Reacting to the outcome of the United Nations COP30 climate summit, Scotland’s climate coalition has said the final deals are disappointing, but welcomed backing for a new just transition mechanism, aimed at making sure workers and communities do not lose out in the shift away from coal, oil and gas and get a fair share of the benefits.
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland manager Becky Kenton-Lake said:
“After two weeks of international talks at a conference in the Amazon that was marked out by roasting temperatures, biblical rainfall and then a fire that left a charred hole in the venue, it is disappointing that stronger progress could not be agreed.
“Despite pressure from around 80 countries and the talks over-running into the weekend, the final deal does not include a fossil fuel transition roadmap in the main Global Mutirão decision.
“Instead of the strong action needed to keep the 1.5C Paris goal alive, it offers weak, vague, and non-binding promises that will do very little to halt the dangerous rise in global heating.
“In a backlash against last year’s failure of the biggest historical polluters to commit to an adequate new climate finance target, Global South countries who are now major polluters resisted efforts to agree a robust plan to transition away from fossil fuels.
“Once again, disagreements between major powers led to a race to the bottom, and squeezed out the voices of the least developed countries and small island states who are staring in the face of climate obliteration.
“However, the historic agreement for a just transition mechanism to support the move away from polluting coal, oil and gas, driven by pressure from civil society and campaigners, is a big win for workers and communities around the world.
“Unfortunately, finance remains a major barrier to positive action, with the richest countries still reluctant to cough up the level of cash needed to pay for the damage they have caused to the climate and the impacts this is having on vulnerable nations.
“Agreement was reached to pursue ‘efforts to at least triple’ adaptation finance by 2035, but this falls short of the $120bn a year by 2030 that was asked for. Developed countries have enjoyed the economic boons of fossil fuels, now it’s time to pay the bill.
“Scottish and UK governments must play their part in tackling the emissions that are driving climate change as well as ensuring polluters pay for the damage that has been – and continues to be – done.
“Scottish leaders must strengthen the new Climate Change Plan so that it contains transformative actions to reduce emissions to ensure a cleaner, healthier, safer and fairer Scotland that will also benefit communities worldwide.”
Ben Wilson, international policy lead for Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and director of public engagement for Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, said:
“The COP30 breakthrough on the issue of the just transition is good news for people and planet. This sends a message to workers all over the world that the COP is also working for them, and that it’s in all our interests to ensure the green economy is a fairer economy.
“But that’s just one side of this COP – the other is the massive failure of the richest countries to stump up more climate cash.
“More broken promises on finance will mean less and less climate action in the Global South. Global North leaders need to wake up to this reality, and get ready to bring much more cash to the table at COP31 in Turkey.”
Image credit: Gary McHarg/Friends of the Earth Scotland
