2020•05•29     Bonn, Germany     Thomson Reuters Foundation

© UNU-EHS / Arianna Flores-Corral

The official decision to delay COP 26 by one year was inevitable, as inclusive decision-making cannot and should not be replaced, writes UNU-EHS Senior Scientist Sönke Kreft in an op-ed published with the Thompson Reuters Foundation. Negotiations must include all voices, especially those of the most affected countries and people, as inclusive decision-making is a prerequisite to form legitimate international laws and norms. Due to foreseeable travel disruption, it is clear that the necessary preparatory meetings and processes cannot take place. Much of the diplomatic exchange and persuasion also happen in the hallways in informal ways, which cannot be done over the internet. The further delay of COP 26 is therefore the right decision.

Read the op-ed here.