Reclaiming Climate Justice: United Call for an Urgent Reform of the UN Climate Talks

The document argues that the UNFCCC has reached a 'critical breaking point' due to systemic failures in delivering climate justice and the undue influence of the fossil fuel industry. It proposes a shift from consensus-based to majority-based decision-making to prevent a few nations from blocking progress. The authors demand a strict Conflict of Interest Policy to exclude polluting industry lobbyists from official spaces and a 'rightsizing' of COPs to end their transformation into 'global trade fairs'. Additionally, the statement calls for enhanced compliance mechanisms for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), greater transparency in negotiations to end 'closed doors' meetings, and the protection of human rights for participants. It suggests strengthening international climate governance by aligning the UNFCCC with the other Rio Conventions and pursuing complementary legal pathways, such as the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Global Plastics Treaty, to achieve a full fossil fuel phase-out.

• The current consensus-based decision-making model in the UNFCCC allows a small number of countries to obstruct progress, necessitating a transition toward majority-based decision-making to ensure more democratic and ambitious outcomes.
• The UNFCCC lacks a formal definition of 'conflict of interest' and an accountability framework, leaving the process vulnerable to the influence of fossil fuel and high-emitting industry lobbyists within State Delegations and COP Presidencies.
• COPs have evolved into 'bloated conferences' and 'global trade fairs' where commercial interests and corporate partnerships privilege access for polluters over the meaningful participation of Indigenous Peoples, youth, and Global South delegates.
• There is a critical need to strengthen the UNFCCC compliance mechanism so that Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are not merely reported but are subject to binding recommendations and consequences for non-compliance.
• Negotiation transparency has declined, with an increase in 'closed doors' meetings and delayed access to documents, which the authors argue violates international standards like the Aarhus Convention and the Escazú Agreement.
• The document identifies systemic barriers to participation for Global South delegates, specifically citing discriminatory visa policies in Germany, the permanent host of the UNFCCC, and calls for a unified digital visa system with one-week approval.
• To achieve a full fossil fuel phase-out, the authors argue for complementary legal pathways outside the UNFCCC, specifically the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (FFNPT) and the Global Plastics Treaty.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Reclaiming Climate Justice: United Call for an Urgent Reform of the UN Climate Talks. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/United-Call-to-Action-TheCOPWeNeed.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Reclaiming Climate Justice: United Call for an Urgent Reform of the UN Climate Talks. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/United-Call-to-Action-TheCOPWeNeed.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Reclaiming Climate Justice: United Call for an Urgent Reform of the UN Climate Talks |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/United-Call-to-Action-TheCOPWeNeed.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndreclaiming, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Reclaiming Climate Justice: United Call for an Urgent Reform of the UN Climate Talks}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/United-Call-to-Action-TheCOPWeNeed.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }