As COP29 ended, there was a so-called “deal” struck between the Most Developed Countries (MDCs), a pledge to invest $300 billion into decarbonization of the planet. However, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), representing 45 countries and 1.1billion people issued a statement, calling it a “travesty” after 3 years of negotiations.
Beyond the political questions, there is a moral one: what do we owe the rest of the world? It’s a question not just for what we consider the normal political entities, such as governments, but also for the fossil fuel companies, such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, and others, bigger than most governments, which muscled their way into the negotiations.
Those companies benefit from our tax system which gives them write-offs for drilling. Note how the right wing opposes similar subsidies for solar, wind, and other ways of energy. More than 1773 oil and gas lobbyists (O/G) were at COP29. At least 689 O/G were registered with Congress in 2024. They aren’t looking at the moral question.
Prayer for the Day
Yes, prophets and preachers tell us this, O God,
To love our neighbor as ourselves;
Looking for ways to get around your commandment,
We ask, how is this practical in our world?
Prodded and pushed, we squirm for that it means,
And consign your demands to a season.
In the name of the One who is beyond only a season,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
The massive fossil fuel industry presence at COP29 illustrates what’s at stake: what oil and gas corporations think they have to lose and how they may be trying to cash in.
Karen Mulvey, Union of Concerned Scientists
This has been casually dismissed. Despite exhaustive efforts to collaborate with key players, our pleas were met with indifference. This outright dismissal erodes the fragile trust that underpins these negotiations and mocks the spirit of global solidarity.
LDC statement on conclusion of COP29
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach, but do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.
Matthew 23: 1-4