What is COP, and why is it so important?
COP stands for the Conference of the Parties, and the convention itself is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This is the decision-making body that brings together nearly 200 signatory countries annually to coordinate a global response to climate change.
This year, it’s being held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9-20 November. As the host, Türkiye presides over COP 31. Unusually, COP 31 is also being presided over by Australia, which will lead negotiations. This was a compromise after both nations wanted to host. Compromise is – or should be – central to how COP operates, so the agreement is quite appropriate.
Why is COP so important? It’s generally seen as the only realistic means by which the world’s governments can coordinate and agree ways to limit the climate crisis, thus saving potentially billions of lives and livelihoods. So, the stakes are high.
In 2015, the Paris Agreement set a target for global heating – keeping it “well below 2°C” but “pursuing efforts” to limit it to 1.5°C by the end of the century, compared to pre-industrial levels. Subsequent scientific assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change indicated that global greenhouse gas emissions would need to fall by around 43% by 2030, compared with 2019 levels, to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach.
The annual COPs provide a forum to review progress, negotiate new agreements and encourage governments to strengthen their climate commitments.
Who goes to COP?
The COP headliners are, of course, the world’s government ministers, heads of state and other political leaders. They are the ones who will make the final decisions, hold high-level negotiations and do the backroom deals. A lot of the final decisions will be made behind closed doors by senior leaders.
Accompanying them will be thousands of civil servants and diplomats, who will have a range of expertise in areas such as trade, finance, international relations and the environment. They will spend much of their time supporting their countries’ negotiating positions, drafting documents and performing other bureaucratic duties.
With so many countries involved, the national delegations will generally work within alliances. There are currently 16 such negotiating groups. Among them, to give just a few examples, are the European Union, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (set up by Venezuela and Cuba), the G77 and China (which has 134 members plus China) and the Alliance of Small Island States. Some alliances overlap – so, for example, the African Group is also part of the G77 and China. For the second COP running, the Trump administration has declined to send a US delegation.
What about non-government actors?
There are several accredited non-government observer groups. These have access to the main discussions and jostle to influence the decision makers. This is where trade unions come in. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) coordinates the Trade Union Non-Government Organisations (TUNGO) constituency, which has included a UNISON delegate for some 20 years. Environmental groups have ENGO and business groups have BINGO.
Other vested interests are also out in force for COP. Among them are the corporate lobbyists from industries including fossil fuels and mining, who will usually be attached to national negotiating teams or business groups. Critics would argue that some governments are already closely aligned with corporate interests in areas such as fossil fuels, making ambitious agreements harder to secure.
At COP 30, which was held in Brazil last year, there were more fossil fuels lobbyists in attendance than any national delegation, other than that of the host nation. They received nearly 60% more passes to COP 30 than the combined total of the 10 most climate vulnerable nations.
Representatives of the financial sector are also at COP in large numbers. These banks, insurers and fund managers push for market-driven responses to the climate crisis, like carbon credit trading and private investment schemes. These are proposed as alternative to direct funding from states – something the unions, among others, demand.
And there will never be a shortage of corporate bodies keen to trumpet their green credentials in the various exhibition spaces around the COP venue. This often amounts to attempts to ‘greenwash’ corporations accused of causing harm to the climate.
What role do the unions play? Do they have any real influence?
With their accredited observer status as part of TUNGO, unions can directly discuss their agenda with political representatives. While they will have lobbied governments in the run up to COP, they are also in the room as talks are taking place. From there, it can often be as simple as tapping a politician on the shoulder to make suggestions, sending them notes or reaching out to them on WhatsApp.
The unions will plan extensively for COP. For months in advance, they will meet in person and/or remotely to hammer out unified policy positions. This will be on an international and regional basis. They will also meet ahead of daily sessions during COP and coordinate throughout proceedings.
Climate change is a union issue, and working people are affected in myriad ways by the extremes it brings. One key area of union focus is ‘just transition’ – the principle that working people should not lose out from strategies to cut carbon emissions. For example, while shutting down polluting industries is necessary to save the planet, workers should be given alternative employment; just transition includes access to retraining, investment in new, greener industries, decent work, strong labour rights and support for communities affected by industrial change.”
International unions also take on another key contentious issue: climate finance. This relates to how wealthier nations support lower-income countries to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.
What does life inside the summit look like?
COP venues are huge – this year, it is set in the Antalya EXPO Centre and sprawls across just over a million square metres.
It is divided into zones. The Blue Zone is used for the main negotiations and diplomacy, and features two plenary halls as well as areas for smaller meetings and side events. The Green Zone is for broader civil society, featuring exhibitions and public events.
In terms of practicalities, this means that moving between one meeting and another can take up to half an hour.
While the event takes place in a host country, the COP area is under United Nations control, complete with a UN police force.
For the first week, delegates meet all together before breaking off into smaller groups, where they discuss various elements of what will become the COP agreement for the year. These groups will later report back, and a draft resolution will be put forward.
The following week usually sees numerous high-level private meetings take place between nations, as the final points are agreed.
At the end of COP, negotiators seek consensus on a final package of decisions. Reaching agreement among nearly 200 countries can be difficult, and negotiations often continue well beyond the scheduled deadline.
Why are unions like UNISON involved in COP?
Climate change affects working people in many different ways. From people having to work in increasingly extreme weather to the just transition and public spending, unions can represent civil society and push for real change. They also make a difference, feeding in vital information as negotiations take place and ensuring working people have a voice.
For unions such as UNISON, climate change is also a public services issue. Heatwaves, flooding, poor air quality and extreme weather place growing pressure on health services, local government, emergency services and other public sector employers. Decisions made at COP can therefore have direct implications for workers delivering public services and the communities they serve.
While governments make the final decisions, trade unions play an important role in ensuring that workers’ interests and the need for a just transition are represented throughout the negotiations.