Distinguished experts from all over the world share their views and their specific take on climate diplomacy. Its political and societal ramifications are diverse, and so are the topics covered by the interviews. Uttam Sinha emphasizes the respective importance of transboundary resource management and development policies. Regarding international efforts to tackle climate change, Geoff Dabelko advocates an all-of-the-above strategy including, but not limited to, ongoing UNFCCC negotiations. Cleo Paskal and Alexander Carius highlight the geostrategic and security implications of climate change, while Dr. Hinrich Thölken specifies the priorities of German climate diplomacy.
Water is a matter of survival and plays a critical role in social, economic and environmental activities as well. With a rise in global demand for water, water crises have consistently featured among the World Economic Forum’s top global impact risks. Water insecurity, i.e., the lack of water availability for basic human needs and socio-economic development, undermines billions of livelihoods and poses significant risks for peace and prosperity by thwarting progress and fuelling displacement and conflict.
Limited access to energy is a significant barrier to development and holds back efforts to improve living conditions in developing and emerging economies. Around the world, 1.1 billion people still do not have access to electricity, and 2.8 billion still rely on animal and crop waste, wood, charcoal and other solid fuels to cook their food and heat their homes.
As the earth’s climate warms, people face mounting threats from rising seas, and more intense and frequent storms, heatwaves, fires, and droughts. When these events hit, people want to understand whether they are connected to climate change. Linking climate change with heatwaves, storms and other events can help us prepare for a changing world, argues Peter Stott.
“I want you to panic”. This was the message that 16 year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg gave to the World Economic Forum in Davos on 25 January, and in it she struck right to the intergenerational justice issue at the heart of the sustainability project.