UN climate conferences are “no longer fit for purpose,” scientists and politicians say in an appeal to the world body’s leadership. They call for a "fundamental overhaul."
Prominent scientists and politicians are calling on the United Nations not to hold UN climate change conferences in countries that do not support phasing out fossil fuels. This call is contained inopen letter, published on Friday, November 15, within the framework of the 29th sessions of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) taking place in Baku.
The letter, addressed to UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Steele, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN Member States, was signed by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Irish President Mary Robinson, former UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres and other experts representing climate organizations. "We need to move from negotiations to implementation." The signatories believe that the UN should apply strict selection criteria for host countries to exclude states that do not support a global phase-out of coal, oil and gas. "
The letter, addressed to UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Steele, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN Member States, was signed by former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Irish President Mary Robinson, former UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres and other experts representing climate organizations. "We need to move from negotiations to implementation." The signatories believe that the UN should apply strict selection criteria for host countries to exclude states that do not support a global phase-out of coal, oil and gas. "
It is clear that COP is no longer fit for purpose. The current structure simply cannot accommodate the exponential pace and scale of change that is needed to ensure safe climate change for humanity," the letter says. Its authors call for a "fundamental overhaul" of the COP processes. "We need to move from negotiations to implementation, which will enable COP to fulfill agreed commitments and ensure an urgent energy transition and phase-out of fossil fuels," the document states.
Fossil fuel lobbyists at UN climate conferences Scientists and politicians are also taking note of the large number of fossil fuel lobbyists at UN climate change conferences. Activist organization Kick Big Polluters Out estimates that at least 1,773 lobbyists from the coal, oil and gas industries have been officially accredited to attend COP29. According to her data, since 2003, fossil fuel lobbyists have been given more than 10 thousand accreditations to COP, and a record number of lobbyists, almost 2,500 people, came to last year’s summit in Dubai.
Moreover, most of them did not declare themselves as company representatives, but came to COP through trade associations or as part of national delegations. Criticism of Baku from the West ChoiceAzerbaijanAs host of COP29, it has drawn criticism from Western forum participants given the country's heavy dependence on oil and gas exports, which make up almost half of its economy. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, speaking to the conference participants, said that oil and gas, like any other natural resources, are “a gift from God.” He added that oil and gas exporters should not be blamed for putting these resources on the market "because the market needs them."
