When multilateralism is selective, climate will wait

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are also absent.

Their governments, however, are represented by ministers and other officials attending the negotiations.Climate Action Network (CAN), a global coalition of civil society organisations, described the empty chairs as a troubling gap between governments' public commitments to multilateralism and their willingness to demonstrate that commitment at the highest political level.And the timing has added to the criticism as several European leaders are also expected in Dublin this week for meetings of….

The latter, scheduled for November 13, will include a discussion on artificial intelligence.The juxtaposition has prompted CAN, among other climate activists, to question why political leaders can make time for discussions about emerging technologies, while the climate crisis struggles to secure their presence.Harjeet Singh, strategic adviser to the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative and global convenor of the Fill the Fund campaign, argues that the absence of wealthy-country leaders has consequences….

"The true test of multilateralism is showing up when it matters most," he added.Chiara Martinelli, director of CAN Europe, said the absent European leaders were missing an opportunity to build trust and demonstrate that international climate cooperation still had political backing at the highest level.

Their absence would not stop the negotiations, she said, but placed greater responsibility on the ministers and negotiators attending on their governments' behalf.Developing countries have repeatedly argued that loans cannot substitute for grants when they are already facing high debt burdens and the growing costs of climate-related disasters.

Singh warned that repeated evasions by countries responsible for a large share of historical emissions were damaging international trust and threatening the framework of cooperative climate governance.According to experts, the negotiations can therefore proceed, and their outcome will depend on what governments are prepared to agree and deliver, not simply on who occupies the seats at the summit.

But the absence of political leaders at a gathering designed to build consensus and direction around climate action shows the priority governments attach to the process.

When multilateralism is selective, climate will wait HAMMAD SARFRAZ | Updated 20 minutes ago | World's richest leaders take a rain check on annual UN climate summit.