The annual UN climate summits, known as Conferences of the Parties (COP), have become a critical platform for addressing global climate change.
However, a group of prominent climate policy experts, including former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Irish President Mary Robinson, and leading climate scientist Johan Rockström, has raised concerns about the effectiveness of the current system.
They argue that future COPs should only be held in countries that support climate action and enforce stricter regulations on fossil fuel lobbying.
The call for reform is particularly timely as COP29, being held in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, is nearing its halfway mark. Azerbaijan, a major fossil fuel producer, is seen as a controversial host due to its reliance on oil and gas exports.
Last year’s COP was similarly held in a petrostate, the UAE, where fossil fuel interests held significant sway.
The involvement of such nations in hosting the talks has led to growing criticism, as many argue it undermines the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The experts stress that the current COP process, which often focuses more on negotiations than actual implementation, is no longer sufficient.
Campaigners urge polluters to pay, calling for global solidarity in funding climate solutions.They urge a shift towards more frequent meetings, with increased representation from developing countries, which are most affected by climate change.
Christiana Figueres, former UN climate chief, highlighted that fossil fuel lobbyists outnumbered representatives from scientific institutions and vulnerable nations in previous summits, emphasizing the need for reform to ensure fairer representation.
Another major concern is the lack of progress on climate finance, particularly for developing countries. These nations will require up to $1 trillion annually by 2030 to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement.
However, disagreements persist on how much developed countries are willing to contribute and on how emerging economies should share the burden.
Campaigners outside the conference venue have made it clear that polluters must be held accountable for financing the global transition to clean energy.
With calls for new financial mechanisms, including taxes on cryptocurrency, plastics production, and wealth, experts like Laurence Tubiana argue that there can be no climate justice without fiscal justice.
The challenge is clear: to combat climate change effectively, those who have contributed the most to the crisis must pay their fair share.
Only then can the world hope to achieve the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement.