“28 COPs have delivered us with the policy framework to achieve this. However, its current structure simply cannot deliver the change at exponential speed and scale, which is essential to ensure a safe climate landing for humanity. This is what compels our call for a fundamental overhaul of the COP,” they said in an open letter to UN secretary-general António Guterres and executive secretary of the UN climate change secretariat, Simon Stiell.
They, while calling for “COP reform”, said the shift is needed to enable the COP to deliver on agreed commitments and ensure the urgent energy transition and phase-out of fossil energy.Calling themselves friends of the COP (conference of parties) who believe in the important role the UNFCCC has played in ensuring ambition on climate change, they extended seven suggestions to reform the process and called for strict eligibility criteria to exclude countries who do not support the phase out/transition away from fossil energy. “Host countries must demonstrate their high level of ambition to uphold the goals of the Paris Agreement,” they said.
The signatories, however, recognised the essential role that the COP has played in creating the global climate policy framework, and said, “There is no doubt that climate change is a global challenge and must be solved through multilateral negotiations alongside ambition at the national level through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The Paris agreement and subsequent COP decisions have laid a robust foundation for the global policy framework on climate action. Now, we must work together with urgency and purpose, transforming the climate COP so that it can take strategic, action-oriented and accountable decisions to deliver the scale of ambition commensurate with the defining challenge of our time.”
The signatories of the letter also include Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water; and Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Action Research.
They noted that despite some of its flaws, and limited resources, the global policy framework is scientifically rigorous and economically sound and complete. “But the framework alone is not enough to solve the problems,” they said while enlisting their suggestions.
Besides asking for improving the selection process of COP presidencies, their other suggestions include delivery of concrete action with speed and scale; strengthening of mechanisms to hold countries accountable for their climate targets and commitments; robust tracking of climate financing; amplifying the voice of authoritative science; recognising the interdependencies between poverty, inequality and planetary instability; and enhancing equitable representation.
Their letter follows remarks from the president of COP29’s host country that oil and gas are a “gift of God”, and media reports that an official of Azerbaijan’s COP Presidency had been using the event to advance fossil fuel business deals. The reports claimed that 132 fossil fuel company executives are present at COP29 on Azerbaijan Presidency badges.
One of the signatories, Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Executive Chair of Earth4All and Global Ambassador of the Club of Rome said, “We need a COP process that offers delivery, not delay. We demand COPs that are platforms for government and stakeholder ambition, not enablers of fossil energy contracts and growing greenhouse gas emissions. After 28 COPs, time is up on negotiations that don’t foster action and implementation. Planetary stability is dependent on equality, justice and poverty alleviation to address the greatest existential challenge of our time.”
Seven key reform measures suggested by the signatories
1. Improve the selection process for COP presidencies: We need strict eligibility criteria to exclude countries who do not support the phase out/transition away from fossil energy. Host countries must demonstrate their high level of ambition to uphold the goals of the Paris Agreement.
2. Streamline for speed and scale: With the global policy map fully developed, COP must shift away from negotiations to the delivery of concrete action. COP meetings must be transformed into smaller, more frequent, solution-driven meetings where countries report on progress, are held accountable in line with the latest science, and discuss important solutions for finance, technology and equity. This work must be supplemented by the benchmarking of national progress using the UN Gap Reports. This approach will accelerate action and allow for timely adjustments based on emerging scientific findings and changing global circumstances.
3. Improve implementation and accountability: The COP process must be strengthened with mechanisms to hold countries accountable for their climate targets and commitments. Whilst the Paris framework was intended to operate in “delivery mode”, it is not working because governments are not held to account to ensure that national action plans align with the latest scientific evidence. The Global Stocktake process is an important start but it must be strengthened with enhanced reporting and benchmarking, rigorous peer-review processes, independent scientific oversight and transparent tracking of pledges and action.
4. Ensure robust tracking of climate financing: A growing proportion of climate financing pledges are now being disbursed as interest-bearing loans, thereby exacerbating the debt burden for climate-vulnerable nations. We need standardised definitions and criteria for what qualifies as climate finance, along with common reporting frameworks and tracking mechanisms to verify climate financing flows. All of these measures are critical for rebuilding trust and accountability and for mobilising the necessary resources.
5. Amplify the voice of authoritative science: Whilst the climate COP does rely on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other related bodies, such as the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), it does not have its own permanent scientific advisory body that is formally part of the COP structure. We share growing concerns that climate COPs do not sufficiently integrate or action up the latest scientific evidence. The CBD COP has its own permanent scientific advisory body, which has provided a technical and scientific underpinning for the CBD. And the same could be replicated within the climate COP.
6. Recognise the interdependencies between poverty, inequality and planetary instability: New research from the Earth Commission and from Earth4All affirms the important linkages between ecological and social change processes. If the climate COP is to be more impactful, it must acknowledge that the current rate of nature loss (e.g. freshwater scarcity, land and soil degradation, pollination decline, ocean pollution) is affecting the stability of the planet. Moreover, planetary stability, now at grave risk, is impossible without decisive action on equality, justice and poverty alleviation. This is why we call for a Climate-Poverty Policy Envoy to ensure that these critical links are anchored in the negotiations and implementation actions, especially through dedicated spaces for vulnerable communities to advocate for these linkages.
7. Enhance equitable representation: Despite the climate COP’s new disclosure rules, a record number of 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access at COP28, nearly four times more than COP27. (1,773 fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to COP29). The fact that there were far more fossil fuel lobbyists than official representatives from scientific institutions, indigenous communities and vulnerable nations reflects a systemic imbalance in COP representation. Improving the management of corporate interests within COPs proceedings will require stronger transparency and disclosure rules and clear guidelines that require companies to demonstrate alignment between their climate commitments, business model and lobbying activities.
