Climate Talks: Big Promises, Little Action

The recent U. N. climate summit in Brazil's Amazon city of Belem wrapped up with a weak agreement. The only solid commitment was from wealthy nations to triple their financial support for others to cope with global warming. This was a big letdown, especially since the summit skipped over most of the key demands from many countries. Brazil's President Lula had high hopes for this summit. He wanted countries to create a clear plan to move away from fossil fuels, as promised at the previous COP28. But oil-rich nations blocked any serious talk about this. Instead, the summit ended with a voluntary plan that countries could choose to join or ignore. This is similar to what happened at the last two summits, where countries agreed to spend more money on climate issues but did nothing to address the main cause: fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency dropped a bombshell report during the summit. It said that almost three-fourths of the world's greenhouse gas emissions since 2020 came from coal, oil, and gas. Even worse, demand for these fuels is expected to rise until 2050. This news shocked many, as it went against the hope for a quick shift to clean energy. The summit also showed a lack of global unity on climate action. Countries agreed that wealthy nations, which have polluted the most, should take the lead. But to reach a final deal, they had to drop almost all their ambitious plans, including stricter targets for reducing emissions. Brazil's presidency was disappointed by the U. S. 's absence. The world's biggest economy and biggest polluter skipped the talks, which gave fossil fuel-dependent countries more power. China played a big role at the summit, even though its president didn't attend. China's delegation made it clear that the country is ready to provide the clean energy technology the world needs. Chinese companies in solar, battery, and electric vehicle industries were featured at the country's pavilion. Other fast-developing nations like India and South Africa also made their presence felt. Holding the summit in an Amazon city highlighted the importance of forests and Indigenous rights. Brazil emphasized the role of the world's remaining forests in fighting climate change. Indigenous people, who are seen as protectors of natural lands, felt frustrated. They staged protests and even clashed with security. Countries announced billions in forest funding, but the summit ended on a sour note. Negotiators dropped efforts to create a plan to meet the 2030 zero-deforestation pledge and ignored the protection of Indigenous lands. The summit also faced attacks on climate science. Despite leaders like Lula speaking out against misinformation, the talks didn't do much to counter this year's U. S. government assault on climate science. The final deal weakened the global consensus around climate science by no longer recognizing the U. N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as the best available science. Instead, it included reports from developing countries and regional groups. By ignoring fossil fuels and emissions targets, the summit turned a blind eye to the urgent warnings from scientists.