12 December was an important day for decisions about climate. In Paris, more than fifty international leaders met for the One Planet Summit to find the necessary funding for projects addressing climate change. It was organised by the World Bank, the United Nations and Emmanuel Macron, the President of France. One notable person missing because not invited was Donald Trump, instead the US were represented by political figures opposing the President’s views on climate.
The aims of the One Planet Summit were, as written on their website: take tangible and collective action; innovate, which is a word heard many times in the last few years; and support one another, because we are all on the same planet. During the conference two panels were specifically dedicated to finance options for climate challenges, to shift the focus on a low-carbon economy; one underlined the importance of local governments and another one focused on policies suggestion. During the summit, there was place to present 20 projects related to renewable energies, that could be reproduced around the world.
The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, focused on the shift needed to improve the action on climate change, think locally and act globally, the contrary to what has been done so far.
However, the decisions taken will not be binding for governments, and there was a general disillusion that promises made are not going to be maintained. That is why NGOs, who reunited in the Pantheon, were protesting and pushing for action, especially underlying the importance of dropping every fund for fossil fuels. Oxfam France spokesperson Alexandre Naulot said the Summit has been a “great disappointment”.
It is important for us all to respect our Planet, and duty of all to help the advice of the One Planet Summit to become more than just words.
