ECO nearly had a heart attack when it saw that Total and other fossil fuel companies were allowed into the NAZCA platform and LPAA webpage. Maybe this is just a fever dream brought on by nights spent lying awake, thinking of polluters. ECO is hopeful that the LPAA partners will apply some fundamental rules to this party before it gets out of control.
Yes, ECO is aware that some vague participation “criteria” have been decided already, but the door is still wide open to gate crashers. Existing participation rules must be strengthened and strictly applied, so they can act as a bouncer at the door before everybody gets in.
Before we pop open the champagne, the basic rules and principles written on the invitation card must be significantly strengthened. They include: a transparent selection process; compliance with international human rights law; environmental and social integrity; safeguards on land and resources tenure; and the promotion of food sovereignty.
Then there’s the guest list needed for the party that will continue until the sun rises. The LPAA must take a closer look at the RSVPs and invite independent party chaperons from civil society to help review and evaluate the process from which invitations were made.
Just as dress codes can create ambience, the LPAA must set clear, measurable, and quantifiable objectives as a prerequisite for attendance—and must make sure the process is delivering on ambition. Companies and initiatives that are not serious about the necessary global energy transition away from dirty fossil fuels toward 100% renewable energy for all by 2050 must be uninvited immediately. This will allow real solutions to really shine on the dance floor. ECO is always ready for a party, but not if it’s out of fashion.