UN blames “crisis of political will” for slowing climate action

A senior UN official warned on Tuesday of a “crisis of political will” that is holding the world back in the fight against climate change.

Diplomats in London were told that politics was the last major stumbling block as economic and technological barriers to a cleaner future fell.

They were urged to act smartly to gain political support for green measures and offer a “more positive narrative” on net zero.

The rise of cheap renewable energy such as wind and solar power raises hopes of reducing carbon dioxide emissions before global warming spirals out of control.

Yet despite economic turmoil and pressing political needs at home, countries are under pressure to support these efforts with trillions of dollars.

The US, UK and France are all in the midst of election campaigns, while the EU is in a period of post-election horse-trading following strong backlash over its green policies.

Nevertheless, countries were asked on Tuesday to allow money to flow in a “golden window” that a German diplomat described as “economic benefits”.

“Climate policy measures must not just be climate policy. Instead, they must be aimed at maximising economic and social benefits,” said Germany’s climate representative Jennifer Morgan at a summit in London.

“Only then can we understand what pace and scale the transition needs to be. And only then can we engage in genuine realpolitik and limit the opportunity for political point-scoring that threatens to jeopardise or delay the transition.”

Selwin Hart, special adviser on climate issues under UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warned current heads of state and government that the fate of climate goals will be decided under their watch.

Climate action deadlines are approaching. For example, the 2025 date has arrived by which almost 200 countries must present new long-term green plans, based on the agreements reached at Cop28 in the United Arab Emirates at the end of last year.

“The decisions, actions and choices that world leaders make today will shape the world of tomorrow,” Hart said.

The fight to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels – the world’s most important climate target – “will be won or lost on their watch,” he said at the summit at Mansion House in the City of London.

“Despite the clear economic case for urgency and ambition, we are simply not moving fast enough. In my view, the climate crisis is a crisis of political will,” Hart said.

“Climate policy and diplomacy are currently taking place against the backdrop of three really important forces: geopolitical divisions, a real leadership vacuum and mistrust between developed and developing countries.”

Financial debate

The divide between the global North and the global South threatens to become clearly visible again at this year’s Cop29 talks in Azerbaijan in November.

Delicate negotiations over financing are expected after small island states proposed a new funding target of trillions of dollars to be provided by rich countries.

The budget plans of rich countries are under pressure: The British Labour Party criticized the ruling Conservatives on Tuesday for their cuts in development aid for the global South.

Labour is pledging to refocus on clean energy if it wins power in the July 4 general election – as is widely predicted – but has scaled back its funding commitments due to economic difficulties.

Kevin Magron, a French climate ambassador, said politicians should offer people a “more desirable future” and a “more positive narrative” to combat climate change.

He said people should not see climate protection as something that is “imposed on the population and society” and “from which we will suffer”.

Nick Mabey, climate adviser to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, warned that green policies could lose popularity if they are shown not to work in the face of increasing environmental threats.

“We believe that the main obstacles to implementing the necessary climate action are not economic or technical, but political and institutional change,” he said.

“As technology has become cheaper and better, polar barriers have become much more important.

“Unlike most normal political problems, we won’t solve climate change at all if we don’t solve it quickly. That doesn’t apply to poverty, that doesn’t apply to inequality.”

Updated: June 25, 2024, 2:52 p.m.