We Must Change Our Approach to Climate Action, Review COP Meetings and Persuade President Trump that Climate Change is Real!

COP29 is underway at very critical time in the life of the earth, with 2024 being the hottest year so far, and with The UN saying new data shows that we set to breach our target for curbing any further average temperature rise at below 2 degrees at most. This November 2024 the UN announced that we have already reached the 1,5 degree temperature rise above the preindustrial levels for the first. In addition, United States president for the next four years does not believe in climate change and has threated to pull out of the Paris agreement and most like reduce, if not stop, funding climate action programs. Given our critical situation in terms of global warming, we cannot afford to lose any momentum.

I am very concerned that close to a decade of COP meetings, there is little progress in terms of sustained climate action, causing the UN Secretary General to issue a warning that it is still business as usual in terms of climate action and that unless there is a dramatic change in climate action, we are headed for a climate related catastrophe. Considerable resources are spent every year to hold these COP meetings but it seems until not, they do not seem to have yielded much. I am wondering if the organisers and decision-makers review these meetings and conduct performance assessments so that outputs from the meetings continuously improve. Honestly, 28 COP meetings with little headway especially in raising financial resources for more robust climate action must be a cause for concern for all concerned about climate change and its impacts on the planet and on the rest of the sustainable development goals.

1.?????? Is the composition of participants to the COP Meetings suitable for achieving the intended goals of the meetings?

2.?????? Is the number of participants small enough to enable meaningful negotiations?

3.?????? Is the format of the meetings at COP suitable for achieving the intended goals?

4.?????? What exactly is stalling progress in terms of meeting the COP Meeting objectives?

5.?????? What climate action is really taking place in between COP meetings and is does the action have real and sustainable impact?

6.?????? Apart from lack of financial resources, are there any other reasons why sustainable, effective climate action remains elusive?

7.?????? Do people, countries, organisations and societies have what it takes to play effective and sustainable roles in climate action?

There is also need to engage President Elect Donald Trump on climate change with a goal to persuade him to reconsider his views on climate change. I think President elect just got wrong advice. So a team of top geoenvironmental scientists must be dispatched to Capital Hill to meet Trump and I think, Elon Musk and do their best to make them understand that climate change is real and the advantages of erring on the side of caution.

I also believe that we need more training education and development programs on leadership and sustainable development for top decision-makers in companies, boards, governments, cities and town authorities.

All people involved in leadership and management of sustainable development goals implementation in general and climate change to be specific also need training in environmental management leadership, strategy, strategic thinking, and strategic planning.

Most importantly, the grassroots in many parts of the world including Africa lack enough appreciation and knowledge of sustainable development, the sustainable development goals and climate change. The few that know do not see themselves having any role in climate action. They do not even understand the consequences of failure to stop continued global temperature rise. ?Yet, sustainable development and sustainability can become a reality only when the critical mass of the grassroots, maybe 60 percent of the active population is doing something to prevent the heating up of the planet. As long as sustainable development, sustainability and sustainable development goals including climate action remain a perceived domain for elitist environmental and development practitioners, country governments and The UN, there will be no success in making sustainable development a reality. In addition, the UN and governments must make it easy for all who want to contribute to making sustainable development a reality to do so, even when they are trying new things. In many cases, things such as complicated procedures for accessing environment and development funds, including complicated project proposal formats militate against innovation and accelerated and inclusive participation is sustainable development initiatives, programs and projects.

Yes funding for climate action programs and other SDGs is important, but it is not the only thing needed. More capacity, education, awareness and skills are also critical. Sustainable development- friendly politics is also needed.

Let’s make sustainable development a reality!

[email protected] +263-77-444-74-38

?Simon Bere, 2024