COP27 Has Ended but Our Work Has Just Begun

Our in-house “coal nerd” Joseph Curtin believes that “coal is the urgent priority” and reducing emissions by 50% will help us prevent hitting 3 degrees. In a BBC interview last week, he said, “If we don’t make a massive dent in the emissions from coal this decade, we have no pathway to the 1.5 or 2 degree target.”

The consequences of 3 degrees of warming are “massively different in terms of food security and the ability to grow crops in certain parts of the world, and in terms of the number of people that are exposed to extreme floodplain risk and extreme heat risk,” according to Dr. Shah. Three degrees of warming would leave more than 285 million people facing vitamin deficiencies and undernutrition.

At the same time, food systems are responsible for one third of global greenhouse gas emissions. The world has “created a value-destroying food system,” The Rockefeller Foundation’s Roy Steiner said at a panel with our partner Food Tank. The U.S. creates roughly $1 trillion worth of value from food and agriculture systems, but it also creates ~$2 trillion in costs.

It seems obvious that protecting our planet is a priority. So, why is it challenging to agree on solutions? A COP27 attendee explained that every policy decision inevitably prioritizes one agenda over another. Picture a stack of documents on a policymaker’s desk, she said. If we put climate at the top of the pile, then something else like “jobs” (that is still crucial and timely), comes in second. Prioritizing the future of our planet can feel less urgent than other immediate needs, she explained.

Another challenge is ensuring that decisions made for climate action are sustainable and have measurable outcomes.

Some have called the negotiation process too slow, and some have called the commitments nothing but empty promises. Inside the negotiating space, it was clear that productive discussions are indeed taking place, and that a decision where most world governments agree to cooperate is critical. But they require time, compromise, and innovation to ensure that all parties—coming to the table with varied resources, challenges, and capacities—agree.

Overall, COP27 was infused with a sense of urgency and hope – work on climate is already in action and needs to be scaled. There is an understanding that diverse voices matter. As we reflect on this year’s outcome document, one colleague suggested that the way forward is to continue to break down barriers between initiatives. Those working in clean energy can meet those working in regenerative agriculture, who can meet the community working on biodiversity preservation, and so on.

When asked the most important thing a young person can do for climate, Benji Backer, President and Founder of the American Conservative Coalition answered, “Use your voice to talk to elected officials, and not just Democrats, but Republicans as well. Both sides need to get to the table on climate change and young people are the way get there.”

We must continue to ensure these voices are taken seriously, not just in conversations, but in decision-making processes.

So go ahead: book that next meeting. Send off an email to the new connection who passed over their card at your pavilion. DM that activist whose Instagram Story deeply inspired you. We are primed. We are open. We are energized. While there is still an incredible cause for concern about the state of global warming, activists are showing us that change is possible. It’s time to start listening and following their lead.