The Real Story

Is COP failing?

Dec 8, 2023

The podcast discusses the lack of consensus at the COP 28 conference and the significance of voluntary commitments. It explores the need to phase out fossil fuels and the shortcomings of the COP process. The podcast also discusses governments' progress on climate change targets and the urgent need for action. It highlights the presence of fossil fuel lobbyists at COP and the role of using the law to hold countries and companies accountable.

49:07

Creator website

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The COP process is criticized for becoming an expo with significant fossil fuel lobbying, hindering progress in reaching the 1.5-degree limit.

Addressing emissions from sectors like transportation, agriculture, and land use, as well as reducing methane, are crucial steps in achieving the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement and buying more time to transition away from carbon dioxide emissions.

Deep dives

The Urgency to Take Action on Climate Change

The world has failed to agree on an international convention to tackle climate change for almost 30 years. The voluntary and unenforceable pledges made over this period have not put us on track to limit global temperature rise. The UN and Secretary General Antonio Guterres urge leaders to take action to keep the 1.5-degree limit alive, but the COP process is criticized for becoming an expo, with a significant number of fossil fuel lobbyists present. The mission of the COP is to get every government to agree collectively on actions commensurate to the crisis.

Introduction

2min

The Role of Fossil Fuels in Achieving Climate Goals

7min

Governments' Progress on Climate Change Targets and the Need for a Whole-of-Economy Approach

2min

Failure of COP Meetings and the Urgent Need for Action

6min

Progress and Challenges at Comm 28

11min

The Role of Fossil Fuel Lobbying at COP

6min

Using the Law to Hold Countries and Companies Accountable

15min

The Paris climate agreement in 2015 aimed to limit global warming to 1.5C. But have politics and lobbying got in the way of urgently needed progress? Is it too late for some nations? There has been much scepticism among delegates at COP28 as to whether the hosts are honest brokers in this process and if the money pledged by the wealthiest nations is enough to mitigate this crisis.

Shaun Ley is joined by:

Rachel Kyte served as Special Representative for the UN Secretary-General, and is a long standing advocate for sustainable energy. She was vice president of the World Bank and is a visiting professor at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford in the UK.

Cassie Flynn, who's now global director of climate change at the UN Development Programme. Cassie Flynn was senior adviser to the Prime Minister of Fiji when he was presiding at COP23 in 2017.

Adil Najam, Professor of International Relations and Earth and Environment at Boston University. He's originally from Pakistan. In the summer, Professor Najam became President of WWF, the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Also featuring:

Amos Wemanya, is senior advisor on climate and energy at Power Shift Africa, a pan African non governmental organisation from Kenya.

Vishal Prasad, campaign director of Pacific Islands' Students Fighting Climate Change from Fiji.

Produced by Rumella Dasgupta and Max Horberry.

(Photo: Activists protest to demand loss and damage payments by rich countries to poor countries affected by climate change at COP28, Dubai. Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.

The Real Story

Is COP failing?

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Urgency to Take Action on Climate Change

The Importance of the Paris Agreement and the Need for More Ambitious NDCs

The Impacts of Climate Change on Vulnerable Island Communities

The Role of Legal Frameworks in Climate Accountability

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts