• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • Devex World 2020

    Postponement of COP has little impact on climate action, says former COP chief

    Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary at the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, says the COP meetings “do not determine reality” on climate action.

    By Jessica Abrahams // 10 December 2020
    Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary at the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. Photo by: Jean-Marc Ferré / UN / CC BY-NC-ND

    LONDON — The postponement of COP 26 by a full year will make little difference to climate action, according to the former head of the body that runs it.

    Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said that while the U.N. Climate Change Conference meetings are “helpful,” they “do not determine reality” on climate action.

    Asked in an interview for Devex World if there would be an impact on momentum as a result of skipping the United Nations’ flagship climate summit this year, Figueres replied, “No, actually it’s a fallacy to think that we ‘haven’t done anything’” this year. She argued that there has been greater action on decarbonization by the private and financial sectors than ever before.

    “We haven’t met physically … but action is continuing on [the] ground.”

    — Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chadian climate activist

    “Let’s remember that COPs are very helpful political moments, but they do not determine the reality. What is important here is ... how much are we actually reducing emissions. … And we’ve actually advanced pretty well this year and will continue to do so,” she said. “What needs now to ramp up is the political will of governments to assume even more ambitious targets by next year.”

    COP, or the Conference of the Parties, is the decision-making body responsible for monitoring and reviewing implementation of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, an international environmental treaty signed by nearly 200 states.

    Its annual meeting in 2015, known as COP21, resulted in the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change. COP 26, which should have been held in Glasgow, Scotland, last month, was anticipated to be another significant moment.

    Countdown to COP 26: What are the development sector's priorities?

    The postponement of COP 26 has given the development sector more time to organize and push for a successful outcome. With a year to go, here's what experts are watching.

    The United Nations Environment Programme’s website described it as “the most important intergovernmental meeting on the climate crisis since the Paris agreement was passed.” It would have seen the first five-year review of the pledges made in 2015, and advocates hoped countries would increase their “nationally determined contributions,” or NDCs — commitments to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

    However, the meeting was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will instead take place in November 2021.

    Figueres spoke to Devex Managing Editor Deborah Charles alongside Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, a Chadian climate activist and expert on Indigenous people’s adaptation to climate change.

    Ibrahim, who was present at the signing of the Paris Agreement, agreed with Figueres’ assessment. “We haven’t met physically … but action is continuing on [the] ground,” she said, noting that communities cannot wait for COP to act on floods and other climate-related issues that are affecting them.

    “Also at the national level, they didn’t wait [for COP] before [revising] their NDCs. They are continuously doing the revision of the NDCs across all countries,” she said. While she hoped activists and leaders could meet again at COP, she said, the focus needs to be on action.

    • Environment & Natural Resources
    • Trade & Policy
    • United Kingdom
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Jessica Abrahams

      Jessica Abrahams@jiabrahams

      Jessica Abrahams is a former editor of Devex Pro. She helped to oversee news, features, data analysis, events, and newsletters for Devex Pro members. Before that, she served as deputy news editor and as an associate editor, with a particular focus on Europe. She has also worked as a writer, researcher, and editor for Prospect magazine, The Telegraph, and Bloomberg News, among other outlets. Based in London, Jessica holds graduate degrees in journalism from City University London and in international relations from Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    Food Systems Opinion: Agriculture is missing in climate action. NDCs can change that

    Opinion: Agriculture is missing in climate action. NDCs can change that

    Climate ChangeCOP30 presidency calls for shift from climate pledges to implementation

    COP30 presidency calls for shift from climate pledges to implementation

    78th World Health AssemblyWHA passes first climate action plan after tense vote

    WHA passes first climate action plan after tense vote

    Devex NewswireSpecial edition: Midway to COP30 — gaps in trust, but ‘glimmers of hope’ in Bonn

    Special edition: Midway to COP30 — gaps in trust, but ‘glimmers of hope’ in Bonn

    Most Read

    • 1
      How low-emissions livestock are transforming dairy farming in Africa
    • 2
      Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health
    • 3
      Opinion: India’s bold leadership in turning the tide for TB
    • 4
      How AI-powered citizen science can be a catalyst for the SDGs
    • 5
      Strengthening health systems by measuring what really matters
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement