Packed panel debates at last year’s event

CLIMATE LEADERS are currently gathered for an environ­mental summit in one of the world’s leading petrostates.

And, with less than a week to go before delegates pack up and head home from COP28 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the pressure is on.

Negotiators are reportedly optimistic that participating nations will commit to “phasing down” fossil fuels over the coming decades, according to BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt.

This development carries momentous weight inside the conference secure zone. But for those of us watching in the real world, it can seem negotiations amount to a linguistic game with little bearing on reality.

This year has been the hottest year on record, the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed this week. There is a consensus among scientists that the climate battle will be won or lost in the next decade.

Extreme weather events – from floods to cyclones to droughts – have battered every corner of the globe. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says greenhouse gas emissions must be at least halved by 2030 to avoid catastrophic climate breakdown.

Meanwhile, in Dubai, climate envoys rub shoulders with fossil fuel lobbyists and debate whether to commit to an eventual “phasing down” of fossil fuel production.

Events in Dubai show we cannot rely on climate diplomacy alone as we move into an increasingly volatile future.

The international COP28 summit must be recognised for what it is: a blunt, extremely flawed tool in the fight against the biggest existential threat of our age.

Against this backdrop the Camden New Journal and Islington Tribune have organised a climate conference of our own which will take place at the London Irish Centre in Camden Square from 11am-5pm on Saturday (December 9).

If replicated by communities across the planet, we believe that debate and participation at a grassroots level can play a transformative role in the fortunes of our planet.

As one of the country’s last remaining independent local newspapers, we understand ourselves as having a pivotal role to play here, linking up the organisations and movements doing so much to tackle environmental breakdown in our capital city.

We have a stellar line-up of speakers joining us for five panels over the course of the day. Among our speakers are the economist and author Mariana Mazzucato, Just Stop Oil Founder Roger Hallam, and the social justice and housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa.

At the end of each panel there will be time for questions, so please come along and share your thoughts with us.

We will also be running a sustainable Christmas market in the main hall, showcasing some of the very best local, independent traders in our city. Come along and show your support!