By Chris Davey
Photo: NASA
You may have heard that COP30 that ran 10 – 21 November 2025. COP stands for “Conference Of the Parties”, meaning those countries that signed up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1995. Earlier this year a group of researchers found that we have only three years left to take decisive action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, in order to stay below the 1.5C temperature rise above pre-industrial levels. But yet again at the COP, there was no formal agreement on reducing the use of fossil fuels in order to cut those still-rising emissions. As a global energy source, fossil fuels still account for 82% of the world’s total energy (2023) despite the massive rise in volume, and fall in cost of renewables like wind and solar. COP30 did little to change that situation, so it seems to me that “COP” should be taken instead to mean “Condemn Our Planet”.
When the COPs were established, it was agreed that any decision from the meetings must be unanimous. Yup, 193 countries (at COP30) would have had to be absolutely on the same page before that page could be printed. Maybe it was because in 1995 it was important to show that countries were working together, making tough choices, and they were all agreed. OR, it was so that any one country could oppose what all or any of the others wanted to say, and that meant that those countries who were less keen on taking drastic steps to cut emissions could safeguard their interests. Either way, it’s no longer appropriate.
One other recent climate-related event was the article self-published by Bill Gates on his website in which he urges less action on climate and more on poverty reduction. His article has been criticised by a number of climate scientists, i.e. folks who understand the issue of climate breakdown and its links to poverty and deprivation, because, unlike Gates, they research this stuff. I confess that I didn’t read all of Gates’ 17-page piece. Life is too short, and well, depressing… until 27 November when I had a strange feeling. I realised it was a feeling I’d not had for some time…
Optimism. On 27 November, in Central Hall Westminster, ten of the country’s leading experts on the relevant issues held a briefing for politicians, business leaders and media people, on the climate and nature crisis in which we are living. More detail at nebriefing.org. The event lasted for most of the morning, and was recorded in full, but there is a handy summary thanks to Dave Borlace of the channel Just Have A Think, in which he urges people to sign the resulting letter to the PM and media leaders. I strongly endorse that request. The letter can be signed here.
The meeting was introduced by Chris Packham, an inspired choice. Now Chris is a naturalist, not a climate scientist, but his impassioned and powerful intro to the session hit just the right note. Later there would be science and stats, warnings and caveats, but Chris gave us the frustration, the sadness and the anger that, arguably, we need to take action. He held up his phone with an image of the Earth on it, saying that for most people in the hall that would look like a “pale blue dot”. In that he was (surely) referencing Carl Sagan, whose 1990 book on our planet and its place in the cosmos bore that title. Rounding off the meeting was a reading of the letter I mentioned above, read out in its entirety by Olivia Williams. A video summary of the event should be out early in 2026. This needs to reach the maximum possible audience, hence the letter.
So apologies for postponing part two of my thoughts on biomass/mess (see last month’s Still European for part one)… you might be understandably distraught at having to wait till next year for my take on HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), SAF (“Sustainable” Aviation Fuel), UCO (Used Cooking Oil) and possibly other TLAs (Three Letter Abbreviations). Don’t be “SAD”. At least you have Christmas to distract you while waiting. Have a good one.
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Sources consulted include:
Just Have A Think (YouTube channel)
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/06/bill-gates-climate-memo
Sarah, thanks for commenting again. In fact I unearthed one ITV report on the NEB, but still overall mass media coverage was derisory. Hopefully this will change when the NEB video documentary comes out some time in the new year. Personally I continue to call out media outlets when they don’t give honest coverage on the continuing breakdown of our climate, and I urge everyone to do something similar. All good wishes.
I’ve just seen the excellent summary by Dave Borlace (see link above) and would recommend anyone reading this to see it too and to pass it on to others to share. I am horrified that this meeting got no mention on national TV. Do broadcasters think if they don’t mention the problems we face they will go away? It’s obvious that everything is happening far faster than the scientists originally expected. Perhaps they imagined that most governments would do a lot more than they have and that we would have turned things around. Maybe they thought people would understand the seriousness of the crisis we face. They were wrong there, weren’t they?