‘Alternative COP’ must drive real, cooperative change in climate action

You have full access to this article via your institution. Colombia’s environment minister Irene Vélez Torres (left) with her Netherlands counterpart Stientje van Veldhoven in Santa Marta, Colombia. Credit: Ivan Valencia/AP Photo/Alamy An important international climate-change initiative was launched last week: more than 50 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia, for the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels. Co-chaired by the governments of Colombia and the Netherlands, the initiative was born at least partly out of frustration with the official United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) process, in which all UN member states attempt to work together on their climate-action policies. The Santa Marta meeting’s organizers said that their meeting was a forum to discuss practical steps to move away from fossil fuels. It is intended to complement the COP process, not replace it. ‘Beyond COP’ climate summit puts scientists at the centre of the action The new initiative’s strong focus on having scientists lay out a path towards a fossil-free future deserves much applause. But it must not inadvertently undermine the scientific structures that inform climate policies all over the world — most notably the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Many climate scientists are disheartened by the COPs’ slow pace in addressing climate change. …