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What If Companies, NGOs Don't Go To COP30 in Belém?

What If Companies, NGOs Don't Go To COP30 in Belém?

There are just under 100 days before this year's United Nations climate summit kicks off in Brazil. In my survey of business and civil society leaders, conducted in formal interviews and in casual conversations, I hear a version of the same answer about their plans for the conference known as COP30: uncertainty.
In short, companies and non-profits remain undecided whether to make the trek to the Amazonian city of Belém for the two weeks of talks that begin Nov. 10. Because of both logistics and the changing dynamics of global climate leadership, many are considering limiting their journeys to side events in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo.
In a call with members of the press last week, André Corrêa do Lago, who will serve as COP30 president, celebrated the related climate events happening all over Brazil, but insisted that companies and NGOs should still show up in Belém. 'We are delighted that they come to other events, before the COP, in Rio or São Paulo, but Belém is the place,' he said. 'We need the business sector to be present in Belém.'
At the center of the planned private sector involvement in Belém is the so-called 'action agenda,' an officially sanctioned set of priorities that take place apart from the negotiations between countries. The announced COP schedule includes specific days focused on topics including energy, transport, trade, finance, and carbon markets that companies may want to join.
Themed days have become a mainstay of U.N. climate conferences, but this year's Brazilian organizers insist that the approach this time will be different. In past COPs, organizers emphasized the announcement of new private sector commitments. This time around, organizers insist that themed meetings will drill down into 'implementation' rather than tout new high-level pledges.
Officials will try to build on the programs and commitments announced at previous U.N. climate conferences—assessing their progress and identifying opportunities for improvement. This includes everything from promises to limit methane emissions to commitments to halt deforestation. They hope that businesses will share at COP concrete plans for how to meet those past pledges at a time when many businesses are backtracking on their ambition. COP officials are also planning to create what they are calling a "granary of solutions' that will give attendees—particularly businesses—a comprehensive look at the many solutions that are working, thereby encouraging others to take similar actions.
Many companies and non-profits are still deciding whether they want to take part in Belém. ​​In the public narrative, steep prices and limited room availability have received the brunt of the blame for the reticence of some climate leaders to show up in Belém. There is no doubt that this is a big issue for some civil society groups. Email list serves and WhatsApp groups are buzzing as advocates look around for affordable accommodation. That said, the news reports touting outlandish nightly rates running into the tens of thousands of dollars are largely outdated; new relatively affordable housing stock has become available on the conference's official booking site (though many of these accommodations don't have the amenities to which western business travelers are accustomed).
But while the accommodation options are an easy excuse, they aren't the primary thing holding some climate folks back. Many companies and big environmental non-profits that plan to show up in Rio or São Paulo have also booked rooms in Belém as they decide whether it's worth the extra stop. In some ways, the thought process is like one you might engage in before any other professional or even social gathering. Private sector leaders are asking, 'who else will be there?' And 'what will we actually get done?'
Nothing will get done if firms don't show up. In recent years, climate observers have questioned whether the COP process is really worth all of the effort it takes—and whether it's the best way for the private sector to spend its time. But the truth is it will only ever be worth its time if advocates seize on it.
That's a potential loss for the U.S. firms that choose to sit it out. One set of companies expected to show up in force are firms located in India and China. That's a change from recent years when large western companies have shown in force and Asian firms have remained more muted. It's yet another indication of the shift of gravity away from the U.S. in global efforts to tackle climate change.
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'Commitments must be concrete; otherwise, they are merely empty words,' their submission says. 'In the UNFCCC context, precise commitments were feasible. For example, states can be concretely obliged to maintain an inventory of anthropogenic [greenhouse gas] emissions or to reduce [greenhouse gas] emissions by a certain percentage. In the tax field, however, this seems impossible or at least not meaningful.' They go on to provide some examples: On the issue of tax dispute prevention and resolution, they argue that a tangible solution, like obligating countries to incorporate arbitration clauses into their tax treaties, would face opposition. They also voice doubt about the commitment toward a fair allocation of taxing rights, given the long time in which governments have debated this issue: '[It] is ultimately impossible, as there is no objectively 'fair' allocation. Also fairness has different meanings, which also constitutes an obstacle to achieve these commitments. . . . 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Economic and Social Council is free to grant consultative status to nongovernmental organizations through article 71 of the U.N. Charter. In this sense, ECOSOC is unique — it is the only main U.N. group that maintains a formal process for NGO participation, according to the council. And it grants that status to many organizations: Over 6,300 NGOs are in consultative status with ECOSOC. However, that does not mean they all participate in the U.N.'s work on the same basis. Generally, consultative status means that an NGO can do things like provide analyses to the U.N. and help monitor the implementation of U.N. projects. There are three kinds of consultative status: general, special, and roster. General status is typically given to large, international NGOs whose work touches on most of ECOSOC's priorities. They are allowed to send representatives to the U.N., attend and speak at ECOSOC meetings, and circulate statements. Special status is given to smaller NGOs with a special competence in topics handled by ECOSOC. They have the same sorts of privileges as general status organizations. Roster status is conferred on NGOs that have a narrower or more technical focus and periodically contribute to the work of ECOSOC or its subsidiary bodies. They are allowed to attend meetings held by ECOSOC and its subsidiaries, but they are not allowed to speak in meetings. They may circulate statements if invited to do so by the secretary-general. The convention's terms of reference address this issue in paragraph 21, which states that 'civil society and other relevant stakeholders are encouraged to contribute to the work of the intergovernmental negotiating committee in accordance with established practices.' More specifically, civil society organizations are allowed to participate as observers, according to a committee document. At the end of July, the committee, in a draft decision, approved 34 civil society and non-governmental organizations to participate in its work. It appears there's some debate over what civil society contributions should look like in the context of the tax convention. In comments, the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation told the committee that while they are committed to the process, they and other observers have not been allowed to participate in previous meetings. 'We find it deeply concerning that observers have not been invited to participate in the online meetings of the Workstreams. The fact that we have been unable to even observe the numerous meetings that Member States have already had, leaves us with a very limited understanding of the specific discussions, and significantly reduces our ability to feed into and respond to the debate,' the group said. 'We would like to stress the importance of allowing for full and effective participation of civil society and trade unions in all meetings of the committee, including the online sessions of the Workstreams.' The EU delegation to the U.N., which is also an observer organization, has voiced similar concerns because it has not been allowed to attend informal, intersessional discussion sessions for the workstreams but believes it should have received access. Sustainable Development Stakeholders have generally spent comparatively little time on the third commitment on sustainable development, which makes sense because the other two commitments raise important foundational issues that require resolution. But stakeholders who did address it, like the African Union and Germany, urged the committee to align the commitment with the outcomes from the U.N.'s recent Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. 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