Yesterday kicked off the first day of the two-week Conference of the Parties (COP23) in Bonn, Germany. This marks the 23rd annual international climate negotiations, bringing together an estimated 25,000 people from nearly 200 countries around the globe. The purpose of this COP is to hammer out the details of the Paris Agreement and to showcase actions being taken around the world.
A German Exhibit at the COP23 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany. / AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZ
The Paris Agreement was an enormous feat, marking the first major international climate commitment since the Kyoto Protocol. Currently every country in the world has signed or ratified the Paris Agreement, after Syria finally announced its intention to sign earlier today. The agreement allows for each country to “choose its own adventure” on climate policy by submitting its own pledges called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)[1]. These pledges are revisited every 5 years, evaluated, and ratcheted up for increased ambition. In order for this approach to work, countries need to produce reliable data and have a clear review process to evaluate themselves and one another. It is these types of rules and procedures that are being discussed and argued over this week.
In addition to the formal negotiations working out these policy questions, COP23 serves as a platform to showcase the work that is being done from a diverse set of non-party stakeholders including businesses, nonprofits, and local and regional governments. These groups play an especially important role in light of the Trump Administration’s recent announcement that it intends to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Soon after this announcement was made in early June, a coalition called “We Are Still In” was born. This coalition represents over 2,500 cities, states, businesses, investors, universities, and faith-based organizations from all 50 states and Puerto Rico that have signed on to continue to uphold the national commitments of the Paris Agreement.
Although cities, states, and businesses cannot formally participate in the negotiations, they can commit to implement many of the specific measures needed to meet the Paris Agreement goals and can signal to the rest of the world that many in the United States will continue to act no matter the federal policy. The “We Are Still In” campaign has a large influence, representing 127 million Americans and $6.2 trillion dollars of the U.S. economy[2].
This coalition will be pushing hard over the next two weeks to make their presence known. Starting Thursday, the U.S. Climate Pavilion will begin hosting large events with speakers like former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg; California Governor Jerry Brown; and Oregon Governor Kate Brown. Mayors of cities across the country, from New York City to Davenport, Iowa, will be speaking on redesigning urban areas and reducing emissions. Major corporations including Walmart, Microsoft, and HP will also be discussing their efforts.
I will be supporting this coalition by working with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). This group represents an international network of thousands of cities, towns, and regions. I’ll be volunteering at the U.S. Climate Pavilion and will be reporting on what these subnational actors have to say.
[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/11/06/whats-next-for-the-paris-agreement-nearly-200-countries-meet-this-week-to-talk-implementation/?utm_term=.3667d7f2195e
[2] https://www.wearestillin.com/about
Rachel, we are very proud of you. Carry on girl!
Way to go, Rachel Brinks!
This is Important policy, that will shape the future of the planet.
For the sake of future generations ,we must look at the big picture !