OC – The absence of mention of fossil fuels and deforestation in the provisional COP30 texts released this morning led the group of climate experts from the Planetary Science Pavilion to further escalate the tone of criticism regarding the progress of negotiations at the conference.
In a new statement released this Friday (21), the group characterized the content of the documents as “totally inconsistent with the reaffirmed goals of limiting warming to 1.5°C.”
“Despite a large number of countries uniting around roadmaps to end dependence on fossil fuels and deforestation — and the impetus given by the President of Brazil — the words ‘fossil fuels’ are completely absent from the most recent text. This is a betrayal of science and people, especially the most vulnerable,” the statement says.
The group brings together names such as climatologist Carlos Nobre, from the Amazon Scientific Panel, Johan Rockström, from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, in addition to the President of the COP30 Scientific Council, Thelma Krug, former vice-president of the IPCC, the UN climate panel.
On Wednesday (19), the group had already criticized the content of the documents published at the beginning of the second week of the conference. In a press conference, a manifesto was released calling the proposals presented until that moment regarding fossil fuels and deforestation a “provocation.”
“Delegates seem not to understand what a roadmap is. A roadmap is not a workshop or a ministerial meeting. A roadmap is a real working plan, which needs to show us the path, from where we are, to where we need to get, and how to get there,” stated Rockström, from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, in an excerpt from the document.
Today’s statement warns that it will be “impossible to limit warming to levels that protect people and life” without gradually phasing out fossil fuels and ending deforestation.
“In these final hours, negotiators must work together to put the roadmaps for a safer and more prosperous future back into the text. Science is here to help,” says the text, which can be read in full below:
Scientists’ Response to the Friday, November 21st, Joint Effort Text.
“Despite a large number of countries uniting around roadmaps to end dependence on fossil fuels and deforestation — and the impetus given by the President of Brazil — the words ‘fossil fuels’ are completely absent from the most recent text. This is a betrayal of science and people, especially the most vulnerable, as well as being totally inconsistent with the reaffirmed goals of limiting warming to 1.5°C and the near exhaustion of the carbon budget. It is impossible to limit warming to levels that protect people and life without gradually phasing out fossil fuels and ending deforestation. In these final hours, negotiators must work together to put the roadmaps for a safer and more prosperous future back into the text. Science is here to help.”
Carlos Nobre – Science Panel of the Amazon; Fatima Denton – United Nations University; Johan Rockström – Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research; Marina Hirota – Serrapilheira Institute; Paulo Artaxo – University of São Paulo; Piers Forster – University of Leeds; Thelma Krug – President of the COP30 Scientific Council
