Bristol-based environment activists have laughed at the “hypocrisy” of world leaders travelling thousands of miles to negotiate deals at the Cop28 conference.
A group of campaigners gathered in Bristol yesterday to discuss local solutions to sustainability and climate change.
The meeting, called People, Planet, Pastry (COPPP28) was part of a nationwide event to bring people together while negotiations take place in Dubai.
Speaking about how most leaders have flown in private jets to an event that promotes sustainability, campaigner Robert Quarry said: “It seems very kind of hypocritical, to be honest, to spend such a lot of money on the transport or the carbon impact compared to these events (COPPP28) where a lot of people can either cycle or walk to the event.
“And there’s zero carbon impact! It seems rather strange. Maybe they should do it by video conference.”
Adam Bastock, the founder of COPPP28 events across the UK, added her was also conflicted about this travel.
“The outcomes of COP28 could easily undo all the energy emissions from travel there, which is small when compared to a global level,” he said.
“For example, for COP26, the total flights and footprint of hosting the event was less than the emissions from 1 day of road traffic in the UK. So, a change in fossil fuel use would justify the flights, however, I’m not convinced we’ll see that from this year’s COP.”
Joss Ford, founder of Enviral, recognised that events like COPP28 are not easy.
“Trying to get all countries together to create a common climate policy…it must be hard for COP28 on a grand scale, but maybe they could do with a bit of cake and coffee just to relax things a little bit.”
When discussing plausible reasons for COP28 negotiations not working out, Penny Southgate from BCFM community radio said: “I read an article actually, where someone who was part of the negotiating rooms. She said it’s so interesting how outside of those rooms people talk to each other normally. And there is a sense of urgency and people use real language and you feel things are going to get somewhere.
“And then the minute they enter that room and sit around that table, suddenly it’s like they’re all turning slightly robotic and formal, and only talking in a particular language where everything is kind of softened and the urgency disappears.”
The ongoing 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP28 is seen as a chance for world leaders to collaborate on solutions to the looming climate crisis. As the conference draws closer to its end, questions are being raised about the event’s effectiveness.
To unify activists across the nation Congress of People, Planet and Pastry (COPPP28) meetings are being organised in over 80 cities.
