The UN may need to seriously consider reviewing the global sustainable development and climate Leadership and Management Strategy and Make Changes Now

Yesterday, while addressing delegates at the BRICS meeting, UN Secretary-General Antóno Guterres warned that at our current climate change trajectory, the world is going to warm up to around 3.1 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial average temperature levels. This is against the global target of keeping the maximum average temperature rise below 1.5 degree Celsius. And this is not the first time the UN Boss has issued this warning. This means that if we do not make drastic changes in our climate action, we are heading toward a catastrophic future marketing by more violent extreme weather events that will lead to severe biodiversity loss, disruption of our food production systems and severe human health issues. Despite these warnings, it is business as usual around the world. One earth scientist who was asked by BBC why there is poor results in climate said lack of will was the main reason why serious climate action remains elusive.

We now have almost a decade of Conference of Party meetings in climate change, with millions of dollars invested in attending these conferences every year. The ground realities suggest that all this COP effort is not producing the desired results. The honest question would be whether these COP meetings in their current format, approach and composition are serving any useful purpose. I know that some will argue that the COP meetings, in their format and composition, are serving a purpose. But what real purpose are serving when when after 30 years of them were still nowhere need effective sustained climate action?

Are the resources and time being invested in these COPs, in their current format, structure and composition worth it? Are we not wasting time and resources? Is it not yet time to review and rethink around these COP meetings and try a different approach?

Why are we, for 30 years doing something that is clearly not working in the same way year in year out? Is this a good strategy, management and leadership practice?

Outside the COP meetings, billions of US dollars are being poured into climate action programs and activities. The financial resources being put towards climate-related technology is producing desired results and we have a lot of technology to help in climate mitigation. Money that is being invested in climate change management research is justified. A proportion of climate funds being directed towards other areas such as climate change mitigation are not producing satisfactory results because the programs and activities are not producing high-impact results mainly due to lack of leadership, strategic thinking and technical skills. ?Some of this money is also falling into the wrong hands and is literally being squandered. ??

The UN may need to seriously consider reviewing the global sustainable development and climate management strategy, identify the loopholes, deficits and weakness in the strategy, and address them before 2030. Without doing this, we cannot expect the radical stepping up in sustainable development action and climate action that is required to catch-up and regain control in managing global warming.

In truth, there are a set of barriers that are militating against the sustainable and sustained implementation of global warming management and the sustainable development goals. These barriers need a serious attention. Global Leadership, Strategy, Knowledge, Awareness and Skills are ?of these barriers.

Addressing the global leadership crisis needs urgent attention because without addressing this global leadership crisis, things sustainable development goals implementation and climate change can only get worse.

Let’s make sustainable development a reality.

Simon Bere is a geoscientist, environmental and pollution control engineers, sustainable development strategist and sustainable development champion and advocate.

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?Simon Bere, 2024