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Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Saoi O'Connor: As the UN talks shop, no food or water enters Gaza
There is a wire mesh fence between me and the fire exit, another between me and the Rhine. The World Conference Center used by the UN for the intersessional climate negotiations each June is superior to the majority of venues in which the Conference of the Parties (or COP) has been hosted, for this reason; where I write from, you can see the river. It's often been speculated that the outcomes of climate negotiations would be better if said negotiations took place in rooms with windows, instead of dark little prefabricated boxes that might just as well be shipping containers for the amount of light that gets in. I am not sure that the outcomes of the intersessional meetings validate this theory - I suspect closing plenary outputs will be just as dismal as those of COPs gone by - but at least here, in this venue, one is less disconnected from the world outside. The lawn that I write from is a little sterile, one can be certain here that, unlike other parts of the city, no dog has marked its territory on the grass, and though the stench of cigarette smoke is as dense as anywhere else, this lawn lacks the distinctive scent of German beer. In this place the full spectrum of attendees, from negotiators in their pressed suits and lapel pins to radical youth activists, those who have fled death to their would-be murderers, sit alike in the grass, and the shade of the trees holds the weight of history. The outcome of every COP is shaped here. Every November, all of us pack up and head out to the Conference of the Parties to negotiate on humanity's collective future, and every June, like a salmon returning to the river that spawned it, we return to the Rhine. In 20, 30 years maybe there will be some kind of memorial here, maybe we will say, this was a place where we all came together, a kind of no man's land, where the elders of our climate justice movements held council with their cigarettes and the party delegates argued in urgent, hushed tones over overpriced filter coffee. I imagine the future will refer to this lawn in the same way that historians refer to the Christmas Truce of 1914, this is a place where we were all human together, and it changed nothing. Gaza and the climate The topic of rivers has been a source of contention in these conferences for some time now. Since the Dubai COP in 2023, civil society groups have been banned from using the phrase 'from the river to the sea' during protests inside the conference. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the only UN agency which allows protest inside the venue during the negotiations, a fact which the agency's secretariat is extremely proud of. However, in recent years censorship of civil society during these protests has made organising and partaking in these actions feel relatively pointless. This June at Subsidiary Bodies (SB62), the secretariat informed us that we would also not be allowed to use the phrase 'end the siege' during these actions, an action which has been echoed by human rights organizations and other UN agencies alike, the absolute bare minimum demand of humanity. As we sit here in our talking shop, no food or water enters Gaza. Israel kidnaps humanitarians from aid ships and Egypt stops activist convoys on its borders. Their contraband consists of food and water, medicine, crutches, a prosthetic arm for a child. The fist of empire closes around itself and the light of conscience grows dim. Millions of Gazans continue to starve, and within the halls of the United Nations we are not allowed to condemn this. Maybe for those who have not walked these halls this comes as a surprise, though the last several years of ongoing genocide with little intervention from the multilateral system will have relieved many people of notions they may previously have had about the supreme benevolence of the United Nations. This same distance, this discussion and negotiation and condemnation in the abstract, where human rights and justice exist only in the realms of lapel pins and SDG-themed (Sustainable Development Goals) merchandising, is another common thread which binds the Palestinian struggle and the struggle for climate justice together. What has changed? To return to my original hypothetical - I don't know that the outcomes of this conference would be improved if they were held in a nature reserve or a forest or on the coast of my home in West Cork, but I know that they are defined by what we see out the window. If it was not the Rhine on the other side of this fence, but the Jordan, if we stood in Congo where children are forced to mine lithium for our promised 'just transition' (a phrase which has its roots in the climate justice movement, but has been largely misappropriated in this space), or in the pacific islands, where already the ocean begins to creep up to people's doors, if we stood in the midst of fire or flood or airstrike, I know that this conversation would be different. Many of my peers here will return home to these places, many of them on flight paths that have been disrupted due to US and Israeli aggression. It is currently precarious to transit through Qatar, and they - like me - will try to explain what they have seen. To explain what it is to press your face up to the glass and see the individuals responsible for our global suffering — for the radical, irreversible damage to life on this planet which will define humanity's future until we as a species cease to walk upon the Earth — to feel the weight of history and the grief of knowing you can do nothing, nothing, about it. Saoi O'Connor: 'This place where I sit now is not in Germany, it is not in Europe, it is not even truly on Earth, I write to you now from another place.' Photo: Pamela EA This place where I sit now is not in Germany, it is not in