Every time, at the COP, someone manifests great satisfaction because rich countries, the main cause of the problem, have eventually decided to economically support developing countries – which are paying the consequences – with consistent sums.
BUT – there is always a but when common decisions on Climate Change are expected – they have been long speaking about that same money, which, however, has never arrived.
We must rewind the chronological tape for a second to go back to Copenhagen’s renowned COP15 in 2009. The COP of the great expectations, praised by several parts, collapsed with a deep, dull sound. Hundreds of state and government chiefs attended the COP for the first time, among those the neo-elected Barack Obama, promising a radical change of course.
Yvo de Boer, then UNFCCC Executive Secretary, strongly affirmed the impossibility to have a “Plan B” alternative to the agreement to be achieved in Copenhagen. On that occasion, environmentalists distorted that declaration. They created a new slogan – broadly used nowadays – to underline the gravity of the situation: “There is no Planet B”.
During that COP, another ambitious promise was formulated. Rich countries pledged to offer financial support for 30 billion dollars to the poorest countries, to be employed for mitigation and adaptation measures, as compensation for the political failure of the negotiating. A number that closely resembles the 30 pieces of silver, the symbol of Judas’ betrayal. A historical parallel that Tuvalu’s Head of Delegation did not miss out, justifying his refusal of a content-empty agreement that for him would have meant the betrayal of his people, increasingly threatened by the rising ocean level, “for those miserable 30 pieces of silver”.
The Copenhagen Accord also established that these alleged financial aids would have increased over time, till the attainment, in 2020, of the famous $100 billion per year. The problem is that this threshold has not been achieved yet, and the same quantification methods are subject to some conflict. Often, money destined for other international cooperation purposes are disguised as climate funds.
There is then the issue of the Warsaw Mechanism, which calls for introducing “Loss and Damage” aid rules for those who have already suffered the harms of climate change. The Polish COP, in 2013, established the mechanism after the moving intervention held by Yeb Sano. Only three days after Super Typhoon Hayan, the Filipino negotiator spoke with a wavering voice about that immense tragedy, caused by an extreme climatic event that resulted in more than 6000 deaths and affected 10 million people. That same emotion was felt yesterday, when Marinel Ubaldo, Filipina activist for Aksyon Klima Pilipinas & Ecological Justice and Hayan survivor, recalled, exactly eight years after the drastic event, how the issue of Loss and Damage is not even remotely considered among the items of expenditure of the $100 billion and neither is part of the COP agenda.
And one must not think that this theme only regards some unfortunate developing countries, because nowadays the developed world is also heavily impacted by climate change damages. Jo Dodds, President of the Australian organization Bushfires Survivors for Climate Action, remembered how, in 2019, she witnessed the experience of bushfires in her region. More than 400 people died suffocated by the smoke of fires, and more than 3000 houses were burnt down. Her country’s politicians – whose policies are strongly affected by coal lobbies – have urged her to shut up. Still, she asks that COP negotiators listen to those who experienced such events first-hand: reality must forcefully enter the political discussion, regulated by aseptic balance mechanisms.
A similar thought has been expressed by Ed Milliband, representative of the British parliamentary opposition, that in recent days has affirmed it was a mistake not to let Greta Thunberg speak at the COP, where there is no shortage of room for exceptional speakers such as Barack Obama or Al Gore.
It almost looks like the castle wants to shut itself off – while the world outside keeps burning.
