The 25th Conference of the Parties pursuant to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP25) ended with little movement to tackle the climate crisis.
Many NGO participants at COP25 criticized the conference as weakening the international framework for global climate change action.
The US, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, India and other big polluters were accused of obstructing climate change action and even backtracking on previous promises. Countries like Australia and Brazil were accused of seeking loopholes to water down an international trading mechanism for a workable “carbon market” to help reduce emissions.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres expressed his “disappointment” at what happened.
I am disappointed with the results of #COP25.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) December 15, 2019
The international community lost an important opportunity to show increased ambition on mitigation, adaptation & finance to tackle the climate crisis.
But we must not give up, and I will not give up.
Guterres has staked his legacy on tackling the climate breakdown, but the office of the Secretary General is little more than a bully pulpit, and has few substantive powers, with respect to the treaty framework that governs climate negotiations.
Climate lawyer Farhana Yamin summarised the views of many that the US, in particular, had poisoned the talks:
Basic US strategy for #COP25 so that #COP26 can’t do its job:
— Farhana Yamin (@farhanaclimate) December 15, 2019
weaken WIM; weaken finance; weaken integrity of climate markets; weaken references to science; exclude people’s voices; hope others get the blame for lack of progress. https://t.co/NaeY4ebc1O
Youth activist Alexandria Villaseñor described a “failure”.
I'm still at #COP25 and going to the final plenary. I'm hearing many small nations have left because they weren't being included. People have been here all night, some slept on the floor. Many COP veterans have said they've never seen it fall apart this badly.
— Alexandria Villaseñor (@AlexandriaV2005) December 15, 2019
This is a failure. pic.twitter.com/PbBhQMfxSd
Climate change threatens to create a world of “climate apartheid” that may destroy the international human rights framework.
Fundamental human rights, including the right to life, are gravely threatened by climate change.
The failure of the global system to tackle this challenge stands as an indictment against it. Powerful interests—interests that would prefer to maintain the status quo for as long as possible, presumably to extract as many fossil fuels as possible—have proven themselves capable of defraying and delaying action to forestall terrifying changes to the global climate system.
The failure of our species to change its ways will cause irreparable, severe, and permanent damage to our global civilization.
A complete breakdown of the world’s climate system is imminent.
Dave Inder Comar is the co-founder of Human Rights Pulse and a practising attorney.