COP26: wording matters.
The outcomes are laden with intention but compromise on urgency and commitment. It’s up to the private sector to fill the gaps.
Global leaders met (yet again) at the 26th Conference of the Parties to decide our collective future. During the two weeks of panels, meetings, and round tables (at the back of Indigenous, youth, women, and other activists and frontliners gathering around the Scottish Exhibition Centre), the Conference of the Parties concluded with the Glasgow Climate Pact (among other outcomes). A pact that compiles a set of 71 decisions that, following the quarter-century-long tradition, does not live up to the urgency of the global issue we’re facing.
The Glasgow Climate Pact is meticulously written following the UNFCCC style guide, with every word carefully chosen to reflect the degree of significance and commitment of each decision. Unfortunately, the urgency expressed throughout the many actions taken by the Conference of the Parties in the pact (recognizes, welcomes, encourages…) is as lax as its content.
Throughout 71 decisions, the Conference of the Parties expresses concern, recognition, and confirmation on 50 occasions, while it invites and requests for action a mere 21 times. However, the concerns might be as powerful as some of the calls to action.
On the greatest significance end of the recognitions gradient, the pact expresses alarm and utmost concern that human activity has caused a 1.1ºC warming, it reaffirms the goal to maintain warming below 2ºC, and it notes with deep regret the failure of the Climate Finance Delivery Plan (and its goal to mobilise $100bn/year by 2020 by “developed” country Parties).
In the few instances that the Pact calls to action, the Conference of the Parties urges to enhance financial, technology, and capacity support to design and implement adaptation plans; and urges Parties to deliver on the failed promises (this is, the Climate Finance Delivery Plan and the outstanding pledges).
Beyond the signing Parties
While not participating in the discussions, the Glasgow Climate Pact refers to major actors –the non-signing Parties– involved in and affected by climate change action and impact.
In 12 statements, the Conference of the Parties acknowledges and calls to consider the voices often excluded from international agreements: Indigenous peoples and local communities (x6), youth (x5), women (x3), and civil society (x3). An overdue but commendable step forward, also expressed throughout interventions by leaders participating in the conference.
Hopefully, this representation on paper transcends into more genuine representation and inclusion in decision making than was seen this year at COP26. “Indigenous people are more visible but we’re not taken any more seriously; we’re romanticized and tokenized,” said Eriel Deranger, executive director of Indigenous Climate Action and member of the facilitated working group for North America, part of the new UN structures established after Paris [Quote and description from The Guardian].
It’s important to acknowledge the call on multilateral development banks, other financial institutions, and the private sector as major actors in the financial mobilisation of resources for climate adaptation.
In the context of this 26th pact, which once again fails to urgently and efficiently address the climate crisis, we look to the non-signing parties to continue to catalyse change. Notably, due to its economic, societal and environmental impact, the role of the private sector becomes critical to overcome the gaps left by global governments (particularly those of richer nations).
The private sector has the resources and knowledge to transform the way we operate in the world and the impact we have on it. Yet the existing economy is based on borrowed time. For true sustainability in the private sector, we need bold and genuine transformation.
The business of the future starts today.
This post is the result of a collaborative effort between myself, Jacinta Hamley (Communications & Digital Content Specialist), and Pablo Urrutia (Project Manager).
