As world leaders gather in Baku, Azerbaijan for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), a chorus of influential voices is calling for a major shakeup of the annual climate summit process. The group, which includes luminaries like former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and ex-UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, argues that the current system is “no longer fit for purpose” and must evolve to prioritize implementation over negotiation.
A Plea for Meaningful Reform
In a pointed letter to the UN, this powerhouse collective of climate policy experts laid out a vision for overhauling the COP framework. They contend that future summits should be held exclusively in countries that demonstrate clear support for decisive climate action. Additionally, they advocate for:
- Stricter regulations on fossil fuel industry lobbying at the conferences
- Streamlining the complex negotiation process
- Convening meetings more frequently
- Amplifying the voices of developing nations on the front lines of the climate crisis
The signatories, who also include renowned climate scientist Johan Rockström and former Irish President Mary Robinson, emphasized the urgent need to pivot from endless deliberations to bold, concrete measures. As Figueres put it, “It is now clear that the COP is no longer fit for purpose. We need a shift from negotiation to implementation.“
A System Strained to Its Limits
The call for COP reform comes amidst mounting frustration with the glacial pace of progress at recent climate summits. While the landmark Paris Agreement in 2015 established ambitious targets for reining in global temperature rise, critics argue that subsequent COPs have failed to spur the drastic emissions cuts and transformative policies needed to achieve those goals.
“The COPs have become a venue for vested interests to stall and dilute real action, not to make genuine progress,” lamented a seasoned climate negotiator who requested anonymity. “We can’t afford more years of dithering and delay.”
Many observers point to the outsized presence and influence of fossil fuel lobbyists at recent summits as a major obstacle. A startling analysis found that oil and gas industry representatives often outnumber even the largest national delegations at the conferences. Climate advocates argue this dynamic drowns out the voices of those most vulnerable to devastating climate impacts.
Reimagining Climate Diplomacy
The expert signatories believe relocating future COPs to countries with proven climate leadership could help reset the tone and focus of the gatherings. By empowering governments already committed to phasing out fossil fuels and enacting bold green policies, they hope to marginalize obstructionists and accelerate progress.
The proposal to meet more than once a year also aims to infuse momentum into the often plodding UN climate negotiation process. With climate change impacts intensifying by the day, from ferocious wildfires to ravaging floods, advocates warn there is no time to waste.
“This is a race against time, and right now, we’re losing,” cautioned Ban Ki-moon. “COP29 must mark a turning point where we pivot to delivering urgent action at a transformative scale.”
Elevating Marginalized Voices
Central to the reform push is a demand to better center communities disproportionately burdened by the climate emergency, such as developing countries and indigenous populations. While these groups have contributed the least to the crisis, they often face its most catastrophic consequences. Advocates say their priorities, needs, and expertise must be elevated in climate negotiations.
“The people on the frontlines of climate devastation have critical insights and moral authority that should be steering these talks,” argued Rockström. “Instead, their voices are routinely drowned out by the very polluters driving this crisis.”
A Critical Juncture
With the future of the Paris Agreement hanging in the balance and the window for averting catastrophic warming rapidly closing, calls to reimagine the COP process are gaining traction. Supporters argue that without a significant overhaul of climate diplomacy, the 1.5°C target could soon drift permanently out of reach.
“There are moments in history when humanity has to choose between transformation and catastrophe,” reflected Mary Robinson. “This is one of them. COP29 must be where we finally choose wisely and act boldly, before it’s too late.”
As negotiations in Baku enter their second week, all eyes are on the assembled governments to heed these expert appeals and summon the political courage to usher in a new, more urgent era of UN climate action. For vulnerable communities worldwide, nothing less than their survival hangs in the balance.
