Fossil fuel interests challenge climate science in UN negotiations, as vulnerable nations and allies push for protection
Original framing: “Science ‘under attack’ from fossil fuel interests at UN climate talks” — Climate Home News
Scientific consensus on climate change is robust and widely supported by empirical data. However, the politicization of science in international negotiations often undermines the ability of scientific evidence to inform policy decisions effectively.
The current UN climate negotiations are not simply about protecting science from attack but about confronting the systemic power of fossil fuel interests that shape global policy.
Indigenous knowledge, historical patterns of industrial resistance, and cross-cultural perspectives all reveal the need for a more inclusive and equitable approach to climate governance. By integrating scientific rigor with cultural wisdom and centering the voices of the most affected, climate policy can move beyond the binary of 'science vs. industry' and toward a holistic, just transition. The role of the trickster in this context is to expose the contradictions and power imbalances that underlie the current framing, urging a more nuanced and systemic understanding of the challenges ahead.