Climate Week confronts geopolitical hurdles

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🗞️ Driving the news: At Climate Week NYC and the UN General Assembly, leaders expressed both optimism about the growth of low-carbon energy and frustration with the geopolitical obstacles hampering climate action
• Al Gore called for major reforms in how COP summits are run, criticizing the current requirement for unanimous decisions

🔭 The context: As the next COP summit will be hosted by Azerbaijan, a major oil producer, concerns are rising over fossil fuel interests influencing climate negotiations
• John Kerry and others agree COP needs reform, but warn it will be difficult given global political divides and economic interests

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Climate summits, crucial for global climate decisions, are often stalled by geopolitical friction and fossil fuel interests
• Reforming the process could accelerate decision-making on climate finance and emission reduction goals

⏭️ What's next: Pre-COP negotiations and discussions at the UN General Assembly will focus on securing climate finance commitments, particularly to support developing nations in managing climate impacts

💬 One quote: "The problem is the vested interests and the economic interests... the COP is only the symptom," said Susana Muhamad, Colombia's environment minister

📈 One stat: A $90 billion initiative by Rockefeller Foundation and the World Bank aims to bring renewable electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030

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