Street protests have become part of the annual set-up during the UN climate change summits, the so-called COPs, as people and NGOs put pressure on governments to phase out the burning of fossil fuels. The two most recent events, in the UK and Egypt, brought up some differences in this regard due to different levels of permissibility for open protest in each country. COP stands for Conference of the Parties of the UN Climate Change Conference, and such events are held every year.
100,000 protesters at Cop 26
COP 26 was held in Glasgow from 31 October to 13 November 2021. On 6 November, about 100,000 people marched in Glasgow to demand more action on the climate crisis. The array of demonstrators included climate activists, members of trade unions and faith organizations, as well as left-wing groups. They took over large parts of the Scottish city, waving banners, beating drums, and chanting.
The rally in Glasgow was part of a "Global Day of Action for Climate Justice." About 100 climate change demonstrations were held in other parts of the UK, while events were also taking place in a further 100 countries, including Kenya, Turkey, France, Brazil, Australia, and Canada.
Police arrested 21 scientists who chained themselves together and blocked a road bridge over the River Clyde. Officers also contained a group of socialist activists. However, the force said the day passed "largely without incident."
During a smaller protest on the second day of COP 26, climate activist Greta Thunberg criticized world leaders for failing to uphold aggressive climate pledges. "No more blah, blah, blah," she chanted with the crowd. Thunberg and other well-known youth climate activists — including Vanessa Nakate from Uganda, Dominika Lasota from Poland, and Mitzi Tan from the Philippines — released an open letter saying political leaders have betrayed young people by failing to address climate change. The letter, which had more than 1.4 million signatures, urged world leaders to "face up to the climate emergency."
Brianna Fruean, a Samoan member of the Pacific Climate Warriors, who addressed the world leaders' summit at the start of COP 26, said it was time for leaders to take note of protesters' demands. "It can't go on like this," she said. "We refuse to be just victims of this crisis."
Protest in a courtyard
COP 27, which was held from 6 November until 20 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, saw different forms of protests coming out. A small demonstration was organized in a purpose-built area, away from the conference center, at the end of the first week of COP 27. According to the NY Times, there were a few hundred activists –" a tiny number compared with protests at past summits held in other countries, but an extraordinary showing in Egypt, where dissent is suppressed." The activists called on wealthy, industrialized nations to compensate developing countries for climate disasters. Demonstrators were concerned not just with climate but also with the fate of Alaa Abd El Fattah, Egypt's most prominent political prisoner.
The demonstration took place in an outdoor courtyard within the convention's complex. The area was under the purview of the United Nations, not the Egyptian government. The general public had no access to the space; anyone there, including protesters, needed accreditation from the United Nations. Egyptian government security officers were visible at the venue and were seen taking videos of the protests.
COP 27 was also the first such meeting after the new stage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine started in February 2022. Anti-Kremlin activists disrupted a Russian-hosted event, criticizing delegates over the war in Ukraine and Russia's use of fossil fuels before being escorted out by security staff, according to a Reuters report. Protesters stood and shouted as Russian officials participated in a panel discussion about the country's climate plans. One protester shouted: "You are war criminals". Another held a banner bearing the slogan "Fossil fuels kill", calling the Russian delegates "despicable."
Asked later why she had disrupted the event, the Ukrainian activist Svitlana Romanko, from Razom We Stand, said to The Guardian: "I am glad that I named evil by name and I was able to tell them what all Ukrainians would like to tell them if they were here. You are a terrorist state, you are genociding, torturing and killing us daily for nine months, your oil and gas are killing us. You are war criminals, you must not be here but in international court."
What's next?
With only a few weeks until COP 28, there is an open question about how much protest will be allowed in Dubai. COP 28 will be organized by the United Arab Emirates at the Expo City in Dubai between 30 November and 12 December 2023.
In the UAE, official permission is required for demonstrations, but in practice, authorities ban protests they consider "disruptive".
The UAE has said it will allow environmental activists to "make their voices heard" and peacefully assemble at this year's UN climate talks. The announcement was made on 1 August in a joint statement with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). "In line with UNFCCC guidelines and adherence to international human rights norms and principles, there will be space available for climate activists to assemble peacefully and make their voices heard," the statement said.
The joint statement was released after UNFCCC chief Simon Stiell and COP 28 President Sultan al-Jaber signed a bilateral agreement that provides the legal basis for organizing and hosting the climate talks. "To drive climate action and ambition forward, we are firmly committed to ensuring that UN values are upheld at COPs," Stiell said. "We are also making every effort on our part to ensure that this will be a COP process where the voices of youth, women, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and those most impacted by climate change will be heard and reflected within the process."
The UAE is a major oil producer and one of the world's largest emitters of CO2 per capita. The choice to host COP28 has sparked criticism from environmental groups who warn that the involvement of an oil country could slow progress in the fight against global warming. The nomination of Al-Jaber, the CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, to preside over the talks triggered a wave of criticism from activists who warned of a conflict of interest.
Al-Jaber has also faced criticism for failing to address the need to phase out the use of fossil fuels, instead focusing on efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions. In June, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that countries must start phasing out oil, gas, and coal. "The problem is not simply fossil fuel emissions. It's fossil fuels – period," Guterres told reporters. Non-government groups, including Human Rights Watch, have also warned that the Gulf state's restrictions on freedom of expression could hinder the meaningful participation of climate activists.
In May, a joint statement from dozens of human and environmental rights groups raised questions about the choice to host the conference in the UAE, saying they feared "severe restrictions imposed by the UAE authorities in recent years will hinder the full and meaningful participation of journalists, activists, human rights defenders, civil society, youth groups, and indigenous peoples' representatives at COP28."
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