After postponing drastic measures time and again because there was an economic crisis, pandemic, war or inflation, we are close to the moment when we will have to postpone climate measures because the priority is… facing the consequences of climate change. Postpone commitments because it is more urgent to deal with victims and destruction, and prepare for the next disaster
The joke tells itself. Read the slogans of the last ten climate summits in succession:
From words to actions. All together for the climate. From words to action. Farther, faster, together. Changing together. Time to act. Uniting the world to tackle climate change. Together for implementation. Unite, act, comply. Solidarity for a green world.
Come on, now read them without laughing. And then try to read them without crying.
Twenty nine summits Then, here we are, COP29 in Azerbaijan, to continue the previous year’s joke in Dubai. That the summits are already held directly in countries that produce fossil energy, and are led by a former oil executive (and a denier at that), is an advance: since for environmental purposes they are of little use, at least let’s take advantage of it to do business, Let’s turn conferences into a business and government fair. With a Mr. Wonderful motto, yes, climate self-help so as not to discourage staff: together, action, all together, act, united, solidarity, together, together, together.
Sorry to sound ashy, but the balance of the 28 previous summits, and the nine years since the Paris Agreement, could not be more bleak. A succession of frustrated expectations, non-binding and unfulfilled agreements, polluting countries that do not sign, promises, always “bittersweet” conclusions, and breakfast cup slogans. The temperature continues to rise, we consume more oil and even more coal, and emissions reach historic highs. But we remain committed.
The thing is that there is always some urgency that delays us in our commitment. We were all on one side, but the financial, economic and social crisis of 2008 arrived, and we had to wait a few years because the priority was to get out of the hole, save the banking system, recover growth, alleviate the social destruction. Once the worst was over, then it was time, all together against climate change… but the pandemic arrived, and what are we going to do about it, we had to put it on hold again. Our commitment was still intact, but first we had to survive the virus and its economic and social consequences.
We emerged from the pandemic, also very aware of our relationship with nature… but the war came in Ukraine, and at least Europe was not ready for ecological transitions. We optimists thought that the closing of oil and gas taps from Russia would lead us to rethink our energy model, but not so quickly: some countries started burning coal like crazy, and others looked for oil and gas in other countries. On the rebound, an inflation crisis that also did not let us think about the climate, would have to wait again.
And here we are, with the DANA in Valencia on the eve of COP29, as proof that climate change is no longer just a climate crisis, but increasingly a climate emergency. After postponing drastic measures time and again because there was an economic crisis, pandemic, war or inflation, we are close to the moment when we will have to postpone climate measures because the priority is… facing the consequences of climate change. Postpone commitments because it is more urgent to deal with victims and destruction, and prepare for the next disaster.
And despite everything, we cannot allow ourselves to be defeated or cynically. Although we have already crossed several red lines and there are irreversible effects, each degree, each half degree, every tenth of a degree account. And our lives depend on it. If it is not a priority for the rulers, it should be for the citizens; not limit ourselves to waiting for the next summit, to see if it is the good one.
#climate #emergency #wait
