Open letter: Fossil lobbyists should be excluded from the UN climate conference Falling demand for Covid medicines: Red figures for Pfizer

In an open letter, health experts from around the world are calling for coal, oil and gas lobbyists to be excluded from the upcoming UN climate conference. “The interests of the fossil fuel industry should not play a role in the climate negotiations,” said the letter published on Wednesday to the designated chairman of this year’s conference in Dubai, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber. The industry is not allowed to continue its “decade-long blocking campaign against climate protection measures” in the UN negotiations – just as the tobacco industry is not allowed to have a say in the regulation of tobacco products.

Last year, hundreds of lobbyists for coal, oil and gas were represented at the climate conference in Egypt. The climate conference will take place in Dubai from November 30.

Signatory organizations such as the World Medical Association say they collectively represent about 46 million health experts and doctors. They call on government leaders around the world to commit to a rapid and fair exit from fossil fuels. “Limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees is necessary to ensure health and economic prosperity for all. “This is only possible if we quickly get rid of the fossils,” the letter says.

According to climate researchers, the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial times is hanging by a thread. It is still considered theoretically possible, but only through a radical change in climate policy. The international community has agreed on the 1.5 degree target to avert the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. (sda/dpa)