2023-12-08 01:14:57
The first week of COP28 negotiations concluded yesterday, after eleven at night in Dubai. A week that had begun marked by the announcement of the launch of the loss and damage fund and has been full of civil society actions. There has also been progress of greater or lesser depth in official negotiations, as well as in voluntary commitments by countries.
Unlike the past Climate Summit in Egypt, part of the technical work has concluded with the approval of several texts that will be discussed during the following week of negotiations. Among the issues advanced, a first draft of the Global Balanceo GSTwhich includes the best and worst options, according to Ecologistas en Acción.
Among the most positive of these options, there are several mentions of the need to put an end to fossil fuels, to accelerate the installation of renewable energies or to double energy efficiency
For the environmental organization, among the most positive of these options, there are several mentions of the need to put an end to fossil fuels, to accelerate the installation of renewable energies or to double energy efficiency. There is also a mention of the need of additional funding for adaptation and Plosses and damagesand it is recognized that financing of several tens of billions of dollars would be necessary to address loss and damage needs (current financing committed by countries is in the billions of dollars).
However, many countries continue to block these incorporations, something that will likely make it extremely difficult for them to be definitively incorporated into the final conclusions of COP28. Similarly, the draft Global Balance also incorporates, in the opinion of Ecologists in Action, “dangerous considerations and false solutions—such as carbon capture and storage—, to which is added the intention of countries such as the United States and France to continue betting on enormously expensive, dirty and dangerous energies, such as nuclear energy.”
Likewise, the text incorporates false solutions – such as carbon capture and storage – and the intention of countries like the US and France to continue betting on nuclear energy.
Among the most negative issues in the progress of the negotiations is the inability of the countries to advance on such significant elements as the global adaptation goal, the new financing objective or the mitigation work program. To advance the negotiations over the next few days, it will be essential to make significant progress on these texts.
There is also not enough progress in terms of the global adaptation goal or the new financing objective.
The lack of commitments to reduce emissions and blockades by countries such as China or Saudi Arabia They will be key elements that will compromise the progress of the countries’ mitigation objectives, which for Ecologists in Action are already, to begin with, insufficient.
Likewise, the demands of many countries to establish historical reparations from the North to the global Southby providing the necessary financing to face the consequences of the climate emergency caused, to a large extent, by the extractivism and the continuation burning of fossil fuels.
Finally, the environmental organization considers the inability of the international community to advance in the Gender Action Plan (1), where not even the most basic elements of the advancement of this program have been agreed upon.
“There is no climate justice without human rights”
Throughout this week, the Social Organizations have carried out multiple actions to denounce, among other issues, the high presence of pressure groups from oil companies and request their expulsion from the negotiations, under the slogan “Kick de big polluters out”. The demand for fair, predictable and sufficient financing to confront the climate emergency has also taken center stage, as well as the debt abolitiona historic demand from the countries of the global South against the countries of the North, historically responsible for emissions.
“Kick de big polluters out”
Civil society has led dozens of actions to demand the expulsion of oil companies from the negotiation space, as well as to defend climate justice in compliance with human rights.
He abandonment of fossil fuelsquickly, fairly and definitively has been another of the demands, as well as sufficient and responsible financing of the loss and damage funda specific compensation tool for those countries and territories, especially islands, that will be irreversibly affected by global warming. In addition, a wide variety of anti-war actions have also taken place, in defense of human rights and solidarity with Palestineunder the motto “There is no climate justice without human rights.”
Ecologists in Action declares that all these actions have taken place, despite some tension and management difficulties with the organizers of the Summit. First of all, the permanent headquarters of the civil society groups, the Climate Justice Hubis located at one end of the COP28 venue, on the third floor of a building that is accessed by a small staircase, or an elevator that can only fit three people.
Certain tension and management difficulties with the organizers of the Summit.
The permanent headquarters of civil society groups, the Climate Justice Hubis located at one end of the COP28 venue, on the third floor of a building that is accessed by a small staircase, or an elevator that can only fit three people.
From The Presidency of the Climate Summit have threatened to prohibit, due to the heat, actions during the central hours of the day, while these are being gradually displaced from central and transit places, to other spaces with less visibility.
This situation is not new: civil society denounces how the place where a massive action of solidarity with the Palestinian people took place on Sunday, December 3, can no longer be used, since it appeared the next day with the ground completely lifted and, Today, there is a source that makes it impossible to concentrate there again.
Civil society denounces how the place where a massive action of solidarity with the Palestinian people took place on Sunday, December 3, can no longer be used, since it appeared the next day with the ground completely raised and, today, there is a source that makes it impossible to concentrate there again.
Notable increase in the number of pressure groups linked to the fossil industry
Finally, it is worth highlighting the notable increase in the number of pressure groups linked to the fossil industry in recent summits, since could compromise the impartiality of the negotiations. Specifically, during the COP26 In Glasgow, the number of attendees linked to the fossil industry was 503, while in the COP27 this number amounted to 636.
Although the general number of attendees has also increased, at COP28 there are 2,456 employees and lobbyists from the fossil worldwhich implies in most cases, a higher representation than that of some countries. For this reason, Ecologists in Action points out that it is not surprising that civil society needs to take measures regarding this phenomenon in favor of the integrity of the summit and its outcome, as the creation of a conflict of interest protocol within the UNFCCC.
Delegation of Ecologists in Action in Dubai
“This Climate Summit takes on a historic challenge, there is barely time left to avoid global warming with catastrophic consequences”
Javier Andaluz, responsible for Climate and Energy: “This Climate Summit takes on a historic challenge, there is barely time left to avoid global warming with catastrophic consequences. All governments present at COP28 have an obligation to act, comply with the science and respond to their enormous climate debt. No excuse is admissible either in emissions reduction commitments or in repair commitments; “They must facilitate this transformation to be possible in all parts of the planet.”
Rodrigo Blanca Quesada, member of Ecologistas en Acción Córdoba: “That the protest spaces ‘disappear’ and that the pressure that is being exerted on social movements in this Summit increases, shows that our actions have an impact, and that at the very least it makes them uncomfortable. We know what the problem is and what needs to be done, the only thing missing is political will, which is why pressure from the population is essential. Furthermore, it would be important that no COP be held in countries where such mobilization, articulation and pressure of civil society demands can also occur in the streets.”
Pilar Martinspokesperson for Ben Magec — Ecologists at Acción Canarias: “It is no surprise to anyone that The Spanish State is one of the territories with the greatest climate risk in the EU, and especially, due to its special insularity and location, the Canary Islands. For this reason, in addition to many other reasons and affected territories, adaptation to climate change must be a priority for Spain and the EU.”
Irene Rubiera, representative of the Legal Area: “While it is true that COP28 is taking place under unprecedented conditions and a Presidency, we cannot make hasty judgments about the end of the negotiations. The communities of the global South are here and we must continue to stand with them fighting for everything: for reparations, for loss and damage, for financing and, above all, for adequate mitigation.”
References (1) Gender Action Plan. United Nations.
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