I’m writing this from the international terminal of Chicago O’Hare Airport, which is festooned with holiday decorations. I’m waiting to board my flight to Madrid, Spain to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference. From the moment I began this course, I assumed I would be headed to Santiago, Chile this time of year. You may know that Chile, and its capital in particular, have been rocked by a series of protests related to widespread economic inequality in the country. The military was ordered into civilian streets for the first time since Pinochet’s dictatorship in the 80s. The unrest led the Chilean government to cancel the UN Climate Change Conference, and a last-minute move to Spain was organized. I thought this was curtains for my dreams of attending a COP; however, thanks to our unflappable TAs, everyone in our course is going to Spain!
The move to Spain is actually the second change of location for the COP25. Brazil was originally intended to host; however, Jair Bolsonaro, upon his election, abandoned plans to host the COP citing “a transition in government and budget restrictions.”
Throughout this semester, we’ve been treated to many remarkable guest speakers. The one who left the most lasting impact was a senior UN official who had recently decided to leave behind international climate negotiations to focus on U.S. electoral politics! She is looking towards 2020. For her, until the United States has a president who believes in climate change and is willing to support the policies needed to address it, action at the international level isn’t enough. It’s hard to argue with her. The United States is the second largest emitter on the planet. The president of the U.S. may have more power to curb emissions than any agreement struck by the United Nations.
I loved her guest lecture because she got at the very question I have been grappling with all semester: can international cooperation address climate change at the speed and scale necessary to avert catastrophe? I’ve always been a skeptic that it can. International organizations, such as the United Nations, face severely limited power and enforcement capabilities. Any international agreement, such as the Kyoto Protocol or the Paris Agreement, butts against the sovereignty of states. For example, national governments can impose emissions caps on private businesses. The United Nations cannot.
I’m sure this sounds like a pessimistic view to enter the negotiations with. I’m hoping to be happily surprised and to come away with a newfound appreciation of the value of UN climate negotiations. While the UN may not have hard power, they certainly enjoy soft power. I’m looking forward to attending the “Fossil of the Day” ceremonies, in which countries that are particularly backward with regard to climate action are given an ironic award and publicly shamed for all to see. I’m also hoping to catch a glimpse of the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and attend any event at which she is speaking. A silly award can pressure countries to become better stewards of the planet. And a 16-year-old can inspire a climate movement. If this possible, what else can be accomplished?
