COP process may be flawed, but it is also truly exceptional

In her final dispatch from Dubai, Martina Juvara says that while the agreement to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels does not go far enough it is nonetheless an historic achievement

What's the big deal about COP? It’s 28 years of people flying around the world, talking, arguing, and not achieving much. Some dismiss it all as empty talk, as Greta Thunberg famously said in Glasgow two years ago. This year, once again, British news outlets were very negative, criticising the COP Presidency and suggesting that for the many delegates attending the summit was just one big party. They have already started attacking the next hosts, Azerbaijan.

But I think this negativity misses the point. If we want to save the planet so people can live here, COP is the only way we have. It's like having one surgeon to save your life – why discredit and mock them? Wouldn't it be better to support and celebrate successes? 

Critics forget that COP brings together 198 countries, giving them equal voting rights, whether it's Fiji or the USA. They have to agree unanimously, which makes progress slow. Having a majority vote would give more power to poorer countries and will not be accepted by richer ones.

It is also disrespectful to the hard work of thousands of negotiators, activists, scientists, and researchers who collect data, promote pledges, and do all they can for agreement on important issues.

The agreement to “transition away” from fossil fuels has taken some significant steps forward, but there are still areas where progress is not sufficient. Issues like legal rights for Mother Earth, the role of cities, and carbon pricing still need more attention. 

However, this is nonetheless an historic achievement: all 198 countries have agreed to move away from fossil fuels – oil, gas, and coal – for the first time. Simon Stiell from the UNFCCC,  the climate change arm of the UN, called it “an ambitious floor – not a ceiling”. He urged countries to return home and set even more ambitious plans. Representatives from small island nations, like Samoa, affected by rising sea levels and storms, saw it as a positive step but not the “course correction” they were seeking. 

By early 2025, countries must update their plans and outline specific actions to meet the agreement's stricter requirement of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C. The current commitments, if fully carried out, can only limit the rise to 3.0 degrees C. Responding to this call should deeply transform our economies and lifestyles.

The agreement itself isn't the full picture. The yearly pace of meetings creates significant momentum. For instance, just last Monday, over 170 countries protested when the initial draft of the text didn't mention moving away from oil and gas. This led to unexpected shifts, with China, USA, UK, Canada, and Australia no longer shielding the fossil fuel industry, something unimaginable just a couple of weeks ago. 

This is the work of scientists and NGOs worldwide whose collective influence is felt at COP, a unique platform where their voices resonate and impact political leaders like nowhere else. The annual COP schedule prompts organisations to prepare and present their strategies. We've witnessed this in sectors like aviation and maritime, with detailed analyses of urban transport by PATH and SLOCAT. 

New initiatives, like CHAMP (Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnership), aim to bring local leaders to the table of nations for significant city-level changes. COPs are spaces for exploring, for example with innovative data platforms and storytelling methods to imagine a different future. These gatherings drive immense thinking and innovation.

They are also an amazing place where people from across the world share their views. Where the perspectives of the Gambia, the Marshall Islands, Amazon peoples and nomads from the Russian steppe can be shared and heard. It is a platform where leaders, experts, and observers like myself gain deeper insights into our world. We take these new understandings home, spreading ideas and advocating for more change. While the COP process isn't flawless and might be slow, it remains truly exceptional.

Martina Juvara is Director - Master Planning at Urban Silence