SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
summit of the future
UN 'Pact for the Future' Decried for Not Even Including the Words 'Fossil Fuels'
Nearly 80 world leaders and Nobel laureates say the 'Pact for the Future' will be deeply flawed if it ignores the key driver of the planetary crisis.
Aug 13, 2024
A group of 77 former world leaders, Nobel laureates, and scientists on Tuesday called on United Nations member countries to reintroduce into an upcoming treaty, the Pact for the Future, a strong commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels.
The Pact for the Future has been under negotiation by U.N. member nations this year and is expected to be signed at a special meeting in September called the Summit of the Future.
The initial draft of the agreement, from January, included language fairly similar to that which nearly 200 U.N. nations agreed to at last year's COP28 climate summit in Dubai, calling on countries to "accelerat[e] the transition away from fossil fuels." The first draft also included a commitment to setting a deadline to end fossil fuel subsidies.
However, subsequent versions have not included any reference to fossil fuels, the burning of which is the main cause of the climate emergency, due to the greenhouse gases emitted. In response, the 77 leading figures have published a letter supported by the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.
"The omission of fossil fuels from the draft Pact for the Future is another stark failure to confront one of the greatest threats to our planet and humanity."
The signatories include Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner and chief adviser in Bangladesh's new interim government; Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland; the Dalai Lama; and Stefan Löfven, the former prime minister of Sweden.
The authors of the letter wrote that they are "gravely concerned" about the watering down of the agreement.
"We call on the United Nations to ensure that the Pact for the Future includes robust commitments to manage and finance a fast and fair global transition away from coal, oil, and gas extraction in line with the 1.5ºC limit agreed to by nations in the Paris Agreement," they wrote.
"If the Summit of the Future does not address the threat of fossil fuels, it will not be worthy of its name, risking undermining a once-in-a-century opportunity to restore trust in the power of international cooperation," they added.
Jody Williams, a human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner who signed the letter, said in a statement that "unless fossil fuels are tackled, there is no future to safeguard."
Löfven, who led Sweden from 2014 until 2021 and is now head of the Party of European Socialists, a coalition of center-left parties from around Europe, also spoke forcefully about the need for a stronger international agreement.
"The omission of fossil fuels from the draft Pact for the Future is another stark failure to confront one of the greatest threats to our planet and humanity, " he said. "World leaders should be unequivocal when it comes to acting decisively and collectively to prevent further climate impacts, and instead, they are deciding to bury their heads in the sand."
"Only through unwavering international cooperation to phase out fossil fuels can we safeguard our common future," he added.
The pact is not exclusive to climate issues but covers five areas: sustainable development; peace and security; science and technology; youth and future generations; and transforming global governance, including international financial architecture reform.
The first draft of the pact released in January, despite its mention of fossil fuels, was "somewhat unambitious," according to Tim Hirschel-Burns, a policy liaison at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center. The draft didn't contain many concrete, binding proposals, he wrote on the center's website in April.
Hirschel-Burns called for the treaty to include language that would give more voting power to Global South countries at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and an end to the gentleman's agreement that places a European in control of the former institution and an American the latter. Some language regarding Global South representation at those financial institutions was included in the newest draft of the pact.
In May, Human Rights Watch called for a strong pact that prioritized economic justice and the environment. HRW asserted that civil society organizations hadn't been consulted enough and that China, Russia, Cuba, and Iran had sought to weaken the human rights provisions in the agreement. However, the group was also critical of Western countries, saying that "their selective application of human rights undermines the credibility of such an agenda, particularly for countries in the Global South."
"While the United States and other Western countries justifiably condemn Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine, for example, many of them have not shown the same resolve concerning Israel's atrocities in Gaza," the HRW statement said. "While the European Union says it champions human rights protection globally, it opposes efforts at the U.N. to make the international tax system fairer for developing countries."
The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, which published Tuesday's letter, leads an effort to establish an international agreement in which full transparency is developed over fossil fuel reserves so that countries can successfully negotiate a phaseout of their use. A huge number of government entities and global organizations have endorsed the idea, but only 13 countries have signed on so far.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Young People to World Leaders: 'Time to Let Youth Lead'
"We need more young people represented in all spheres of decision-making—within government, at the United Nations, in civil society, private sector, and academia. And they must be taken seriously."
Apr 16, 2024
"We still believe in the promise of a better world for all. Do you?"
That's how a letter to world leaders, spearheaded by the United Nations Youth Office, begins. It was released Monday, ahead of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, as part of a campaign arguing that "it's time to let youth lead."
The letter stresses that "all around us, humanity is in peril. The impacts of war and conflict, humanitarian catastrophes, the mental health crisis, and the climate emergency have reached unimaginable heights."
"To rebuild trust and restore hope, we need to see meaningful youth engagement become the norm at all levels."
Last year was the hottest in human history, and temperatures in recent months suggest that trend will continue—largely thanks to planet-heating pollution from fossil fuels. Thousands of children have been killed in fighting around the world, from Ukraine and Sudan to the Gaza Strip—where the death toll has helped spur a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
"But we know that it doesn't need to be this way. While no one nation can solve these challenges alone, it is the inability of leaders to work together in pursuit of the collective good that is putting our common future in jeopardy," the letter states. "We cannot afford to lose hope—the stakes are simply too high. That is why, as young people and allies, we are rallying together as a global community to make our voices heard."
Emphasizing how including diverse perspectives helps to "ensure we don't continue to repeat past mistakes" and that the youth "will live with the consequences of the decisions taken today," the letter calls on "all leaders and institutions to take immediate action to make global policymaking and decision-making spaces more representative of the communities they serve."
"We need more young people represented in all spheres of decision-making—within government, at the United Nations, in civil society, private sector, and academia. And they must be taken seriously," it argues. "To rebuild trust and restore hope, we need to see meaningful youth engagement become the norm at all levels, backed by dedicated resourcing everywhere around the world."
According to the youth, "The Summit of the Future this September will be one important opportunity for governments to commit to finally giving young people their rightful seat at the table."
The summit's U.N. webpage describes it as "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments including to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Charter, and move towards a reinvigorated multilateral system that is better positioned to positively impact people's lives."
Ahead of that summit, ECOSOC is hosting the youth forum from Tuesday through Thursday at U.N. headquarters in New York City. Attendees are set to share recommendations and ideas in preparation for the September event.
The young people joining the forum are also expected to participate in discussions focused on five SDGs: partnerships for the goals, no poverty, zero hunger, climate action, and peace, justice, and strong institutions.
"The energy and conviction of young people are infectious, and more vital than ever. Our world is bristling with challenges, tragedies and injustices—many of them linked," U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in remarks to the forum on Tuesday.
"In the face of all these crises, public trust is plummeting. Alienation is growing. And the international system is creaking. The future of multilateralism is at stake. And so we need action and we need justice," he continued. "I salute young people around the world for standing up, speaking out and working for real change. We need you. And I am fully committed to bringing young people into political decision-making; not just listening to your views, but acting on them."
Guterres noted that "we established a new Youth Office in the United Nations to advance advocacy, coordination, participation, and accountability for and with young people."
"We will renew the United Nations Youth Strategy—to take this work to the next level. And I am committed to making sure young people have a strong role as we gear up for the Summit of the Future in September," he pledged, detailing various other initiatives.
"Every generation serves as caretaker of this world. Let's be honest: Mine has been careless with that responsibility," said the 74-year-old U.N. chief. "But yours gives me hope. The United Nations stands with you. Together, let's deliver justice. Let's deliver solutions. And let's create a world of peace and prosperity for all."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular