Launching The Pavilion for People alongside COP29
On 11th November 2024 we opened the doors to The Pavilion for People alongside COP29.
Former BBC News Science Editor David Shukman posted on LinkedIn about his decision to not attend COP29 in person, and his positive experience with attending The Pavilion for People virtually.
Within 24 hours, the BBC published an article about how the UN climate talks were “no longer fit for purpose”.
“At the conference in Baku, negotiators from small island states were particularly concerned about any attempt to change the nature of the COP, where all countries are equal.
They worry that if decisions are made among the big emitters at forums such as the G20 group of richer nations, their small island voice will be excluded.
“We’re not a part of those discussions,” said Micahi Robertson who’s an adviser to the Alliance of Small Island States at these talks.”
The need for change
The Pavilion for People also supported the Open Letter on COP reform which suggested that “COP meetings must be transformed into smaller, more frequent, solution-driven meetings” and included a specific call to action to enhance equitable representation.
“The Pavilion for People opens the experience of attending a COP to everybody. It is a place where you can speak directly to a refugee in Kenya about the challenges the climate is creating for them; or from the CEO of an organization creating a solar alternative to firewood for cooking across much of Africa. A CEO who sees the Pavilion as a more effective, inclusive – and cheaper – way of getting out a message than attending a COP.”
Our partners for the Pavilion alongside COP29 included:
SOLCO
Race to Zero
BSI
We Don’t Have Time
Virtual Ocean Pavilion
Global Peatlands Initiative
Faith Pavilion
