A look back at COP26: Between politicians and the media, science balances

via Luciana Radut JajiAnd CY Cergy University Paris

Like other climate conferences that preceded it, COP26, which was held in Glasgow at the beginning of November 2021, will have taken on the appearance of a large gathering sometimes criticized for its demagoguery in the discrepancy between actions and speeches, and whose impact on posterity is sometimes expected (in promising to act “before it is too late”).

Exercising retrospectively here allows us to explain how two simultaneous snapshots shaped the image of this moment – on the one hand, the international political landscape, on the other hand, media coverage – and how the evocation of scientific work entered into the he-she.

torrent of data

The state of the pandemic is showing us every day: the presence or absence of science in the public arena is not trivial – disinformation, trust, or personal or public commitment are inextricably linked to it. Returning to the standing of science at COP26 allows us to draw some lessons on this most universal topic.

The political speeches given at the opening of the COP in Glasgow were very encouraging and attentive. The urgent need raised by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres; ‘Minus midnight’ by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson; The ambition and commitments of French President Emmanuel Macron. The “moral and economic duty” described by US President Joe Biden. Or, again, the desire to “rise above the politics of the moment and show true political sense,” urged on by Queen Elizabeth II. The momentum and the political spirit was there.

But if we listen to these speeches or read them as they have been presented to us, it is impossible not to notice the absence of reference to scientific work and progress.

Remember that 2021 will also be the year of the publication of a particularly worrisome report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, dealing with issues ranging from geopolitics in a Mental health. Since this summer, politicians have largely captured that in their communications.

Compatibility and fear of controversy

Two explanations could shed light on this “absence” of science in the political declarations of COP 26. The first highlights the consensus around scientific findings and developments related to global warming; The second is the fact that decision makers present at COPs are evading the science of their rhetoric in order not to reopen the political debate over the interpretation of climate research findings.

In the penultimate hour of COP26, on November 11, 2021, 200 climate scientists will enter this international scene With an open letter : Before making policy decisions, it is necessary to return to the results of the IPCC reports in which thousands of scientists participated, they recall. Without this, no political and economic commitment can be relevant.

This open letter to politicians will be disseminated through the media.

The media is an open space for knowledge

What is the role of the media during COP26? Examining the online copies of a few major European dailies allows us to take into account the immediate information in their journalistic scenography.

The first observation is clear and unsurprising: the scientistAnd le FigaroAnd Corriere della SeraAnd RepublicAnd WatchmanAnd free belgium or the Romanians free romania And fact All COP26 covered. With a lot of “live broadcasts” like TVs and daily reports (the scientist), with custom tabs (Corriere della Sera), analyzes, interviews, informative articles…

All of these media covered the event while providing explanations or analyzes based on scientific research and findings. Watchman He went so far as to address readers directly to request a financial contribution, based on this argument: “As the whole world has its eyes set on the crucial UN climate summit, the guardian Brings you facts, negotiations, news and science. “

Away from content and devices across Europe, note the relatively lower coverage of the event in Romania compared to France, for example. During the period from 1^{is being} Until November 13, the duration of COP26 including one day extension, the difference turns from simple to triple: the scientist Dedicate 53 articles to this event, le Figaro 81, fact 27 and free romania 19. Note the extremes in the coverage of the last two days of COP26: le Figaro She publishes 11 articles on her website while free romania Which.

The context of this country then is the context of a very large wave of Covid-19, a lack of coordination of public health actions, a very low confidence in the vaccine and medicine and science. We dare to ask ourselves whether more media coverage and interaction with scientific facts might have an impact on the population’s desire to vaccinate…

At the end of the day, who is afraid of the media? Science, because the media landscape is overwhelming and impulsive. Politicians, because the media requires their public presence. The public is more and more independent regarding the sources of information. However, as evidenced by the international media coverage provided to COP26, the level of public ownership of the flag is now stable.

Luciana Radut Jaji, HDR Lecturer in Information and Communication Sciences, CY Cergy University Paris

This article has been republished from Conversation Under a Creative Commons License. Read theoriginal article.

Also read on GoodPlanet Mag’

The quality of climate treatment in the Anglo-Saxon press is improving

Climate scientist Corinne Le Quéré: ‘It’s not because we don’t have everything necessary in the Glasgow Charter we don’t move forward’

Also read GoodPlanet Mag’ to better understand COP26 and stay on our site for future feedback

Climate scientist Jan Goesel on the topic of COP26: “Lack of progress on critical topics erases progress on some technical points”

Jan Arthus Bertrand talks about COP26 in Glasgow

COP26: Boris Johnson realizes there is a certain ‘disappointment’

COP26: ‘Climate Scales’, an alarming symbol of 170 years of global warming

‘It’s eating me’: From Bangladesh to Nigeria, a generation worried about the climate

COP26 collects commitments on fossil fuels

Climate breakthrough at COP26: Nearly 40 countries commit to phasing out coal by 2030

COP26 will commit to halting deforestation

What are the challenges facing COP26 in Glasgow?

What lessons can be learned from the climate change coronavirus crisis, interview with climate scientist Jan Goesel

A progressive international tax on carbon would cut global greenhouse gas emissions by 12%

François Jimin: “There is a lot of hope and it seems that the planets are in line with this COP, but nothing guarantees its success”

Emmanuel Cappelin, director of the documentary Once You Know: “How can we collectively restrict unless we no longer know how to prevent ourselves?”

David Sepkosky: “The Anthropocene allows us to transform human history, based on capitalism and imperialism, into a moral narrative about human wrongdoing.”

Humanity is on the cusp of catastrophic climate fallout, according to an upcoming IPCC report

Sandrine Mathy, Environmental Economist at CNRS: “The problem may be that COPs are economic negotiations that don’t mention their name”

Matteo Merino: “If Africa really starts to pollute, we will also be victims of greenhouse gas emissions”

What does Africa expect from COP26?

Nicholas Stern: “We must stop seeing a fragmented and narrow view of the economy that ignores the damage we are doing”

We will not be able to complete the ecological transition without regulating globalization

Less than a month after COP26 in Glasgow, what can we take away from the Youth Climate Summit held in Milan at the end of September?

The burden of external debt, an obstacle to climate action in the poorest countries