Skip to main content

A guide to COP

Climate change is moving much faster than we are, pushing ecosystems and people to their limits.

The impacts of the climate and nature crisis can be seen in wildfires, flood, and food crises at home here in the UK and around the world. 

This is why we need our leaders to take action. 

 

‘The earth is speaking; she tells us that we have no more time.'

Txai Suruí, Indigenous activist of the Paiter Suruí people 
Solar panels

What is COP?

COP stands for ‘Conference of the Parties’, and in the United Nations system, it refers to an important meeting where governments gather and assess progress on key issues.

What are the different COP events?

There are different COP events on a range of topics relevant for governments, but the most relevant ones for WWF are:

  • The Climate COP (for example, in 2023 - COP28), which focuses on solving the issue of climate change with a clear emphasis on keeping global temperatures to 1.5°C.
  • The Biodiversity COP (for example, in 2022 - COP15), which focuses on halting and reversing the loss of nature around the world.

What is the main purpose of the COP events?

COP is a vital opportunity for governments, businesses and other key players from around the world, to come together and accelerate global efforts to tackle the climate crisis and deliver the ‘Paris Climate Agreement’ agreed in 2015. The COP climate summit is also a chance for bold initiatives to be established and for progressing vital negotiations among governments in the hope that we can limit global warming to 1.5°C, ​to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change on people and nature. Biodiversity COP - is an opportunity to ensure the survival of species and halt the collapse of ecosystems across the world.

Why is COP so important?

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time and it demands global collaboration. Each climate COP provides an opportunity for parties to gather and discuss how best to tackle climate change together.

If we’re to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C, which is critical for people and nature, we must drastically cut emissions now. The window to act is getting smaller all the time. COP was intended to set out how countries report progress to one another, fully operationalising and implementing the Paris Agreement.

It has a role in encouraging countries' to work towards a green, just and fair future - revitalising hope and confidence in the world's ability to prevent a climate catastrophe. And in the case of the biodiversity COP, to agree on a plan to set nature on a course to recovery, for a nature-positive world by 2030.

Aerial view of deforestation of the Amazon rainforest

What do we need from the UK Government?

The UK Government has made some landmark commitments to tackle the nature and climate crisis. And whilst some progress was made at the most recent COP28 climate summit, the Government remains off track on four out of five of the key metrics WWF are using to track its progress.    

The UK Government must live up to their promises and deliver ambitious outcomes globally. Such as:  

  • Supporting a fair, fast and funded phase out of all fossil fuels, and phase in of renewables and energy efficiency measures;
  • Delivering climate finance spending to help the most vulnerable countries make a green transition and protect their people from the consequences of climate disasters;
  • Providing adequate funding and strong measures to ensure the promises of the Glasgow Declaration to end global deforestation are delivered, including leading by example at home and eliminating deforestation from UK supply chains.

Find out more about how they are tracking against these promises.

Page last reviewed