Roundtable debate on International Climate Policy at Paris+5
Video recording of the event
On 27 November, we had the great opportunity to bring together four experts on International and European Climate change policy and governance. Namely, Lavanya Rajamani, Professor of International Environmental Law, University of Oxford, Li Shuo, Senior Global Policy Advisor, Greenpeace East Asia, Byford Tsang, Senior Policy Advisor, E3G and Karsten Sach, Director General, German Ministry for the Environment.
The discussion, moderated by GOVTRAN’s Sebastian Oberthür, took place in light of the upcoming Paris+5 summit on 12 December 2020 and following the recent elections in the US. It centred around the various issues, challenges and opportunities for strengthened climate governance and international collaboration. The debate covered, amongst other, EU ambitions, where we stand with regards to international agreements and plans, climate finance, geopolitical issues, EU-China-US angles and of course touched on turbulent times and the potential implications of COVID 19 on climate progress. Here below you can watch the full event.
Back to all publicationsIntroduction text that accompanied the event invitation
As we near the end of 2020, international climate politics remains in turbulent times. As virtually every month brings new record temperatures, other impacts of climate change are increasingly felt around the globe. The global COVID-19 crisis has challenged climate protection, but has also opened up new opportunities for “building back better”. The outcome of the US presidential elections on 3 November are set to have profound repercussions for international climate cooperation. Already before, both the EU and China have signaled their intention to significantly upgrade their climate mitigation targets for 2030 and 2050/60. These are expected to become firm international pledges at the UN Climate Summit convened by the UN Secretary General and the UK government as the incoming presidency of COP 26, the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change rescheduled to November 2021. Could, depending on the outcome of the US elections, an emerging EU-China climate alliance pave the way to a broader leadership coalition? What are the prospects of further progress across the US, China and the EU? How could a broader global dynamic towards the much delayed climate transformation be nurtured? Addressing these and other questions, the panel will reflect on the status and prospects of international climate policy and politics on the eve of the UN Climate Summit on 12 December 2020.
