The UN Climate Summits Are Working – Just Not As Critics Expect
Many criticize UN climate summits as ineffective. The annual Conference of the Parties (Cop) often faces complaints about its bureaucracy and slow progress. As delegates gather in Belém, Brazil for Cop30, familiar doubts resurface: after 30 years of negotiations, global emissions are still rising, leading some to label the process a failure.
Gradual Progress Amid Rising Emissions
While emissions continue to increase, the rate is slower than it would be without the UN framework. In 2009, climate scientists warned the world faced up to 6°C of warming without action. Before the 2015 Paris Agreement, the forecast dropped to around 4°C under business-as-usual scenarios. Currently, the UN estimates warming of approximately 2.5°C without further policy measures.
The steady decline in projected warming "has happened because, contrary to popular belief, the world really is acting on climate change."
Renewables and Technology Drive Change
Over the last 15 years, the plummeting costs of renewable energy, especially solar and wind, have propelled their widespread adoption. Soon, renewables are expected to generate more electricity than coal for the first time. A similar transition is underway in transport, with electric vehicles now accounting for over 20% of global car sales.
Critics say these advances stem from technological innovation, not UN conferences.
Despite skepticism, the cumulative impact of the UN summits and shifting technologies is steering the world toward a more sustainable energy future.
Author’s summary: The UN climate summits contribute to slowing global warming by fostering policy frameworks that, together with technological advances, have accelerated renewable energy and electric vehicle adoption worldwide.