COP27 reaction: There can be no compromise with catastrophe
Date: 20 November 2022
Campaigns: Climate
Reacting to the final COP27 agreement, Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now, said:
“In the last fortnight, the climate justice movement rallied around a desert in Egypt to demand a radical transformation of our global economy and society.
“The battle for loss and damage was won, and this deal offers a sliver of hope for vulnerable countries who are already facing the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. They have fought tooth and nail for this outcome and it is a testament to their decades of perseverance that we are even discussing it at all. This is an historic win for them, and for civil society too. It is a small piece of the justice we have demanded for so long.
“There are still huge battles ahead to ensure this move results in additional, equitable funding arrangements for loss and damage, and the UK must play a pivotal role in pushing that forward here in the West.
“But the COP process must change if we are to really make headway in fighting the climate crisis.
“With over 600 fossil fuel lobbyists patrolling the halls and striking deals on the side for new projects, and even the BP chief executive listed as a country delegate sitting in negotiations, this was like inviting arsonists to a firefighting convention.
“We all know this goes on, and yet still this farcical cycle continues.
“It’s no surprise then that this final text has made no progress on phasing out fossil fuels. If that wasn’t bad enough, any country that decides to phase out fossil fuels anyway is at risk of companies suing for huge sums under trade agreements like the Energy Charter Treaty.
“We’re moving backwards on already borrowed time. It’s time to make polluters pay up for their climate damages and kick them out of the COP for good.
“We don’t have time to do this every couple of years, making the same arguments and taking baby steps toward progress, with no guarantee of proper commitment.
“The target of 1.5 degrees is all but dead. Only radical, transformational systems change can save us now.”
ENDS
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Photo: UNFCCC (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
