presentation and funding for vulnerable communities will be measures of success in Dubai. But, as controversy over fossil fuel influence rises, what does a successful COP28 look like and is it still achievable?
COP28 should heed the calls of Indigenous people
The expectations of Indigenous peoples’ are clear, according to Joseph Itongwa, regional coordinator for the Indigenous Peoples and Local Network for the Management of Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa (REPALEAC).
“Prioritise our rights, safeguard traditional territories and align climate funds with Glasgow Pledge commitments.”
This pledge, agreed at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, saw countries reaffirm the duty of developed nations to provide developing nations with climate funding. Direct access to these funds, in line with the commitments of this Glasgow Pledge, must be put into practice this year, Itongwa says.
“As a DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) Indigenous leader, envisioning a sustainable future, I urge COP28 to heed the calls of Indigenous people.”
To combat climate change effectively, elevate traditional indigenous knowledge, secure territories, and support us as the guardians.
Joseph Itongwa
Regional coordinator for REPALEAC
Itongwa highlights the specific role of Indigenous women in biodiversity conservation - such as the women already working in the Congo Basin to maintain the forest and biodiversity. Direct funding is needed for these women in Central Africa to help strengthen their local initiatives.
Ensuring voices from a wide variety of Indigenous communities are included in the negotiations and decisions is vitally important to maintaining the health of the planet, according to Itongwa.
“To combat climate change effectively, elevate traditional indigenous knowledge, secure territories, and support us as the guardians,” he says.
Voices of science and youth
Emma Heiling is the founder and CEO of ClimaTalk, a youth-led non-profit that demystifies climate policy and empowers young people in the fight against climate change. The international organisation is heading to Dubai with the aim of making COP28 as accessible and understandable for young people as possible, encouraging them to get involved with international climate policy.
“For us, COP28 would be a success if not the strength of lobbies, the power of money, and the short-sightedness of politics, but rather the voices of science, youth and those from the most affected areas were to determine the outcome,” Heiling says.
She emphasises the need for intergenerational justice, climate justice and for the countries most responsible for the climate crisis to spearhead systemic change at the UN climate conference.
https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/11/28/want-cop28-to-be-successful-listen-to-science-and-vulnerable-communities-campaigners-say…
existing commitments. Now, more than ever before, the world is seeing unprecedented international support to address climate change. Yet, delivering on global agreements and accelerating true, tangible action on such a pressing issue has been hindered due to the lack of one essential element. That’s why we’ve brought key players together to initiate true change, through the Climate Initiative. The initiative uses the World Economic Forum platform and network to spur greater action against climate change, ensuring that businesses, governments and civil society cooperate in strength to meet commitments and truly accelerate achievements on the issue worldwide.
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al counsel for Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
It means President Biden is now relying on a change of policy from these states or a change from Congress - otherwise the US is unlikely to achieve its climate targets. This is a significant loss for the president who entered office on a pledge to ramp up US efforts on the environment and climate.
On his first day in office he re-entered the country into the Paris Agreement, the first legally-binding universal agreement on climate change targets. And he committed the country to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 52% by 2030 against 2005 levels.
"While this decision risks damaging our nation's ability to keep our air clean and combat climate change, I will not relent in using my lawful authorities to protect public health and tackle the climate crisis," he said. The outcome of this case will be noted by governments around the world, as it will affect global efforts to tackle climate change. The US accounts for nearly 14% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.
A United Nations spokesman called it "a setback in our fight against climate change" but added that no single nation could derail the global effort. In the US, this ruling could also affect the EPA's broader existing and future regulatory responsibilities - including consumer protections, workplace safety and public health. The ruling gives "enormous power" to the courts to target other regulations they don't like, Hajin Kim, assistant professor of law at University of Chicago, tells the BBC.
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