The EcoAction Committee of the Green Party of the U.S. held a forum on Monday, December 11 to provide an update on COP28.

Speakers at the event included Prof. David Bond of Bennington College, who attended the first part of COP28. Here is a ten-minute audio interview he did with Mark Dunlea, cochair of EcoAction, talking about a Just Transition and Loss and Damages (Climate funding for the Global South).

Another speaker was Prof. David Schwartzman, a climate activist, author, and scientist who is involved with the Global Greens COP28 Working Group. He is co-author of The Earth is Not for Sale. Here is a link to an audio interview with David.

Here is a link to a release that EcoAction drafted for the Green Party about COP28. “The Green Party of the United States calls upon the Biden administration to support a rapid phaseout of fossil fuels and a ten-year transition to 100% renewable energy, with zero greenhouse gas emissions, at the COP28 climate summit.”

With a record number of fossil fuels lobbyists attending 28 (and in fact chairing it), prospects for finally committing to a phaseout of fossil fuels do not look good. Many advocates have given up hope that the COPs will play any meaningful role in preventing climate collapse, instead trying to prevent them from making things worse. Peter Kalmus, a climate scientist who spoke at the recent GP national meeting, described the COP Summit as a sick joke.

With global warming rapidly accelerating last year, many referred to COP27 as the Last Chance COP. I have been referring to COP28 as the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Grand Opening of the Gates of Hell, which is what the UN Secretary-General says the lack of climate action by the world’s government has done.

Last month the committee held a webinar on garbage incineration.