My COP

After 30 editions, the Belém COP perfectly illustrates Einstein's definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In a breath of exhaustion, this global gathering hid behind false successes to mask a real failure. It seeks to reassure by talking about an agreement that guarantees more money for adaptation and a more transparent framework for monitoring so-called progress, when in fact there is no real commitment to deforestation and still no courage to move away from fossil fuels.

Back in Glasgow, the president of COP 26, in tears, had accepted last-minute changes that ruined his ambitions. This time, it was the same story all over again. On the last evening, the European Union was ready to block a final declaration it deemed insignificant. The night did not bring any wisdom, and it ended up joining the camp of the polluters, no doubt to avoid a symbolic failure of the multilateral process. For my part, I would have much preferred that we finally accept failure and identify those responsible. That we experience a shock that would reset the objectives of future conferences.

So today, I close my eyes and imagine my own COP.

My COP is about modernisation:

Decarbonisation, associated with degrowth, regression and sacrifice, remains a goal that frightens participants, even though CO2 is not the cause of the problem: it is the symptom of a world that is archaic in its wasteful use of resources and energy, obsolete in its infrastructure, and outdated in its approach to construction and waste management. Who would be against modernisation? Decarbonisation would come as a logical consequence of modernisation.

My COP is about efficiency:

It would make efficiency a common language. Neither ideology nor accusation. Better management of energy, water, materials and infrastructure = lower costs, fewer losses, less dependence, more profit. A neutral ground where geopolitical adversaries can cooperate in a diplomacy of common sense, even when everything else is at a standstill.

My COP is about solutions:

We would put on the table thousands of clean and profitable solutions already available, sector by sector. Technologies and economic models that create value by protecting rather than destroying. Delegations would not leave with promises, but with plans, tools and solutions to be deployed.

My COP is about the local level:

Cities innovate, modernise and solve problems at a speed that governments will never match. In Belém, they were present, but without any real influence on decisions. In my COP, they would be key drivers, able to pool their solutions and accelerate their deployment on a global scale. At the forefront of climate innovation, setting an example, they would lead others in their wake.

My COP is about quality:

We measure tonnes of CO₂ like we count the beats of a sick heart. But who measures the performance of an electricity grid? That of a building that is finally energy efficient or optimised transport routes? We need to move from ‘always more’ to ‘always better’.

My COP embodies change:

A COP that illustrates the fact that the train is already moving and makes us want to move forward. Investment in clean energy has doubled since 2020, and the cost of solar power and batteries has plummeted by 80% in ten years. In Europe, the clean technology market is growing by 12% per year and already employs 1.8 million people. This is no longer a possible future: it is a present that is moving forward, irresistible and profitable.

My COP does not require consensus:

It no longer allows a handful of countries to block the march of progress; when unanimity is impossible, the majority must be able to move forward, through coalitions that bring others along with them through evidence rather than coercion. A COP where action no longer depends on the veto of the most reluctant, but on the momentum of the most courageous.

Because a useful COP is not one that treads water, but one that dares to take action.

First published by Le Temps, EFE Verde, La Repubblica, La Tribune and Forum Nachaltig.