In its third conclusions on climate diplomacy, published on 20 July 2015, the Council of the European Union reinforces its commitment to addressing climate change as a key foreign policy and security matter.
As underlined by the latest IPCC findings, climate change is linked to multiple environmental, social, political and economic risks. Climate diplomacy initiatives and responses at a global and EU level are, thus, central in addressing climate change related threats, with the aim of pursuing a “safe, sustainable and climate resilient low-carbon development path”. Underscoring the security dimension of climate change, the Council welcomes the latest G7 report "A New Climate for Peace" and is committed to building up its climate diplomacy component as an inherent part of its foreign policy. Furthermore, the Council’s conclusions recall the need for a legally binding agreement at the COP21 in Paris and stress the importance of accelerating multilateral and joint EU climate diplomacy efforts. The High Representative and the Commission are invited to report back in early 2016 with regards to the outcome of the COP21 and its implications for climate diplomacy and future actions.
As hundreds of decision-makers are gathering in Marrakech to agree new standards for global migration, the United Nations climate change conference ‘COP24’ is looking at concrete ways to help countries tackle large-scale displacement caused by the impacts of climate change, including water scarcity, flooding, storms and rising sea levels.
Nigeria’s central Middle Belt region is home to a diverse cultural population of semi-nomadic cattle herders and farming communities. For decades, the region has experienced increasingly violent attacks that have been partially attributed to direct competition over access and use of natural resources.
COP24 starts today, the IPCC has published new scientific evidence on the devastating impacts of climate change, the probability that those changes will be manageable are decreasing, and, once again, there is a stalemate in international climate negotiations. Time is running out fast - or more appropriately, as UNFCCC Executive Secretary Espinosa stressed, time is a luxury we no longer have. So, actually the question is how soon is now?
COP24 might be in Katowice, but for the rest of the world it’s on Twitter. Navigating through this sea of news and expert profiles is not the easiest task, however. With this is mind, we’d like to share our favourite Twitter accounts with our followers so that you can be up-to-date throughout the event.