From negotiation to an implementation forum during the COP
Guest blog by Paul Watkinson - Long-term lead negotiator for France, senior member of French COP21 and UAE COP28 presidencies, former chair of SBSTA. Now working to strengthen international climate action and all views in a personal capacity. Originally published here . It’s easy to criticise climate COPs: too much talk, not enough action, too many participants, lobbyists and greenwashing, … There is truth behind such criticism, although many often fail to recognise the vital need for the multilateral framework and just how difficult it is to reconcile the diverging but legitimate interests and priorities of almost two hundred countries. What is undisputable is that after almost thirty years of COPs, the climate crisis continues to deepen, and we are way off track. So, we need to ask how we might improve the UNFCCC process to better support delivery. A few suggestions. A key step would be to finally move away from negotiation as the default modality of work under the COP and...
