(This blog post was written by Sindhu Bharadwaj, a delegate to this year's Conference of Parties.) The proceedings at the 23rd Conference of Parties closed just over three months ago. This purpose of this year’s meeting was mainly technical. Negotiators from all over the world were to iron out the details of implementing the Paris …
A rower paddled by the bank of the Rhine. He seemed impossibly small compared to a barge loaded with shipping containers that was floating its way towards Bonn. Similar to all of our days in Bonn, the sky was gray and the air was full of chilling moisture that couldn’t decide if it wanted to …
The 2017 UN Framework Conference on Climate Change—Conference of Parties (COP 23)—was commonly considered a more “technical” COP with respect to the landmark COP 21, which resulted in the Paris Agreement (PA). The importance of the COP 23 lay in the Parties formulating the “rulebook” for the successful implementation of the several mechanisms established in …
One of the things I took home from COP was the interconnected responsibility of action on climate change. Each of us--from elected officials to corporate decisionmakers to schoolteachers and graduate students--has a part to play on pushing climate action. Last Friday, Chris Karounos and I joined Ben Sonnega on It's Hot in Here, a radio …
Continue reading COP23 Delegates Talk Climate Action on It’s Hot In Here
“Welcome! Bula! Willkommen!”- The banner above the entrance to the conference’s Bonn Zone displays proudly. The Bonn zone is located in a park about a kilometer away from the main UN World Conference Center (called the Bula Zone). This is a “tent-city” that hosts country pavilions, exhibition booths, and side events. The 23rd Conference of …
Continue reading 5 Approaches to Climate Change Action at COP23
Walking around the city of white tents and conference rooms at COP, the divide between “insiders” and “outsiders” is stark. This is especially so with COP 23's separate zones for the negotiations and side events (aka the country delegations and the NGOs). Generally speaking, insiders look to influence the negotiations directly through personal contacts with …
Continue reading Understanding the Relationship between Insiders and Outsiders at COP
Writing the Rules We are halfway through this year's international climate negotiations, called the Conference of Parties 23 (COP 23), where it has been said the "rulebook" on the Paris Agreement will be written. One mechanism to measure the success of the agreement is the Global Stocktake (GST), a tool that will be used …
The Tragedy: The opening speeches at the 23rd Conference of Parties made it clear that the world is coming together despite the shameful exit by one of the biggest players, the United States. The 23 Conference of Parties (COP) is strangely juxtaposed with heavy hitting emotional stories but also the dry formulaic diplomatic talk of …
Continue reading Cop 23 is a Tragedy but not for the Reason You Might Think
(Photo above from Delegate Advisor Matt Irish of the plenary at COP23.) On Monday, November 6, 2017, the delegation from Fiji will and formally commence the 23rd United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Conference of Parties, where the nations of the world discuss, debate, and develop worldwide action on climate change. Among …
For everyone who's followed along with us on our conversation with Mark Schlissel on climate action, we have good news. On Friday, October 27, at the opening ceremonies of the new University of Michigan School for Sustainability and the Environment (SEAS), President Mark Schlissel formally announced his signature to the We Are Still In pledge. By signing …
Continue reading SIGNED: The University of Michigan is Still In
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