Bon COP, Bad COP(28)?

                                                COP 28 concludes -- thumbs up, or thumbs down? 

Someone cleverly came up with a "Bon COP, Bad COP" headline for a piece on this rather confounding COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai. This is a play on the title of the 2006 comedy/action film which was a success in Canada. But was this summit a success? Some declared it a disappointment before the applause at its conclusion subsided while others touted the final text a breakthrough. 

The cynic in me figures that if Premier Smith of Alberta didn't like what happened at COP28 then something worthwhile must have taken place. Sure, it's a positive development that the role of fossil fuels in energy as a component in climate change was finally acknowledged and that there was discussion about phasing them out over time. But the chairperson himself  downplayed this factor and it seems that nothing concrete was included in the resolutions. A number of countries insisted that they need fossil fuel revenue to transition toward green energy. 

So, while COP28 fiddled, the planet burns. In the words of climate scientist Michael Mann,  "It's like promising your doctor that you will 'transition away from donuts' after being diagnosed with diabetes." 

It was important that Day 10 of this summit was dedicated to Nature, Forests and Oceans. It's hard to imagine that previous COP meetings had not given a strong a focus on biodiversity given that habitat loss, climate change, and biodiversity loss are intertwined. 

I was also encouraged by the first ever Faith Pavilion. It was inaugurated by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, as a space for meditation and daily prayers. It was also a place for spiritual leaders of different faith backgrounds to exchange ideas about how to guide people through the effects of climate change. https://www.cop26interfaith.com/?p=3523

I'm convinced that the faiths of the world must actively engage in addressing the climate emergency which is without doubt an existential threat. Nearly all religions and spiritual traditions invite reverence for Creator and Creation, expressed in different ways. Our Judeo/Christian scriptures do so repeatedly. As Christmas draws near Christians celebrate the wonderfully improbable Incarnation of God, an affirmation of the earthiness of our faith. 

As a "Groundling Christian" I can't allow myself to succumb to cynicism even though that gets harder all the time.  My faith is grounded in hope. I pray that the cartoon below will never come to fruition. 

to power, only to be remembered for their inability to take action when it was urgent and necessary to do so? -

@Pontifex