The upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP28, set to commence on November 30th in Dubai, is facing intensified pressure from progressive groups advocating for substantial changes in climate policy. The Left will have three MEPs participating in the climate summit from December 7th to 11th.
The Left’s demands for COP28 are clear and resolute, aiming to address the root causes of climate injustice and inequality. From decarbonizing economies and democratizing the COP process to diversifying strategies and challenging the status quo, these demands reflect a call for urgent and radical change.
“Last year’s COP saw over 636 lobbyists from oil and gas – a 25% jump from last year. Imagine, more of them than delegates from most countries! We require a robust accountability framework ensuring transparency in climate talks. It’s crucial to prevent fossil fuel interests from hijacking these vital discussions. We aim for fair decision-making, ensuring marginalized parties like Least Developed Countries have a voice”, Left MEP Silvia Modig (Vasemmistoliitto, Finland) states.
Highlighting the undeniable link between climate politics and class struggle, Oxfam and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have presented fresh data underscoring the urgency of the climate crisis and its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities.
The analysis from the UN starkly warns of an impending 2.5-2.9°C temperature surge above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century, unless immediate and drastic action is taken to align commitments with the Paris Agreement’s goals.
“Attending the COP is a way to create solidarity between actors fighting globally for climate and social justice. Let’s not abandon these yearly meetings to the lobbies. International cooperation has to serve people’s needs, not the profits of oil and gas companies“, Left MEP Marina Mesure (La France Insoumise, France) says.
The catastrophic warming, as outlined by scientific projections, would lead to irreversible devastation, including a significant decline in food production, widespread starvation, and a staggering rise in sea levels, ultimately displacing millions and subjecting half the world’s population to lethal heat waves. However, not everyone contributes to climate change to the same extent – and not everyone suffers from its consequences equally. According to Oxfam, the richest 1 percent pollutes the environment as much as 5 billion people on this planet.
“Capitalism, its exploitative and predatory nature of natural resources and of the human being, cannot offer solutions that simultaneously respond to environmental problems and the elevation of the economic and social conditions of workers and peoples, while respecting the physical limits of the planet. The response for the climate problems requires concrete actions that materialise a break with the policies that have brought us here”, Left MEP João Pimenta Lopes (PCP, Portugal) says.