There we go, another COP (almost) done, and another year gone by. So, what next?

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Published 14th December 23

By Kalyan Sarma, VP Climate, Environment and Sustainability at Ploughshare

To say that it has been an eventful COP would be a bit of an understatement – to say that the whole process hasn’t been eventful would also be an understatement. It’s been what seems like backlash after backlash this time around, which does no justice to the desperate need for harmonisation across nations when it comes to climate change, the environment, and the advancement of global sustainability.

So how can this year’s COP snatch success from the jaws of just-about-getting-by? Well, it all looks at putting some things to the side and adopting others that can actually start to make a difference.

The Stocktake at this year’s COP has roots in good science that anyone would recognise – a look at where progress is being made, how you can improve on an experiment, and how you can help and lean on areas to get the best possible outcome for everyone involved. If we put aside the fact that the current wording of this year’s agreement has leant heavily on whether to have a “phase down” or a “phase out” of fossil fuels (ultimately “transition away from” – a good thing, but not without its criticisms) – we can step back and look at other things that can help us move forward. More importantly, these ideals can help us move forward together.

Harmonisation is the biggest issue that we can see here, but it isn’t a new concept, nor is it without its own difficulties. But with all this in mind, it is perhaps time for global governments and their climate negotiators to take a few lessons from the defence departments around the globe when it comes to agreements and negotiations. There is a common mission in the various Ministries and Departments of Defence around the world – that is defence of the nation. It might be a bit of a fluid concept, but that is the thing that they all strive for. Different branches will do this in different ways, but there is a common concept that they all drive for, and there are harmonies between those same branches when trying to achieve this.

COP needs, in my view, to adopt this commonality when it comes to nations adopting policies to combat climate change. Currently, agreements at COP are voluntary. There aren’t legal obligations apart from a few countries that have legislated for Net Zero, but that doesn’t mean that nations can’t adopt a commonality when it comes to marching towards a healthier climate for everyone.

The UK MoD’s areas for Sustainable Support Strategy involving Food, Water, Power, Energy and Materials all lean into the common mission to make defence more sustainable. We know from experience that most, if not all, technologies developed within defence research and development benefit defence, but also the civilian world. The kicker is that this is all derived from a harmonisation in goal and policy across the defence ecosystem. The common goal is known by all who participate in events such as COP – the common policies are not, and the teamwork and knowledge sharing required is known even less. However, it’s important to ensure that adopted policies should not prescribe the development of particular technologies, but rather encourage and push the development of innovation. This leads to multiple technologies and innovations having a fair chance to demonstrate their value, letting market forces encourage adoption.

The final thing to remember is that all this advancement in technology and science to do with hitting this common goal of combatting climate change is not doable without the support, technologically and financially, of the private sector. There is a lot of discussion and upset at the amount of energy companies present at COP this year, but without all of them being involved, the transition to cleaner energy simply won’t happen as quickly, nor as economically.

It’s the same in the spinouts that Ploughshare helps to bring from idea to market – without that help they often won’t get there. Involvement and investment in government R&D from the private sector needs to be embraced across the board globally if any headway is to be made…if we can all put aside past grievances. Yes, it will be on the basis of creating something economically viable that turns a profit – but until a technology is at that point, it’s dead in the water and doesn’t help anyone. If the private sector is welcomed, we can achieve a combination of sorts that will benefit everyone.

That is a future that I can see being a cohesive, cooler, and greener one – for generations to come.

To say that it has been an eventful COP would be a bit of an understatement – to say that the whole process hasn’t been eventful would also be an understatement. It’s been what seems like backlash after backlash this time around, which does no justice to the desperate need for harmonisation across nations when it comes to climate change, the environment, and the advancement of global sustainability.

So how can this year’s COP snatch success from the jaws of just-about-getting-by? Well, it all looks at putting some things to the side and adopting others that can actually start to make a difference.

The Stocktake at this year’s COP has roots in good science that anyone would recognise – a look at where progress is being made, how you can improve on an experiment, and how you can help and lean on areas to get the best possible outcome for everyone involved. If we put aside the fact that the current wording of this year’s agreement has leant heavily on whether to have a “phase down” or a “phase out” of fossil fuels (ultimately “transition away from” – a good thing, but not without its criticisms) – we can step back and look at other things that can help us move forward. More importantly, these ideals can help us move forward together.

Harmonisation is the biggest issue that we can see here, but it isn’t a new concept, nor is it without its own difficulties. But with all this in mind, it is perhaps time for global governments and their climate negotiators to take a few lessons from the defence departments around the globe when it comes to agreements and negotiations. There is a common mission in the various Ministries and Departments of Defence around the world – that is defence of the nation. It might be a bit of a fluid concept, but that is the thing that they all strive for. Different branches will do this in different ways, but there is a common concept that they all drive for, and there are harmonies between those same branches when trying to achieve this.

COP needs, in my view, to adopt this commonality when it comes to nations adopting policies to combat climate change. Currently, agreements at COP are voluntary. There aren’t legal obligations apart from a few countries that have legislated for Net Zero, but that doesn’t mean that nations can’t adopt a commonality when it comes to marching towards a healthier climate for everyone.

The UK MoD’s areas for Sustainable Support Strategy involving Food, Water, Power, Energy and Materials all lean into the common mission to make defence more sustainable. We know from experience that most, if not all, technologies developed within defence research and development benefit defence, but also the civilian world. The kicker is that this is all derived from a harmonisation in goal and policy across the defence ecosystem. The common goal is known by all who participate in events such as COP – the common policies are not, and the teamwork and knowledge sharing required is known even less. However, it’s important to ensure that adopted policies should not prescribe the development of particular technologies, but rather encourage and push the development of innovation. This leads to multiple technologies and innovations having a fair chance to demonstrate their value, letting market forces encourage adoption.

The final thing to remember is that all this advancement in technology and science to do with hitting this common goal of combatting climate change is not doable without the support, technologically and financially, of the private sector. There is a lot of discussion and upset at the amount of energy companies present at COP this year, but without all of them being involved, the transition to cleaner energy simply won’t happen as quickly, nor as economically.

It’s the same in the spinouts that Ploughshare helps to bring from idea to market – without that help they often won’t get there. Involvement and investment in government R&D from the private sector needs to be embraced across the board globally if any headway is to be made…if we can all put aside past grievances. Yes, it will be on the basis of creating something economically viable that turns a profit – but until a technology is at that point, it’s dead in the water and doesn’t help anyone. If the private sector is welcomed, we can achieve a combination of sorts that will benefit everyone.

That is a future that I can see being a cohesive, cooler, and greener one – for generations to come.