To date, 17 countries of the G-20—which account for 67 percent of global greenhouse gas pollution—have officially joined the Paris Agreement, bringing it into effect far sooner than anyone expected. If these countries follow through with their commitments to reduce emissions, it will represent unprecedented progress in the global effort to curb climate change. Unfortunately, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed a number of policies that would have negative climate implications. In light of this, the G-20 summit in July 2017 provides an important opportunity for other major powers to resist backsliding and even to make some progress in meeting the global climate challenge.
After a change at the top, the U.S. stance on the environment is poised to take a drastic step back. In Europe, less liberal leaders are gaining momentum. Populist movements mushrooming all over the continent preach isolationism and reject hard facts as a pivot of the political agenda. Author Lou Del Bello argues that under this new, shifting political landscape, the climate movement needs to reconnect with the grassroots.
The leading lights of the global community working on the risk to security posed by climate change will meet in The Hague on December 5-6 at the Planetary Security Conference. More than 300 participants will gather to build urgently needed cooperation on climate risks in a dozen working groups.
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Large-scale efforts are being undertaken to address the challenges of improving energy access and of climate change adaptation. Author Dr. Vigya Sharma argues that too little thought is given to identifying links between the two, and that tackling poverty and impacts from climate change in an integrated way stregthens our chances of achieving both objectives.
Few would disagree that the Paris Climate Agreement was a massive success for diplomacy – its speedy entrance into force in early November, after less than a year, perhaps even more so. So what could we expect from the subsequent conference of the parties, COP22, in Marrakesh?
[This article originally appeared on the climate news network.]
COP22 has come to an end. Countries have taken steps forward in Marrakech towards implementing the goals of last year's landmark agreement that entered into force on 4 November. This article summarizes the debates, the impact of the US presidential elections, and notable outcomes related to finance, adaptation funding, loss-and-damange and some unexpected achievements.
“We strive to lead.”
Now that the at times turbulent US election has past, attention must return to cooperating on the global challenges that affect us all, like climate change which 23 high profile military leaders and experts from around the world have today labelled as a threat to peace and stability. In a joint Global Climate and Security Consensus Statement issued by the Climate Security Working Group, the signatories have called for world leaders to address climate risk in their national, regional and international security planning.