In a new United Nations Climate Change report released Tuesday, the UNFCCC warns that the “baby steps” implemented by most nations of the world—and especially by the leading polluters—simply are not enough to address the planetary emergency and that COP28 in Dubai must serve as a “clear turning point” for world leaders and humanity.
Simon Stiell, the executive-secretary of UN Climate Change, said the woeful progress documented in the new report means world governments “must not only agree what stronger climate actions will be taken but also start showing exactly how to deliver them.”
That message is very much in line with what the letter from scientists tells Biden.
In addition to vowing a rapid and just phaseout of fossil fuels, the letter calls on Biden to lay out specifically how the U.S. would implement such a plan and provide a concrete timeline for achieving it. The scientists say the administration must also “ramp up climate finance for low- and middle-income nations” to help them achieve a rapid energy transition; fully operationalize a loss and damage fund to mitigate the financial costs of extreme weather and other disasters fueled by warmer temperatures; and also act aggressively to minimize interference and deceitful greenwashing at COP28 by fossil fuel interests and other corporate actors opposed to progress.
Addressed directly to Biden, the letter concludes:
We call on you and your administration to make these commitments so that together, the global community can greatly improve the chances of preserving a safe and healthy future for people and the planet. The actions of the United States— as the world’s wealthiest nation and the single largest contributor to historical heat-trapping emissions—matter greatly. And if our country acts boldly and fairly, we can unlock greater ambition from other nations. The world is watching, and this is a crucial moment for the United States to join with other world leaders and demonstrate genuine progress toward solving a crisis that is rapidly spiraling out of control.
The letter was signed by notable scientists in various fields, including Drs. Rose Abramoff, Rachel Cleetus, Belay B. Demoz, Peter Gleick, Katharine Hayhoe, Gregory S. Jenkins, Naomi Oreskes, Luis E. Ortiz, Ben Pauli, Nathan G. Phillips, Jorge Ramos, Geoffrey Supran, Lucky Tran, Aradhna Tripati, Sandra Whitehead, Sacoby Wilson, Nezahualcoyotl Xiuhtecutli, Gary Yohe, and civil engineer Andrew Kricun.
“As scientists across many disciplines who recognize the complex nature of climate impacts and solutions, we know for certain that solving this crisis requires significantly more ambitious action beyond what is being done,” said Dr. Rachel Cleetus, policy director and a lead economist for the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), which helped initiate the letter.
The United States, Cleetus said, “is currently failing to live up to its responsibility as the wealthiest nation in the world and the largest emitter of historical heat-trapping emissions. As the climate crisis unfolds rapidly and with great inequity, world leaders must step up their domestic and global commitments to meet the moment and ensure a safer, more just future.”
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Jon Queally is managing editor of Common Dreams, where this article originally appeared; licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely. Photo: Alisdare Hickson, licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0 DEED.
