In November, two major treaties had their Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings.
COP26 of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was held in Glasgow, and COP9 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was held online. Both aim to address a globally significant problem, and both aim to achieve radical transformations in the markets for energy and tobacco, respectively.
Yet, the approach differs significantly. There is tremendous pressure in the climate change treaty to eliminate the combustion of fossil fuels to mitigate environmental risk as rapidly as possible. Climate change activists demand a rapid transition to “net zero,” with energy production moving from coal, oil and gas to renewables such as solar, wind and hydro as soon as possible. Arguments rage about the nature of this transformation and the practicality and fairness of the transition needed to reach it. Should it include nuclear power? Should gas substitute coal? Should tree planting count as negative emissions? The climate treaty is all about harm reduction through market transformation. The debate is about the form of eventual transformation and the pathway to reach it.
In tobacco and nicotine, we see a different debate. As with climate change, almost everyone agrees there is a problem. Using WHO figures, smoking causes about 8 million premature deaths annually, and many millions more fall severely ill with various forms of cancer, heart disease and respiratory conditions. But in public health, we are sharply divided into two camps—the transformers versus the abolitionists.
Clive Bates – Tobacco Reporter – 2021-12-01.
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