Why an independent summit?
The evidence behind our bold vision, explored with AI.
A standalone international environmental summit that could approve agreements with a 2/3 majority—rather than the consensus required at COP—is critical for accelerating global environmental action. The existing COP framework often leads to the dilution or blocking of ambitious actions on methane reduction, biodiversity, and the Paris Agreement due to the opposition of a small number of parties. By contrast, passing agreements with a 2/3 majority can result in stronger and more timely commitments.
✦ How a Standalone Summit Raises the Bar
Moves beyond the "lowest common denominator" outcomes that dominate consensus-based processes, allowing for more ambitious commitments on climate targets.
Fosters accountability and pressure for action, especially if paired with mechanisms to encourage broad participation.
✦ Key Findings - Majority Voting Improves Effectiveness
Majority or supermajority voting rules are already used in other multilateral environmental treaties for substantive decisions, with consensus reserved for more fundamental or procedural matters.
Experimental evidence suggests majority voting increases the level of collective effort and ambition compared to unanimity rules, even though it may reduce the total number of active participants.
✦ The Criticality of This Reform
The climate crisis and biodiversity collapse are rapidly intensifying; delayed or weakened agreements under the consensus model have repeatedly undermined necessary progress.
Pursuing a 2/3 majority model could set a precedent for other global negotiations and break long-standing deadlocks—making real, enforceable progress on methane and biodiversity far more likely.
