^ Newcastle Climate Day of Action rally. Image Credit: Keira Gratton
November 16th marked the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice, coinciding this year with the 11-22nd Azerbaijan COP. Environmentalists across the UK rallied behind the conference, campaigning for greener policies and immediate action.
What is COP?
But let’s backtrack, what actually is a COP? An acronym loosely bandied around, the Conference of the Parties is the world’s most influential climate summit.
In 1992 close to 200 countries signed an international treaty, The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, pledging to address the impacts of the climate crisis. They now attend COP, a yearly meeting where countries work towards the treaty’s goals.
COP 29 so far…
Image credit: The Presidential Press and Information Office of Azerbaijan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
As of writing, we have 24 hours left of the Baku, Azerbaijan summit, with over 50,000 delegates in attendance. Despite this crowd, we have seen minimal concrete action. The conference is overwhelmed by the usual circular discussions and empty promises.
COP29 has been colloquially dubbed the ‘Finance COP’ for its focus on loss and damage reparations. Developing countries, suffering a disproportionate amount of climate change disasters in comparison to their emissions, are demanding that the Global North proportionally offset their damage. We hope to see a resolution to the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCOG) in the final hours of the conference tomorrow, addressing the allocation of climate finance.
Talks around the Carbon Trading Agreement are also nearing conclusion. This would solidify an international ‘carbon market’, incentivising companies to reduce carbon emission by selling unused carbon credits, and having to buy extras for over-emitting.
But is any of this what the public really want?
Whist officials stall talks on the international stage, at home in Newcastle, on the morning of September 16th , a climate justice rally is well underway. This local community echo the disappointment prevalent in Baku, calling for more action.
Image credit: Keira Gratton
I spoke to rally attendees and speakers alike to find out what people really want from our government at COP29, and whether they still have faith in the institution.
So then, the consensus is the people want our government to take “action at a faster rate than we have ever had before”, says Jacky Doran, an Organiser of the rally.
The root of their urgency is surprisingly obvious at the march itself. Children, playing hide-and seek between banners and swaying along to the angry marching band. Speaking to Doran, she discusses how “the catalyst to do more was to protect the planet for my grandchildren.” When her daughter “made the big decision to have children”, Doran, like many others, was awakened to how little our government are doing to secure their futures. Greenpeace Speaker and attendee Joe Gartland urges Keir Starmer to remember that “you have children, if you want them to live in a world that isn’t burning … do something about it”. Whilst eyes at Azerbaijan are looking internationally, back at home, people’s climate concerns are highly domestic.
It’s clear that on the ground in Newcastle, faith that the UK government will consider our families’ best interests at COP29 is dwindling.
Why has COP lost support?
Unfortunately, the sentiment held at the Newcastle rally is not unique. Across the globe, COP has been receiving more and more criticism.
“COP is not inclusive”
As the rally winds down, a Green Party Spokespersons forcefully declares to me that “COP is not inclusive in the way that it should be.”
In particular, the conference faces allegations of greenwashing. Frequently hosted by countries with questionable human rights and pollution records, many feel that COP is used to feign environmental sensibilities.
I spoke to William Wale, UK Department for Education Youth Focal Point for Sustainability and Climate Change, about corrupt climate hosts and unrealistic climate goals.
Image provided by William Wale, @will.wale on Instagram
As Wale points out, COP often overextends itself with unfeasible targets, setting governments up for failure. This combined with disingenuous hosts and ulterior profit motives for politicians, has led to a general lack of faith in the summit.
COP 29, to support or not?
Like all slow-to-action organisations, COP is easy to criticise. A mix of overembellished promises and empty talks, life-changing treaties and grants often slip from of public notice.
“Slow, painful progress”
But the reality is that this conference has generated unprecedented funding and awareness for developing countries. Whilst not reaching the prospected 1 trillion in Loss and Damage funding, we are still seeing “slow, painful progress”, says Doran. Just this week countries like New Zealand pledged £10 million to climate reparations. For every corrupt official in attendance there are a handful of genuine concerned activists making their voices heard.
Despite vocal criticisms, the attendance of so many at the Newcastle rally and similar events across the UK, prove that the public still want to believe in the UNFCCC. Whether they deliver tomorrow or not, people know that international summits like these are our last hopes against the mounting climate crisis.
These are some great images and really interesting interviews. I feel like I have learnt so much since reading!
I had no idea the rally happened just down the road from where I live! What a shame I missed it but such an interesting read.