We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them : my takeaway from COP28

I hesitated long before deciding to participate in this year’s COP in Dubai. What added value could I bring, knowing that there would be 80,000 other participants and that Enabel was already represented by several of our climate experts ? I finally decided to go, encouraged by my colleagues on the need for Enabel to defend the positions of the countries that are most affected by climate change, but that have less access to new financing schemes and power relations.

After 4 intense days in Dubai, meeting with our European, African and multilateral partners, I am 100% convinced that it was the right decision to be there, for the following 4 reasons:

• Climate change is the challenge of our time. We need a global governance system to address it, overcoming our ideological, political and cultural barriers, as well as our existing conflicts. The COP creates a safe space for every country on the planet to express their views on the matter and unite on a topic of common interest. This is a unique opportunity, and one meeting a year is a small investment compared to the return it can generate. For example, I met with our Palestinian partners who - notwithstanding the war - claim a just access to resources and invest in circular economy.
• The climate conference  is a unique gathering that allows for many interactions between all sorts of actors, including Governments at the highest levels, administrations, NGOs, private sector, activists… The Dubai edition was particularly well organized and conceived for this purpose, making it possible also for the general public to participate. It did not feel as a closed, exclusive event, on the contrary. Organising the COP in Dubai, a country that acutely needs to change its development paradigm, turned out to be a good idea to sensitise decision-makers, even if the risk of greenwashing was surely present.

• Over the years, COPs deliver results and new finance mechanisms are developed to address the issues at stake. Of course, we can regret that it is never enough, but at least progress is being made.
• The new financing mechanisms are promising, but there is a risk that only the well-organised countries and organisations will have access to them. If you have solid systems, strong negotiating power and extensive networks, then you will be the first to have access to finance.. This dynamic was evident at the COP. The private sector too understands that money is available, and it is organising itself to get access to it. Enabel’s role is to work with our partners, including those most affected by climate change, to access the new financial resources. In this respect I was impressed how the Government of Mozambique, with our support, managed to profile itself as a pioneer in energy transition and a frontrunner in climate change and innovative financing mechanisms. Our role is to ensure that more countries in Africa can follow the same path, in particular in the Sahel.

To conclude, I am positive on the progress that the COP has made, but I am worried that some countries may be left behind. I am also worried that if we don’t address some of the root causes of climate change, such as models solely focused on growth, based on inequalities caused by unbalanced power dynamics, and the ideology that technology will solve everything, we will not be able to address the entire issue. The next COP will somehow need to include those reflections in the debates. Because we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them, as Einstein pointed out.