Earlier this week, 181st Street joined a number of our clients and leaders from across business, finance, philanthropy, politics, academia and civil society, in signing a call to all Parties at COP28 to achieve the strongest possible outcomes from this year’s climate conference.
Today marked a historic moment in climate campaigning. COP28 came to an end with almost 200 countries agreeing to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels by 2050.
A future without fossil fuels is now clearly on the horizon.
Despite there being four times more oil lobbyists in the room than last year.
Despite COP’s president being chief exec of an oil company.
Just 7 years after the Paris Agreement came into effect, at the first COP to even mention fossil fuels in a draft decision.
The outcomes of the Last 27 COPs have got us to a point where many countries now have falling CO2 emissions.
COP28 was the first time 10 of the biggest fossil fuel companies were at the table and actually working with the UN, NGOs and activists.
Many will criticise today’s agreement. There will be talk of loopholes and critiques of the pace of change. Many will say it’s not enough. Given the scale of the climate and nature crises, this criticism is fair – but it fails to recognise the complexity of driving real change at an international level, and just how groundbreaking today’s consensus really is.
Last year, we urged the sustainability sector not to reject the principle and process of COP – an important mechanism for ensuring that every voice is heard, every life is taken into account, and every solution is fair.
Today, that process has worked.
We now have a clear intention from the world’s governments to achieve a fair and just transition away from fossil fuels by 2050.
We now have wording that recognises the complexity of achieving that transition. That ending fossil fuels is more nuanced and complicated than headlines and soundbites suggest, but no less important or urgent.
We now have a pledge, which we can hold leaders accountable to.
Now the work begins.
As a matter of urgency, we must find practical and achievable ways for the world to transition to green energy, sustainable land and resource use and food systems that are secure for everyone, including the planet.
Many of the solutions already exist. Some are still to be found. But the next steps are clear:
- We must mobilise finance and foster innovation to find solutions that enable a fair, just and timely transition
- We must listen to, and amplify, a diverse range of voices, especially those most impacted by the climate emergency and most affected by the transition
- We must translate “an end to fossil fuels” into practical roadmaps for industries, to accelerate the pace of real change
- We must apply pressure to national governments to ensure pledges become policies and the commitments made at COP can’t be rowed back
There have been a number of wins across industries at COP this year.
Now talk must become action, and we all have a part to play:
Businesses: clean up your supply chains, leverage your purchasing power and recognise the influence you have in geographical areas where you create significant employment and economic value. Use that power to engage governments and shape policy. It’s time to lead.
Campaigning charities: it’s time this sector spoke with one voice, as the critical friend to governments, with a series of sensible, achievable asks. Now is the time to invest in your public affairs and policy teams, and step up your advocacy so that green policies become reality. Your advocacy is needed more than ever.
Earlier this week we all signed the letter calling on our leaders to understand that #LaterIsTooLate.
They stepped up.
They agreed to transition away from fossil fuels in a just and equitable way.
Now it’s our turn.
Let’s use our power to make today’s pledges tomorrow’s policies, and a future without fossil fuels a not-so-distant reality.
