COP27 Wrap-up
I’m a sustainability solutionist, however I often joke I’m a reformed greenwasher (it officially went into the dictionary earlier this year). I spent over a decade working in marketing, often convincing citizens that perfection could be achieved if they just buy another beauty product they don’t need. Now that I work in the sustainability space, I realise that it all stems from one root cause - a broken system that is looking to drive short term profit, even if it comes at the cost of our people and our planet.
And it was this subject that dominated at all different levels at COP27. Whether it’s ‘loss and damage’ or my own talk on the psychology of desire and overconsumption, the bottom line is that the climate crisis is the symptom of a flawed economic system, and we need to action change.
Jenn McGarrigle, CEO of Cyd Connects and me at COP27
Everyone is talking about Loss & Damage
The biggest issue (and reported achievement) to come out of COP27 was the breakthrough Loss & Damage fund. Hailed as a ‘historic moment’ at COP27, the richer nations who have emitted the most planet-warming gases, will now pay into a pooled fund that will help developing countries suffering at the sharp end of climate disasters they did not create. It’s one of those topics that you may think doesn’t apply to you – but it does.
If you only have time to watch one speech from COP27, make it Mia Mottley’s. The Prime Minister of Barbados brings this issue home with grace and clarity.
Fuelling the PR machine
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported emissions from fossil fuels are the dominant cause of global warming. In 2018, 89% of global CO2 emissions came from fossil fuels and industry. This is exactly why, at COP26, activists began publicly targeting the PR and marketing agencies behind the greenwashing campaigns created for fossil fuel companies. They’ve since held numerous protests outside some of the largest PR and advertising agencies, and it worked. This year the UN Secretary General went on record saying "our world is addicted to fossil fuels, we need to hold fossil fuel companies and their enablers to account. That includes the massive public relations machine ranking in billions to shield the fossil fuel industry from scrutiny".
Maybe this is why we saw 636 fossil fuel representatives at COP27 – that’s 25% more than last year. With many reports saying this is the area that made the least progress – does that mean it was a success for the lobbyists or a last-ditch attempt to hold on to their power?
The Egyptian government, as organisers and hosts, came under fire for numerous controversial choices. Coca-Cola, arguably the world's most prolific plastic polluter, was their main sponsor, and their preferred communications agency, Hill+Knowlton, are known to work for big oil companies. See above.
Was it all just greenwashing then?
Alongside all those fossil fuel lobbyists, you could also sense optimism and feel real change happening. From inspirational CEOs sitting down with Activists to everyone putting their heads together on how we can adapt our capitalist system from a shareholder model to a stakeholder model.
We learned a new word, which resonated with us: actionists.
We believe every business and citizen (and maybe even government?) can become an actionist too, so what are we waiting for – let's make change happen.
What’s next?
One thing is for sure, there is no quick fix. We need an economy that isn’t putting profit above people and planet – we need our businesses to become a force for good, balancing people, planet and profit.
I believe we, as citizens, entrepreneurs, and business owners, have a lot more power than we realise. Life’s more fun when we use our skills to solve these issues and drive change. So, will you become an actionist for COP28?