The Kuwait Environment Protection Society announced that dozens of regional, Arab and international environmental civil society organizations have responded to the global environmental appeal to support the “truce initiative” recently proposed by the Republic of Azerbaijan to take place before, during and after the “Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP 29,” which it will host from November 11-22 in the capital, Baku.
In this regard, Dr. Wijdan Aloqab, President of the Society, said, “Following our meeting with His Excellency the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Emil Karimov, in the State of Kuwait, at his invitation to the Society to discuss arrangements for its participation in the Climate Summit in Baku 2024, the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP), presented its appeal under the name (COP Truce), which is a global call for a ceasefire that begins one week before the start of the 29th Conference of the Parties and ends one week after its conclusion, during the period between 4-29 November 2024. The appeal contains the basic message of the 29th Conference of the Parties, which is (our confidence that humanity is capable of overcoming problems and joining forces with each other).
Dr. Aloqab explained that “the world will gather for the COP29 climate conference, a historic opportunity to strengthen the pillars of global climate action. Climate change affects our only home, Earth, and every country must stand firm in this battle against climate change.” She stated, “There are two main reasons behind this initiative. The first is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental damage. Armies contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, reportedly responsible for approximately 1 TP3T6.5 tons of emissions worldwide annually—more than the combined emissions of the aviation and shipping industries. Armed conflicts negatively impact the environment, contributing to soil, water, and air pollution, and rendering areas inaccessible and unusable.“.
The head of the Environment Society pointed out that the second reason is to “highlight the non-political, unified, and peaceful nature of the climate change agenda. Climate talks should not be politicized, but rather unified and serve peace and prosperity for all, as climate change affects our only home, Earth.” Dr. Wijdan Aloqab concluded, “Believing in the role of civil society organizations and the power of their solidarity, the global environmental appeal and message were initially conveyed to 24 Arab environmental organizations during their participation in the Kuwait Environment Protection Society’s celebration of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. All of them declared their support for the initiative. Subsequently, the Kuwait Environment Protection Society leveraged its regional and international memberships to promote the initiative and encourage others to join it. It was presented to key groups within the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), where the Society holds observer status, as well as to the Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Risk Reduction (GNDR), the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED), and the Gulf Network of Environmental NGOs.“.
