AUTHORS: Assia Oulkadi (European Youth Forum), Elisa Decourcelle
COP28 is not just another climate summit; it is our moment to shift the conversation and focus on issues that are usually left in the shadows. In addition to focusing on decarbonisation and green economies, we should not lose sight of addressing our consumption habits.
In most climate talks we are missing a crucial point: our constant need to produce and consume. So, as we gear up for the second week of COP28, we should look at how much we consume and how do we dematerialise Together with our Think2030 partner, the European Youth Forum, we reflect on consumption patterns in a blogpost and call for a narrative’ shift. The blog mentions the need to take the conversation forward and to move the focus from the sole importance of mitigation as an answer to the environmental crisis to addressing consumption habits, as overconsumption is part of the global issues and has consequences on the transition path. In this sense, the article calls for the COP28 negotiations to develop a position on the consumption levels as a caused of the climate crisis.
For COP28 to make a difference, the summit must be a game-changer, highlighting also the importance of sustainable consumption and dematerialisation. Political discussions and agreements should not be limited to decarbonisation but should also be targeting systemic change around cutting emissions and promoting real sustainable choices.
COP meetings should be a convening place to make a big impact by getting serious about solutions including on dematerialisation. It can help the EU to reduce its energy demands and ensure greater respect for human rights in EU value chains. COP28 must look beyond the quick wins and short-term carbon reductions. That is why we call the countries who are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to name unsustainable consumption levels as a critical cause of the climate crisis and commit to paving the way to establish binding material footprint reduction targets to reduce consumption levels in the Global North. It is about a future where sustainability is not a buzzword but a way of life. It is about reimagining our lifestyles, our consumption patterns, and our relationship with the environment in a positive way while safeguarding the well-being of their citizens that is no longer associated with material wealth in affluent societies.
You can read the full article here.
Are you at COP28?
Join IEEP at the side event “The Role of Academies in Climate Policy Advice” co-organised in collaboration with Colorado State University and the European Sustainable Agriculture Dialogue (ESAD) platform:
When: 9 December, at 3:00pm
Where: SE Room 6, UNFCCC Pavilion, Dubai.
You can learn more about it with this article and follow the event here.
Join EYF at the side event “Beyond Growth: Sufficiency for a sustainable and equitable future“ organised with the European Economic and Social Committee:
When: 9 December at 1:15pm
Where: SE Room 7, UNFCCC Pavilion, Dubai.
More information is available here. The European Youth Forum is the biggest platform of youth organisations in Europe, representing over 100 youth organisations, which bring together tens of millions of young people from all over Europe.
