Declaration on the occasion of the COP 28

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DECLARATION ON THE OCCASION OF THE COP 28 CLIMATE CONFERENCE

The World Federation of Scientific Workers (WFSW), bringing together organizations and personalities aware of their collective and individual responsibility, and also, of the role of science and technology and the influence of political and economic leaders, leads multisectoral reflections and actions aimed at prioritizing a peaceful and sustainable development of human societies. The WFSW advocates for increased collaborations within the global scientific community to address the pressing challenges facing humanity, including the imminent threats of widespread war, climate change and destabilization of the biosphere, both on continents and in the marine domain.
First, the search for peace requires reducing the motivations and theaters of war, limiting production and stopping the proliferation of armaments and putting an end to economic war and the unbridled expansion of markets. Achieving these objectives necessitates strengthening international cooperation in research and development, with the aim of:

  •  Adopting a coordinated approach to combat climate change, desertification and the loss of biodiversity;
  • Responding urgently to the pressing need to move away from fossil fuels and increase the use of renewable energies;
  • Ensuring access to essential products such as water, food and medicine for all populations; 
  • Exerting better control, within each country, over mining and the exploitation of agricultural and arboreal lands;
  • Transforming modes of production, consumption, exchange, urban planning, and investment while conserving physical and biological resources and respecting workers and populations.

However, COP 28, scheduled from November 30, 2023 to December 12, 2023 in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, seems far from these goals for several reasons.
Firstly, its management and organization has been entrusted to companies currently among the main contributors for global climate change.
Secondly, the proposed agenda does not adequately address the crucial challenges outlined above.
In this regard, while announcing its non-participation, the WFSW supports the participation of NGOs that advocate for an alternative development model and a new world economic order, one that is less unjust and more sustainable. The WFSW urges the COP to impose real economic constraints on countries, particularly the wealthiest ones, and on transnational corporations to truly engage in these alternatives, quasi-existential options that safeguard the future of humankind and all living beings.

Paris, Tuesday 5, December 2023
WFSW’s Presidency

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Pdf document (French – English): 231209 Déclaration à l’occasion de la COP 28-FR-EN

Portuguese version: Declaração por ocasião da COP 28 sobre as alterações climáticas