On October 13th and 14th, Brasília held Pre-COP 30, a meeting focused on climate action ahead of the COP30 event in Belém. Representatives from around the world gathered to discuss important steps toward addressing climate change.
Despite nearly thirty years of UN climate conferences, global emissions are still rising. Many experts believe the current decision-making process is too slow and cumbersome. They argue for a complete overhaul to make climate governance more effective.
It’s easy to feel frustrated when progress seems minimal. After all, since the first UN climate summit in 1995, many promises have been made, but real results have been sparse. This is why some believe we need a fresh approach to how climate policies are formed.
One idea is to simplify the decision-making structure. Currently, the aim is to achieve consensus among many countries, which often leads to vague agreements that don’t make significant impacts. For instance, the Paris Agreement gained approval from all 195 UN member states, but the terms ended up being fairly non-committal.
Furthermore, not all areas that contribute to climate discussions are represented. While tiny nations may sign agreements, major cities like Los Angeles are not included in these dialogues, missing an important voice in the matter.
To make meaningful change, experts suggest a different voting system. Instead of requiring unanimous consent, a supermajority of countries could decide on actions. This new approach could better represent large population centers and even allow cities and specific groups, such as youth or indigenous communities, to have their voices heard more directly.
The need for a streamlined climate finance system is also crucial. Research indicates that there are currently over 100 funding sources for climate projects, leading to confusion and overlap. Simplifying these into a few key funds would make it easier for everyone to understand how to contribute to important goals.
Another significant point is transforming COP events themselves. The last conference in Dubai involved around 100,000 delegates and incurred high costs. Critics argue that the expenses often overshadow the funds allocated for climate compensation to poorer nations. It may be more effective to hold smaller, focused forums that allow for more continuous dialogue on critical issues like adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable technology development.
In essence, fixing the climate governance structure might also lay the groundwork for better decision-making in other global matters. The way we tackle climate change is just one piece of a larger puzzle demanding our attention.
For additional insights on climate action strategies, you can check reports from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change here.
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UNFCCC,United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),COP,COP30,UNFCCC COP30,COP30 Belem,climate summits
