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UN climate summit in Glasgow: Why it needs the "blah blah" from thousands of diplomats

2021-11-05T18:19:16.129Z


The “last chance” summit in Glasgow started with a firework of climate promises. But what the 200 countries have delivered so far is not enough. Still, that's no reason for populist attacks.


Enlarge image

Fridays for Future protest in Glasgow

Photo: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP

There are currently two parallel worlds in Glasgow.

Depending on the mood, you can join the hope or the grumbling faction.

Some of them are sitting in the Scottish Event Center and have hardly had any sleep for a week.

The others demonstrate, block and paint on posters all night long.

Both camps have completely different visions of how things will look to save the world a week after the start of the UN climate conference.

The climate activists moved back through downtown Glasgow on Friday and joined in Greta Thunberg's “blah”.

Translated this means: nothing but empty words, all smoke and mirrors - nothing moves at the climate conference.

That is the message of the climate movement.

Ergo: UN climate conferences are actually superfluous.

And the diplomats and journalists also fly there by plane (how can you!).

As old as the climate conferences are, the criticism of them is just as old.

But maybe people should stop for a moment on the street and think about what they are actually asking for.

It is correct that emissions will rise again after Corona and could return to the level before the pandemic as early as next year.

It is also correct that oil and gas companies will still get new production licenses in 2021, coal-fired power plants will be built and greenwashing is abundant everywhere.

Yes, there is every reason to complain - but does the attack on the only institution trying to solve the problem globally really make sense?

And what is the alternative: abolish the UN climate conferences?

In the engine room of the negotiations, observers were given exactly the opposite for the entire first week: one announcement followed the next - first at the World Leaders Summit, then on "Energy Day" and "Finance Day": phase out of coal, a pact to reduce methane emissions, full-bodied promises to stop deforestation and a deal on climate aid for poor countries.

In this universe, on the other hand, you could get the feeling that everything is actually going very well.

One of the people who gets little sleep is the German State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth.

He joked in a conversation with journalists this week that he is also often referred to as the "optimism bear".

If you listen to him, you really get hope: the negotiations are moving forward, the countries are moving, and the “fireworks of concrete measures” would have “very great relevance” for achieving the 1.5 degree target.

So is everything okay or are we doomed?

The answer is as complex as the climate negotiations themselves. It is true that the first week in Glasgow went better than many thought.

In the end, everything depends on the dynamics this conference sends out.

And for that 200 countries have to talk to each other, for that they have to meet once a year and spend sleepless nights around the ears.

Without the "blah blah" from thousands of diplomats, it just doesn't work.

Source: spiegel

All tech articles on 2021-11-05

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