Our thinking

COP out

25 November, 2022

What will COP27 be remembered for? On the one hand, the first African-based COP saw record attendance from African nations and sustained focus on loss and damage. On the other, there was a surge in attendance from fossil fuel lobbyists, complaints about corporate sponsorship, and a depressing lack of tangible progress.   

Negotiations were dominated by the demand for a fund that would compensate developing countries for the loss and damage incurred by climate change. This demand has been agreed, but without clarity on who will pay and how.  

Meanwhile, slashing carbon emissions seemed to have slipped down the priority list. The COP27 agreement did nothing to build on Glasgow’s watered-down pact to “phase down unabated coal power” – and new country pledges were yet again shunted down the road. And with the world on the brink of a host of climate tipping points, that road is fast running out.  

Is it time to ditch the diplomatic circus of COP and focus on driving progress elsewhere? We don’t think so. The scale and pace of decarbonisation needed to avert climate breakdown cannot be achieved without systemic policy and regulatory change. COP provides a focal point for other actors – civil society, NGOs, businesses – to unite in demanding action from governments, and delivering it themselves.  

However, the current COP model allows little space for these actors, particularly businesses, to contribute in a productive way. As our friends at Net Zero Now wrote this week, we need the private sector to be agents of change, but not through corporate lobbying that opens the door to conflicts of interest. A separate, corporate-focused COP would help businesses to deliver concerted and collaborative action in the areas where they can have the biggest impact – like decarbonisation – whilst keeping counterproductive lobbying at bay.  

Cancelling COP is not the answer: it’s the best chance we have at building a healthier, more stable and more equal world. But it’s also clear that governments aren’t delivering anywhere near what’s needed. We need to think critically about how the COP process can get the best out of all its attendees. They – and we – can’t afford to waste any more time.    

By Sarah Howden