COP30 caught in global tensions, but failure is not an option
After experiencing the hottest year ever recorded on the planet, expectations for the COP30 climate summit next November are enormous. The major Bélem’s conference will be held from November 10th to 21st and will take place in a particularly difficult context, with the United States withdrawing from global cooperation on climate and health, as well as several major world conflicts. Fortunately, Brazilian diplomacy is renowned for its skill, and to prepare, the country has already deployed impressive negotiators contingents.
The technical discussions that recently happened in Bonn, Germany, revealed tensions on several issues, including the financial aspect and, therefore, suggesting that COP30 could be more difficult than expected. The conference presidency will have to take small steps and focus on the unity behind multilateralism and cooperation, according to Patricia Espinosa, former head of the UN Climate Change Office, keeping in mind that failure is not an option.
Brazil will, therefore, have the difficult task of trying to put into practice the decisions of recent years, marked by commitments to a transition away from fossil fuels. Observers fear, however, that these obligations are still far from being compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or even 2, the least ambitious limit of the Paris Agreement.
The COP30 presidency intends to use strategy to consolidate the progress that previous conferences have not finalized on climate change adaptation and to focus on the legacy of what has been achieved, rather than on increasing ambition. Although the pace of these negotiations is often slow and frustrating, the exercise remains essential, particularly in the face of such a significant threat to humanity.
Source : Le Devoir
Photo : Carlos Faba-Agence France Presse