Internationally reputable climate events like the Climate Weeks in NYC and the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) serve as crucial events influencing worldwide ecological efforts.

Those annual conventions connect leaders and community members to discuss and conceptualize approaches for fighting against climate change.

As the 2024 COP is set in Baku and will gain much attention, many critics see it as a critical juncture in battling environmental decline. Yet, there's an irony hidden in these efforts to curb emissions: These meetings contribute to environmental harm against their cause.

Let's look at both the contributions and the negative side effects from those conferences.

Positive Contributions of Climate Conferences

Before analyzing the negative sides of these conferences we need to understand their beneficial outcomes. COP acts as important venues for fostering global teamwork on climate initiatives. Here are some of the biggest milestones from the history of COP.

1. The Kyoto Protocol (1997)

Location: Kyoto, Japan

Contributions:

• A leading accord that set mandatory emission-cut objectives for industrialized nations.
• Launched carbon trading as a method to enable countries to reach their emission objectives.

2. The Bali Climate Change Conference (2007)

Location: Bali, Indonesia

Contributions:

• Developed the Bali Roadmap and provided the essential basis for the Paris Agreement.
• Energy is disposed to improve the capacity of developing countries and transfer technology for adaptation.

3. The Paris Agreement (2015)

Location: Paris, France

Contributions:

• Nations bound themselves to a rising global warming rate under two °C and target 1.5°C.
• Countries, both rich and poor, agreed to implement actions using Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• Developed a system for clear assessment and evaluation of climate initiatives.

4. Glasgow Climate Agreement (2021)

Location: Glasgow, United Kingdom

Contributions:

• Improved actions aimed at eliminating coal and fossil fuels.
• Countries committed to assessing and improving their climate targets by 2022.
• Focused on providing funding to nations that suffer from climate disasters.

 

The Direct Environmental Consequences of Climate Change Conferences

Even with positive aims for climate change conferences, there are issues related to their environmental consequences. Planning an event on this scale calls for substantial resources and might create environmental problems during the logistics.

1. The emissions caused by flights are considerable

Air travel is a major contributor to emissions from climate change meetings. Estimates suggest that COP26 in Glasgow produced more than 102,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions, mainly from delegates and staff flying internationally.

Given its goal of encouraging climate action, this large-scale event will result in a significant carbon footprint.

The vast majority of attendees opted for private jets despite knowing they contribute more CO2 than regular airlines.

Fact: Every year, about 2.5% of global emissions come from air travel, which plays a key role in greenhouse gas emissions.

Carbon emissions rise sharply whenever global leaders arrive at a conference accompanied by a large number of delegates from diverse places.

2. Infrastructure and Energy Use

Conferences of this size need significant infrastructure consisting of temporary gathering areas and lodging. Many host cities are required to design or renovate venues to welcome thousands of visitors.

Enormous energy consumption arises from the need for heat and lighting in these venues, along with the necessary technology for on-site events. Attempts to create sustainable events have not lowered the high energy costs involved.

In COP25’s conference venue in Madrid, over 113,000 square meters were occupied, featuring extensive lighting along with air conditioning and modern audio-visual equipment. Controlling the distribution of waste and water increases the environmental burden.

3. Waste Generation

Climate summits create large quantities of waste similar to other large events. This possibility might include waste from food sources and printed materials.

Although there are more actions to lower plastic use and champion sustainable methods, the immense presence of people makes it hard to completely wipe out waste.

Positive Change: At COP26 in Glasgow, a comprehensive waste management strategy was implemented to minimize waste production. The conference produced approximately 10,341 tonnes of materials, with 96% of these materials having already been reused before the event

4. Local Environmental Impact

Cities that welcome these gatherings often deal with immediate environmental demands from the arrival of thousands of people.

An increase in traffic and a rise in energy requirements might result in difficulties for community services addressing waste and water.

The large protests by climate activists at COP21 in Glasgow overloaded available public transit and resulted in higher waste levels. Organizing these events may cause local communities to be temporarily relocated and require the construction of new facilities alongside rising local pollution.

Addressing Challenges

1. Hybrid and Virtual Formats

The pandemic revealed that holding big events online is viable. In upcoming conferences, hybrid setups could allow more attendees to engage from a distance.

Low air travel would be necessary as a result of this change and could greatly reduce the carbon footprint of the event. Findings reveal that changing to virtual modes for meetings can cut carbon emissions by 94% and energy use by 90%.

2. Carbon Offsetting Programs

Conferences like COP have implemented carbon offset programs, where emissions are compensated by investing in environmental projects such as reforestation and renewable energy.

However, this method only mitigates emissions and is often criticized as a short-term solution. More focus should be on reducing emissions upfront.

3. Sustainable Venue Management

By adopting green technologies and lowering waste production, venues can considerably minimize their carbon footprint. At COP25's event in Madrid, they adopted LED lighting and sustainable power to reduce their energy consumption.

4. Adopting a Circular Economy Approach

Conferences can take on the circular economy model by recycling or repurposing all resources. It means removing wasteful plastics and ensuring responsible food waste control.

Zero-waste policies implemented at conferences can significantly improve the environmental results.

Making the Way for Sustainable Climate Conferences

 

Global efforts to tackle the climate crisis depend on events like COP. Nevertheless, the fact that these events contribute to ecological decline is fundamentally important.

Though they have certainly resulted in important worldwide deals and increased understanding of the need for climate efforts, they still raise environmental issues.

The organization of these conferences demands our reevaluation to align perfectly with their goals.

Advocating for hybrid approaches while enhancing sustainable practices is essential to ensure eco-friendly conferences.