Robinson call for limiting summits to nations committed to phasing out fossil fuels and streamlining the process to amplify voices from developing nations.
- Proposals to address the $1 trillion annual climate finance gap include wealth taxes, levies on plastic production and airline surcharges.
Key quote:
“We cannot hope to achieve a just transition without significant reforms to the COP process that ensure fair representation of those most affected.”
— Christiana Figueres, former UN climate chief
Why this matters:
UN climate summits risk losing credibility as fossil fuel interests overshadow vulnerable nations' voices. Reforming the process and securing equitable financing could help meet the Paris Agreement’s targets and curb global temperature rise.
Read more: UN climate summit focuses on amplifying financial commitments
