Sarah Hautzinger (Professor of Anthropology)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each year, the signatory countries to the 2015 Paris Agreement and previous conventions gather in what is called a \u201cCOP,\u201d for Conference of the Parties. COP28 in Dubai (Nov 30-Dec 12) is hosting a jaw-dropping number of attendees, reaching over 100,000<\/a> registered delegates (with some 3,000 registered virtually). By comparison, last year in Egypt hosted nearly 50,000. The first COP, convened in 1995 in Berlin, had just under 4,000 attendees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the nine civil-society constituencies<\/a> met with the SB (Subsidiary Bodies) co-chairs on December 3 (day four of the COP), Tracy Bach of RINGO<\/a> (Research and Independent NGOs, CC\u2019s home constituency) asked about accessibility issues. The importance of Observer<\/a> Organizations participating in negotiations has long been acknowledged, but one can wait for hours in a line to be denied access, or be seated in a negotiation and then told to leave when more \u201cParty\u201d members (from the governments) show up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are not the problem,\u201d Bach said of the observer organizations. This year, she cited, members of the Parties (governmental officials) comprise about 24,000 delegates, whereas \u201cParty Overflow\u201d delegates (often friends and families of government) tally over 27,000. By contrast, Observer Organizations account for just about 14,000 delegates, most of whom are actively engaged in relevant work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SB Co-Chair Nabeel Munir<\/a> acknowledged the problem. He added that his native Pakistan \u201cwould like to host a COP. But 100,000 people? We simply don\u2019t have capacity. And we are not a small country!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The critiques of ballooning COPs are multifaceted: It\u2019s become a trade show! The \u201c3-ring circus\u201d aspects are a distraction from the negotiations themselves (regarding implementation of elements of the 2015 Paris Agreement, the required Global Stocktake and so on)! More critically: the presence of petroleum corporations and oil and gas lobbyists compromises the necessary goal of phasing out (or down, depending who\u2019s talking) fossil fuels. It\u2019s become a venue for greenwashing<\/a>, deal-making and profiteering, critics decry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Defenders counter that one function of COPs is to engage as many influential actors as possible; climate action efforts require everyone\u2019s participation. Delegates are essential for educating and engaging their home communities, and civil-society participation in particular give a chance for marginalized voices \u2013 Indigenous and local \u201ctraditional\u201d communities, women, youth \u2013 to be heard. For these advocates, an inclusive COP<\/a> is a more effective COP, logistical challenges aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Either way, the diversity of COP28 is a boon for the Colorado College delegation. Our course is titled \u201cCOP28 as Ethnographers<\/a>,\u201d and so a holistic approach to all aspects of COP activities is legitimate for portraying the lived experience of COP28 by a dazzlingly varied array of participants.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sarah Hautzinger (Professor of Anthropology) Each year, the signatory countries to the 2015 Paris Agreement and previous conventions gather in what is called a \u201cCOP,\u201d for Conference of the Parties. COP28 in Dubai (Nov 30-Dec 12) is hosting a jaw-dropping number of attendees, reaching over 100,000 registered delegates (with some 3,000 registered virtually). By comparison, … <\/p>\n