Former Leaders and Climate Experts Call for Reform of UN COP Climate Talks

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BAKU: A group of former leaders and climate experts has declared that the annual UN COP climate talks are no longer fit for purpose and require significant reform. This critical open letter was published midway through what has been a contentious summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Nearly 200 countries are convening with the primary goal of establishing a new target for financial assistance to help developing nations adapt to climate change and recover from severe weather events. However, discussions have made little progress thus far.

Delegates struggled for hours on the opening day to agree on an agenda, with tensions heightened by uncertainties regarding the United States' future role under a potential Donald Trump presidency, diplomatic disputes involving the host nation, and the withdrawal of the Argentinian delegation.

The letter, signed by over 20 experts, former leaders, and scientists—including former UNFCCC chief Christiana Figueres and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon—asserted that while the COP process has achieved much, it now requires an overhaul.

"It is now clear that the COP is no longer fit for purpose. Its current structure simply cannot deliver the change at exponential speed and scale, which is essential to ensure a safe climate landing for humanity," the letter stated. It called for a shift from negotiation to implementation to fulfill agreed commitments and ensure an urgent transition away from fossil fuels.

Figueres later clarified that some ideas in the letter had been misinterpreted, emphasizing that the COP process remains an essential vehicle for supporting necessary systemic changes.

Other critics of the COP process have emerged as well. Earlier this week, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley urged for urgent reforms, while Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama criticized leaders for passively observing the summit proceedings.

In response to the letter and the overall process, COP29 presidency's lead negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev stated, "The process has already delivered ... so far by reducing the projected warming, delivering finance to those in need, and it’s better than any alternative." However, he acknowledged that the multilateral process is under pressure, indicating that COP29 would serve as "a litmus test for the global climate architecture."