Europe, it is not even truly on Earth, I write to you now from another place. Abstracted, isolated from context, this wire mesh fence between us and the world, it protects us from realities that might interfere with our nitpicking over documents that nobody anywhere else in the world will ever read. I have been attending these climate negotiations since I was 17 years old. I'm now 22, and as myself and many others have been remarking this week, the biggest change that we have seen in that time is that the coffee machine in this building now offers oat milk. We do not gather here because we believe that the United Nations or the neoliberal world order can save us, or has any intention of saving us. We do this because it is a gathering place in which we exchange notes about how we are saving ourselves. Beneath my feet in this lawn the seeds of a new world are already planted. As the eyes of the world turn to COP30 this November, a conference which will undoubtedly be the most critical climate negotiation since Paris, remember that we were already here, that we have been here before. Cork students taking part in the Fridays for Future strikes in front of City Hall. When history comes to take down this fence and walk upon the lawn of the United Nations, we will not forgive, and we will not forget. Picture: Saoi O'Connor That the preparatory session for COP30 was defined by the twin injustices of the banning of a phrase which called for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, and the EU blocking the discussion of finance for the Global South, for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. We are six months into 2025 and so far the theme from the UN is that whether you deserve to live, to eat, to drink clean water, depends on where you were born. When history comes to take down this fence and walk upon the lawn of the United Nations, we will not forgive, and we will not forget. Saoi O'Connor is a climate campaigner who has been attending the climate negotiations since they were 17 years old. They continue to be active on climate all over Europe; travelling most recently to Sapmi to protest logging with the Sami people
News18
23-06-2025
- Climate
- News18
Sea Level Rise Along Indian Ocean Coast Exceeds Global Average, Threatens Coastal Areas, Warns WMO
Last Updated: Asia remained the most disaster-impacted region in 2024, with climate-related hazards---floods, storms, droughts, and heatwaves---causing widespread human and economic losses India's coastal stability is under growing threat due to sustained ocean warming, with the northern Arabian Sea and Pacific waters warming at 0.24℃ per decade—significantly faster than the global trend—warned the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in its latest report. In fact, the sea level rise along the Indian Ocean coast has also exceeded the global average, increasing risks for low-lying areas, and coastal populations. The WMO's State of the Climate in Asia 2024 released on Monday by lead authors from India, China, and the Islamic Republic of Iran raises alarm on the ongoing climate crisis hitting Asia hard, as it remains the most disaster-hit region in 2024 with the continent warming more than twice as fast as the global average. According to WMO, Asia's average temperature in 2024 was about 1.04°C above the 1991–2020 average, causing increasingly extreme weather and wreaking a heavy toll on the region's economies, ecosystems and societies. The report comes as the delegates convene in Germany for the Bonn Conference—a critical mid-year climate meeting. The 62nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB 62) of the UNFCC taking place from June 16-26 in Bonn, Germany, is the last major negotiation platform before COP30. It offers countries an opportunity to discuss key issues related to climate finance, just transition, adaptation framework and trade-related climate policies before they meet at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, later this year. 'The State of the Climate in Asia report highlights the changes in key climate indicators such as surface temperature, glacier mass and sea level, which will have major repercussions for societies, economies and ecosystems in the region. Extreme weather is already exacting an unacceptably high toll," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. Additionally, there was reduced winter snowfall and extreme summer heat. As a result, 23 out of 24 glaciers in the central Himalayas and Tian Shan suffered mass loss, causing a spike in glacial lake outburst floods and landslides and endangers water security. Ten of Asia's largest rivers start in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, and together provide water for a quarter of the world's population. Extreme rainfall also wreaked havoc and heavy casualties in many countries in the region, and tropical cyclones left a trail of destruction. The report also cited the major landslide in Wayanad, Kerala, on July 30 last year triggered by extreme rainfall exceeding 500 mm in the 48 hours prior to the event. More than 350 deaths were reported as a result of the event. In 2024, most of the ocean area of Asia was affected by marine heatwaves of strong, severe, or extreme intensity—the largest extent since records began in 1993. The northern Indian Ocean and in the ocean area adjacent to Japan, the Yellow and East China seas were especially affected. The rates of sea-level rise in the Indian and Pacific Ocean areas bordering Asia are higher than the global mean rate over January 1993–November 2024, stated the report, which also included representation from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The regional report is part of the WMO's annual State of the Climate series to inform policymakers, decision-makers and public about the latest data on climate variability, and significant weather and climate events from the past year amid ongoing climate crisis.
