Editor:
Two days from port, the COP 28 ship sank under the weight of too many oil lobbyists, bloated national and sub-national delegations and hangers-on. It also appears there was no one competent on the bridge when the ship capsized.
When the COP 28 ship went down, it took with it all but two of the previous COPs that had promise – Kyoto in 1997 where the COP process began to gain traction and Paris in 2015 where the world actually agreed upon an achievable climate agreement – which, through the relentless lobbying and subterfuge of the fossil fuel sector, all subsequent COPS have managed to undermine.
Though covered in oil from the slick left behind by the sinking ship, these two COPs miraculously floated from the deck of the Sultan Jaber to the surface, and were recovered by scientists on a research ship following the ill-fated COP 28 vessel.
Though many of the lifeboats proved to be of faulty design, fortunately, all of the embarrassed oil-covered passengers were rescued by their home countries and many have gone home to tell fabulous stories of how they heroically participated in preventing the breakdown of the global climate system, in what appears to be turning out to be an epic moment in humanity’s efforts to address our planet’s climate heating emergency.
When contacted by the media, both Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber’s office and the office of the premier of Alberta, who had, in celebration of her award-winning performance at COP 28, apparently been lifted by her delegation to soar in the winds at the bow of the ship just before it sank, declined comment on the incident.
It has already been suggested the next COP vessel be smaller, far more fit for purpose, and only those who need to be on it, and who are capable of making decisions regarding the future of the planet be permitted to board. Many new designs are being considered.
Bob Sandford,
Canmore
Senior government relations liaison in global climate emergency response at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health
