Losing sight of the long game is easy in a world where the media revolves around controversy. In a partisan political environment, tension and disagreement attract more eyeballs than solutions, regardless of topic—health policy, gun legislation, education, or climate change. With the clock ticking louder and louder, counting down to irreversible climate disaster, do we have the time to turn our backs on incremental or exponential resolution?
The UN Conference of the Parties (COP) has gathered annually for nearly three decades, bringing together leaders from almost every nation to tackle the most pressing issue of our time: climate change. However, the media’s focus on immediate outcomes and controversies often invites us to overlook these Summits’ long-term progress and significance. It’s important to remember that these events are not just about the headlines but about the promise of change and hope they bring for a sustainable future.
While skeptics may point out the shortcomings of these Summits, they may be missing the bigger picture. No nation is perfect, and even those with sustainability policies must recognize that turning their backs on emerging nations’ struggles delays global action. The participation of developing countries in the COP process is not just theoretical; it is crucial to the worldwide mobilization necessary to tackle the issue.
These nations, often the most at risk from climate change, are not just participants but key contributors to arriving at inclusive solutions. Their unique perspectives and challenges shape the discussions and decisions made at these Summits, making them an integral part of the global climate action.
In nearly three decades, COP Summits have made remarkable progress. The Paris Agreement, adopted at COP21, was a significant milestone in global climate action. This agreement, signed by 195 countries, aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, with an aspiration to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees. Recognizing such achievements is crucial; it reminds us that these gatherings and collaborations are not in vain but a beacon of hope for a sustainable future.
The Early Days: Building a Framework for Global Action
The first COP meeting in 1995, held in Berlin, marked the beginning of a sustained global effort to address climate change, and it set the tone for what would become an evolving negotiation process. COP1 established the “Berlin Mandate,” a landmark agreement that recognized the historical responsibility of developed countries, the most significant historical emitters of greenhouse gases, in causing climate change. This mandate laid the groundwork for future discussions and paved the way for the Kyoto Protocol, adopted two years later in 1997 at COP3 in Kyoto, Japan.
The Kyoto Protocol was a watershed moment in global climate policy. For the first time, countries agreed to legally binding emission reduction targets. Although it applied to developed nations, the protocol set a precedent for collective and individual national accountability.
The agreement faced its share of challenges—most notably, the United States’ refusal to ratify it—but it still represented a significant step forward. The protocol underscored the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities,” a concept that remains central to climate negotiations today.
Mid-Course Correction: The Road to Paris
As the COP Summits progressed, it became increasingly evident a more inclusive and flexible approach was needed, as it was recognized that the Kyoto Protocol, focusing on binding targets for a subset of countries, would not be achievable. The realization led to the Bali Action Plan at COP13 in 2007, which initiated a process to negotiate a new global agreement to include all nations, developed and emerging.
This was the Paris Agreement, adopted at COP21 in 2015. The Paris Agreement marked a significant shift in how nations engage to stem climate change. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol, which imposed top-down targets, the Paris Agreement encourages countries to set their determined contributions (NDCs) based on specific circumstances. This flexibility was vital to securing the participation of nearly every country worldwide. The agreement also established a framework for transparency and accountability, requiring countries to report on their progress regularly.
Yet the Paris Agreement’s most significant achievement was its commitment to limit global warming to “well below 2 degrees Celsius” above pre-industrial levels, intending to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees. Though ambitious, this target reflects the scientific consensus necessary to avoid climate change’s most catastrophic impacts. The Paris Agreement was a triumph of collaborative diplomacy, demonstrating that global cooperation is possible despite incredible policy and economic standing differences.
The United States was a late signer of the Paris Agreement. It joined the community in 2016 but withdrew soon after, in 2017; on January 20, 2021, President Biden reaffirmed the US commitment to the Paris Agreement on his first day in office.
New Era of Ambition and Accountability
In the years following the Paris Agreement, the COP Summits have focused on putting the structure needed to implement its goals. COP24 in Katowice, Poland, 2018 formalized the “Paris Rulebook,” providing detailed guidelines on implementing the agreement’s provisions. This includes rules for how countries should report their emissions and progress and how to ensure transparency and accountability.
Another significant achievement came at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2021 under the theme “Together for Our Planet.” The Summit saw a wave of new commitments from countries to enhance their NDCs, reflecting a growing recognition that the original Paris pledges were insufficient to meet the 1.5-degree target.
The Glasgow Climate Pact agreed upon at COP26 urged countries to “revisit and strengthen” their targets by 2022 and included the first-ever explicit mention of phasing down unabated coal power. The pact also emphasized the need for developed countries to fulfill their promise to provide $100 billion per year in climate finance to emerging nations, a commitment that has been a sticking point in negotiations since.
COP26 also saw the launch of several major initiatives aimed at accelerating climate action. The Global Methane Pledge, for instance, committed signatories to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, an action that could significantly slow the rate of global warming. Additionally, more than 130 countries pledged to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030, recognizing forests’ critical role in absorbing carbon dioxide.
Addressing the Critics: Why COP Matters
Indeed, the COP process is not without its flaws. Critics often point to the slow pace of negotiations, the gap between promises and action, and the influence of powerful fossil fuel interests in the nations hosting the Summit. All these concerns are valid. However, they should not overshadow the progress made or the world’s ticking clock in addressing climate change. The COP Summits are instrumental in creating a framework for addressing a common concern—people and planet are at risk.
The shift from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement reflects a broader understanding that tackling climate change requires grasstop to grassroots global collaboration and local action. COP provides a community setting for bringing together governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and thought leaders to share ideas, forge partnerships, and hold each other accountable.
Notably, the COP Summits have played a crucial role in elevating the climate crisis on the global agenda. These meetings’ visibility and media coverage have helped build public awareness and pressure governments to act. Climate change is now a central issue in international relations due in no small part to the sustained efforts of the COP process.
Looking Ahead: The Road to COP29 and Beyond
The upcoming COP29 Summit in Baku will be another critical moment as we prepare for the future. The focus will be on assessing the collective progress toward the Paris Agreement goals and scaling up ambition to meet the 1.5-degree target. This will require substantial government commitments and more significant engagement from the private sector and civil society.
The challenges are immense, and the achievements of the past 28 COP Summits provide a good cause for optimism. Each Summit has built on the potential of the previous gathering, gradually moving the world closer to a shared, sustainable future. The road ahead will not be easy, but the COP process has shown that, despite imperfections, it remains our best hope for achieving climate justice. The COP gatherings matter because they are the only global forum where every country has a voice in the essential effort to course-correct climate change. They matter because they have led to concrete actions that will make a difference. They matter because they embody the principle that collaborative action can change the course of history, no matter how daunting the challenge. As we approach COP29, remember that these meetings are about give and take and building
