A key UN report on the state of the global environment has been hijacked by the United States and other countries who were unwilling to go along with the scientific findings, according to its co-chair, Prof. Sir Robert Watson. The Global Environment Outlook, resulting from six years of work, connects climate change, nature loss, and pollution to unsustainable consumption patterns prevalent in wealthy nations.
The report warns of a dire future for millions if there isn't a swift transition away from coal, oil, and gas, along with the end of fossil fuel subsidies. However, during a meeting to finalize the findings, the US and its allies stated their inability to endorse the report’s summary.
This disagreement led to the report being published without the usual executive summary and consensus from governments, diminishing its potential impact. The objections reflect similar discussions during the recent COP30 talks, highlighting significant divides among nations regarding environmental policy.
Produced under the UN's auspices, the Global Environment Outlook is a notable scientific analysis of current threats to the planet, traditionally characterized by consensus on key conclusions with governments. This time, such agreement failed at a contentious meeting in Nairobi attended by representatives from around 70 countries.
The report emphasizes the unsustainable extraction of resources tied to our food, clothing, and energy consumption. It suggests urgent measures including a transition away from fossil fuels, despite the acknowledgment that these changes may lead to short-term consumer price increases. Serious actions around fossil fuels were opposed by countries including the US, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.
Prof. Watson noted that some nations basically just hijacked the process of the report’s approval, with the US opting out of the meeting before making a late teleconference statement opposing the report's conclusions on several critical topics.
Concerns have arisen that this dispute could complicate future negotiations surrounding Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, as these documents are central to global climate change mitigation efforts.
The report warns of a dire future for millions if there isn't a swift transition away from coal, oil, and gas, along with the end of fossil fuel subsidies. However, during a meeting to finalize the findings, the US and its allies stated their inability to endorse the report’s summary.
This disagreement led to the report being published without the usual executive summary and consensus from governments, diminishing its potential impact. The objections reflect similar discussions during the recent COP30 talks, highlighting significant divides among nations regarding environmental policy.
Produced under the UN's auspices, the Global Environment Outlook is a notable scientific analysis of current threats to the planet, traditionally characterized by consensus on key conclusions with governments. This time, such agreement failed at a contentious meeting in Nairobi attended by representatives from around 70 countries.
The report emphasizes the unsustainable extraction of resources tied to our food, clothing, and energy consumption. It suggests urgent measures including a transition away from fossil fuels, despite the acknowledgment that these changes may lead to short-term consumer price increases. Serious actions around fossil fuels were opposed by countries including the US, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.
Prof. Watson noted that some nations basically just hijacked the process of the report’s approval, with the US opting out of the meeting before making a late teleconference statement opposing the report's conclusions on several critical topics.
Concerns have arisen that this dispute could complicate future negotiations surrounding Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, as these documents are central to global climate change mitigation efforts.
