The Climate Summit has many moving parts; the sum of these parts will determine its success. The Summit will reinforce and complement the Paris 2015 agreement. Alone it is unlikely to be transformational but it can be bold and can demonstrate political intent. The Summit’s success will pave the way for Paris by:
Demonstrating collective political responsibility to fulfil the 2°C obligation
The variety of leaders attending across the political and geographic spectrum already provides a good talisman on this score. It is not any one country that has responsibility; it requires diverse and collective approaches from all corners of the world. A new crop of leaders is coming to the fore to include Italy's Matteo Renzi, Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina, Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Tanzania's Jakaya Kikwete, Denmark's Halle Thornig Schmidt, France's Francoise Hollande and Mexico's Enrique Pena Nieto. And as time goes by these leaders are being joined by the likes of Cameron, Zuma and Dilma, old-timers who took a while to get their diaries together. The combination of fresh faces and seasoned leaders hold promise for a new wave of climate leadership, a leadership that is shared and acted upon.
These leaders will need to deliver statements which emphasise the importance of 2015 and their collective responsibility to fulfil the 2°C obligation. Their challenge is to think long-term and spell out the vision of a 2°C world. Keeping warming to 2°C can’t be done in a short political cycle, but it does mean getting on track to zero carbon pollution and phasing in clean energy starting today. No country can single-handedly manage climate risk and in a bid to build trust amongst one another words alone won’t be enough. Success will manifest in the action announcements that contribute towards reducing emissions for 2015 and into the long-term.
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Climate Diplomacy Week is a perfect opportunity to highlight positive climate action, set new goals and engage more and new actors in the fight against the devastating impacts of climate change. Each year, the week has its own character. Climate Diplomacy Week 2018, from 24-30 September, was marked by action – throughout the world, civil society participated in inspiring educational activities and engaged the wider public in the climate cause.
In a move that underscored Donald Trump’s isolation on trade and climate change, the two major economies inserted a reference to the Paris Agreement into Ceta.
Fourteen Latin American and Caribbean countries made history at the UN General Assembly on September 27 by signing the Escazú Agreement, a regional accord on public participation and access to information and justice in environmental affairs. It is the first region-wide agreement of its kind and has been touted a big step forward in recognising the rights of environmental defenders. Signatories now need to ratify the Agreement internally before it can enter into force.
Though India is now pushing for BIMSTEC, geography dictates that it cannot ignore SAARC. South Asia is extremely vulnerable to a range of climate impacts, ranging from shrinking glaciers and water scarcity to floods and rising sea levels. Responding to these risks is a complex task, also because often impacts affect more than one country and their severity exceeds the capacity of national governments. Climate change creates new challenges for regional organisations, and simultaneously increases their relevance.