Andrej Bojic: Climate policy must be linked to economic issues

From the historic Rio Summit until now, more than thirty years have passed in which climate negotiations have had more or less ups and downs, former Vice-President of the Framework Convention on Climate Change, and member of the COP Bureau Andrej Bojic told Report.

There was more talk of stagnation than of progress, so today, it seems that some are right when they describe them as "one step forward, two back" negotiations, he noted.

“Although all COPs are significant because they give momentum to the whole process, some COPs were still more important in terms of their results,” he added.

The last COP28 in the UAE made a good step in that direction, by establishing The Loss and Damage Fund and with the Declaration on a Global Finance Framework.

“On the other hand, I strongly believe that additional momentum will be achieved, and the necessary funds provided, by better international regulation in the area of establishing carbon markets, which would create unique frameworks and measures for trade. This would enable a fair accumulation of finances to undertake the activities necessary for proper adaptation to climate change,” he said.

“Now, the negotiations are at a stage when it is necessary to achieve the agreed goals and operationalize everything that has been agreed so far through concrete activities on the ground, for which it is necessary to secure funds (and a budget).

It is not good, nor useful, to deal with the issue of climate change and only repeat that we should give up fossil fuels. No one disputes their negative impact on the environment, but also no one disputes their positive impact on the economy and overall development of countries. Today, science and technology have shown us that we can have fossil fuels or those obtained from them, which pollute the environment significantly less, starting with pure natural gas, and ending with hydrogen and other environmentally friendly fuels.

We should continue in that direction, and that's why I believe that the talks should be conducted more from a perspective that will enable the connection of economic issues, profits and costs, with the policies of the states in the line of achieving the agreed climate goals,” he added.