I was initially very sceptical about having another COP in an oil-dependent country and how oil companies could use the COP to lobby for slowing down the phasing out of fossil fuels. In a sense, critiques were right, and the outcomes of COP29 have been criticized for taking a step backwards. On the other hand, I was impressed by the political engagement of about 200 country delegations. Regardless of the type of government they have, or even if they are at war, many political leaders meet every year to address this common challenge. This is an impressive achievement of humanity.
One of your research areas concerns acceptance and resistance to climate policies. What acceptance and resistance did you observe at COP29?
Many blamed COP29 for not delivering on more fair and ambitious climate goals. But, the blame should be directed at the governments and citizens that oppose this transition. International political arenas like COP represent national politics, and this connects to the research we presented. Citizens need to be on board. We cannot expect the EU or countries like Sweden to push for ambitious climate goals when, at home, citizens are not voting for climate-ambitious politicians or parties. They are voting for security or local criminality. Our research shows that citizens are not necessarily opposing climate policies. They oppose climate taxes that only increase the cost of living for the lower and middle class instead of distributing the cost of climate more equitably.
Was there anything that surprised you about COP29?
My favourite thing from the COP was the level of engagement of civil society organizations from all parts of the world. From youth representatives of small Pacific islands facing sea level rise, indigenous groups from the Amazon, citizens representing those living in informal settlements, and African voices, among others. They were able to raise their voices through side events and a variety of creative protests and art exhibitions. The societal and political engagement on climate issues at the global level is impressive. My favourite protest was called the "Fossil of the Day Award", given to countries that are the best at doing nothing or slowing down climate progress.
What is next for you regarding climate-related research?
We produced a 3-minute animated video on resistance to climate policies. We will start a new project for biosphere defenders where we hope to use legal empowerment tools to explore the role of global and EU laws in defending the Amazon.
Read the report "10 new insights in climate science" on 10insightsclimate.science.