Scoop
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Address To The Opening Plenary Of The UN June Climate Meetings, Sixty-Second Session Of The Subsidiary Bodies (SB62)
Executive Secretary Simon Stiell UN Climate Change Bonn, Germany Excellencies, Delegates, Friends, Welcome to Bonn, and the 62nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies. There is lots of complex work ahead, so allow me to start with a few simple truths. First: this process matters, deeply. The progress you make in the next 10 days makes a very real difference to billions of lives and livelihoods, in every country. These sessions are where we move from concept to clarity – across sectors, systems, and societies. You are laying down the tracks that further deliver implementation. In the real economy – where deep emissions cuts and transformative adaptation must be delivered. Quickly and fairly. Second: this process is delivering real progress. Thanks to your tireless efforts and ability to compromise, recent COPs have all produced concrete, major global steps forward. Even if imperfect, even if no country gets everything it wants, this is human solidarity in action, with real-life benefits for billions of people. Let's not forget: without UN-convened climate multilateralism, we would be headed for up to 5C of global heating. Now it's around 3. It's a measure of how far we've come, and how far to go. A reminder that 1.5, and protecting all people, continue to be both achievable over the course of time, and utterly essential. Likewise, this year, beneath the noisier negative news, there are plenty of good reasons for optimism. We are seeing green lights for climate actions from many of the world's biggest economies, sending powerful demand signals to investors and doers. Yes, there are headwinds – as there always are – but they do not set humanity's course. The tide has turned for climate action, and there's no turning it back, because it's entirely in every nation's own interests. So I urge you - let's show how we are rising to this moment - with a unity of purpose that is stronger than ever, and laser-focused on real-world results. This also requires being pragmatic: the acceleration still needed will only be possible if our process is adequately resourced. We welcome the growing mandates you have given the secretariat. And through the secretariat's budget, we have found significant cost savings and efficiencies, so that we can keep delivering fully on all of these growing mandates. But this approach is not sustainable. You are all aware of our budget challenges. I urge you to address them fully through your deliberations here in Bonn, to make sure this process keeps getting concrete results that move the world forward. This brings me to my third point: the world is watching closely, as climate impacts get rapidly worse in every country. We must show climate cooperation can keep delivering real progress, and can drive the acceleration demanded by science, to protect people and prosperity. That means these June sessions must: Agree the final steps for delivering indicators under the Global Goal on Adaptation at COP30. Unlock delivery under the Just Transition Work Programme Work so that it helps move 'Just Transition' from a necessary concept to a lived reality, across economies and societies. Deep-dive into the Roadmap to the 1.3 Trillion so that it's not just a report, but rather a how-to guide with clear next steps on dramatically scaling up climate finance and investment. Ensure the mitigation work programme builds momentum for realizing actionable solutions that respond to the urgency we must all confront. Make progress on defining this era of implementation – what it means to deliver on all the commitments we've collectively made to the planet and each other – including in the first Global Stocktake. None of these issues are easy. Disagreement is natural. But our process must be safe and respectful for all. Full adherence to the Code of Conduct is non-negotiable. Friends, guided by the three interlinked priorities set out by the incoming Presidency: To reinforce multilateralism under the Convention. To connect our work to billions of real lives. And to accelerate implementation. Let's get to work. The Secretariat will be with you at every step.
