{"id":49259,"date":"2023-09-22T13:36:26","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T12:36:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/?p=49259"},"modified":"2023-09-22T15:05:51","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T14:05:51","slug":"at-un-climate-summit-big-polluters-absence-speaks-volumes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatechangenews.com\/2023\/09\/22\/at-un-climate-summit-big-polluters-absence-speaks-volumes\/","title":{"rendered":"At UN climate summit big polluters’ absence speaks volumes"},"content":{"rendered":"

As United Nations chief Antonio Guterres convened a climate summit for the first time in four years, he was keen to avoid platforming greenwash. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Instead of a long procession of leaders, the stage would be given only to those with \u201ccredible policies and plans\u201d to keep the goals of the Paris Agreement alive.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, the absence of most of the world\u2019s biggest polluters spoke volumes. Three-quarters of the G20 nations were left outside the door<\/a>, with the United States, China, the United Kingdom and India pushed off the guestlist.<\/p>\n

Among those that made the cut, there were a handful of slightly improved goals and climate finance promises – nothing groundbreaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis wasn\u2019t a dramatic pledging or deal-making summit\u201d, says Tom Evans, an analyst at E3G. \u201cBut it put forward a group of leaders showing who is ahead and isolated those who are laggards. It was trying to show what is possible instead of diluting the level of ambition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leaders from 34 governments<\/a> along with seven non-government bodies, including the World Bank, the London mayor and the governor of California, addressed the summit. Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the EU, and South Africa were the most high-profile speakers.<\/p>\n

All-out on fossil fuels<\/h3>\n

Perhaps the most striking feature of the event was increasingly fiery rhetoric on fossil fuels.<\/p>\n

California governor Gavin Newsom started by accusing the industry of \u201cplaying each and every one of us in this room for fools\u201d. The state has recently filed a lawsuit against major oil companies.<\/p>\n

\n

My message to the UN:<\/p>\n

This climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis. It\u2019s not complicated. pic.twitter.com\/bHolZrtGyP<\/a><\/p>\n

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 21, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n