A key UN report on the state of the global environment has been 'hijacked' by the United States and other countries who were unwilling to go along with the scientific findings, the co-chair has told the BBC.
The Global Environment Outlook, the result of six years' work, connects climate change, nature loss, and pollution to unsustainable consumption by people living in wealthy and emerging economies.
It warns of a 'dire future' for millions unless there's a rapid move away from coal, oil, and gas and fossil fuel subsidies.
But at a meeting with government representatives to agree the findings, the US and allies said they could not go along with a summary of the report's conclusions.
As the scientists were unwilling to water down their findings, the report has now been published without the summary and without the support of governments, weakening its impact.
Researchers say the objections to this new report reflect similar concerns expressed by countries at the recent COP30 talks.
Issued every six or seven years, the Global Environment Outlook is a significant scientific analysis of the major threats to the planet.
Developed under the auspices of the UN, the normal practice for studies like this is to have the key conclusions and recommendations agreed word by word with governments and published as a 'summary for policymakers'.
However, this new version of the Global Environment Outlook does not include such a summary, as the authors and representatives from around 70 countries could not reach an agreement at a 'stormy' meeting in Nairobi in October.
Compiled by nearly 300 scientists worldwide, the report argues that the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the energy we consume all involve unsustainable resource extraction practices.
To address the intertwining issues of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, the report recommends a swift transition away from fossil fuels and a significant reduction in farming and fossil fuel subsidies. The authors recognize that this approach may increase costs for consumers temporarily but predicts long-term economic benefits.
Notably, the US, Saudi Arabia, and Russia opposed these proposals at the approval meeting, which typically operates by consensus.
Professor Sir Robert Watson, co-chair of the report and a prominent scientific figure, stated, 'A small number of countries basically just hijacked the process, to be quite honest.' He elaborated that the US decided to join the discussions only via teleconference and could not agree with the report's main findings on climate change and biodiversity.
Dr. David Broadstock, a lead author of the report, expressed frustration over the ongoing fossil fuel production push by some nations, stating: 'It's pretty obvious that burning oil isn't good, especially when you try and breathe it in.'
Since taking office, President Trump has promoted fossil fuel production while undermining US commitments to combat climate change, which raises alarms about the future of global climate negotiations and could impact the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports as well.
