So why were the fossil fuel interests so quiet as the 196-nation Paris Agreement was forged? Did they see the pact as so non-binding as to be insignificant? Did they see their goals as having already been met before the huge meeting started? Or were the climate science denialists and climate action doubt-mongers simply unable to gain traction in a changed physical and media landscape?
By Timmons Roberts and Robert Brulle Each time in the past that there was the threat of a meaningful international agreement on climate change, powerful actors in the fossil fuel industry mobilized in public and in private to hinder that progress. Regardless of one’s opinion of their rationale or ethics, one has to acknowledge that they were remarkably effective.
So why were the fossil fuel interests so quiet as the 196-nation Paris Agreement was forged? Did they see the pact as so non-binding as to be insignificant? Did they see their goals as having already been met before the huge meeting started? Or were the climate science denialists and climate action doubt-mongers simply unable to gain traction in a changed physical and media landscape? By Alexis Durand, Victoria Hoffmeister, J. Timmons Roberts, Jonathan Gewirtzman, Sujay Natson, Romain Weikmans and Saleemul Huq Pressure to enhance the effectiveness of the existing loss and damage mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has grown in recent years. This is the result of growing certainty that emissions reductions are inadequate to avoid damages, and international support for adaptation in vulnerable nations also is not being delivered at a scale to allow complete prevention and recovery from climate-related impacts. Loss and damage received attention and recognition in Article 8 of the Paris Agreement, but there remains no internationally agreed definition of the term. For our purposes we will use the terms to refer to irreversible losses (i.e. loss of human life, species, land to rising seas) and damages of significant economic cost (i.e. destroyed infrastructure) resulting from climate-related disasters.
This draft paper reviews the language in the Paris Agreement and Warsaw International Mechanism, and addresses five parts in the Action Area 7 text agreed by the Warsaw International Mechanism’s Executive Committee. We very briefly review each of these ways to fund loss and damage in straightforward language, we discuss their current applications, their status in UNFCCC, some pros and cons, and how they might be applied to loss and damage. Part 3 reviews and assesses several major tools that have been proposed to raise funding for climate change actions in developing countries. We consider their adequacy, dependability, their feasibility, and we speculate on some of the political opportunities and likely barriers. We conclude by proposing some ways forward on financing loss and damage, focusing on the need to combine and layer different sources of funding and utilizing insurance mechanisms and bonds to accomplish the goals of buffering losses in the most vulnerable nations. By Guy Edwards Next month the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will welcome world leaders to a signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement in New York. Memories of the euphoric scenes in Paris last December when over 190 countries adopted the agreement seem to be dissipating quickly as countries around the world grapple with myriad challenges.
By Eliza Drury The Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Bangladesh, under the guidance of UNFCCC, is developing a long-term National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to adapt to the medium and long-term needs arising out of the impacts of climate change. This plan is intended to be the guidebook for all adaptation initiatives for the next 100 years, and will be the tool used to channel and allocate international adaptation funding within Bangladesh.
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CDL in the News
28 Dec 2018 - Edwards in the NYT on electric vehicles in Latin America 24 Dec 2018 - The Public's Radio RI interviews Roberts on how the fossil fuel industry outspends environmental groups on campaign contributions & lobbying 19 Dec 2018 - EcoRI News: New Report Claims RI Climate Council Falling Behind Targets 17 Dec 2018 - 'We must move beyond business as usual,' says new report on Rhode Island's inadequate climate plan. 12 Dec 2018 - Isabel Cavelier, Guy Edwards and Lina Puerto “COP25 en 2019: reto y oportunidad para elevar la ambición climática en América Latina” El Espectador 4 Dec 2018 - Whitehouse, Ciciline meet with climate lab 28 Nov 2018 - Edwards quoted in New York Times story on Brazil backing out of hosting UN summit on climate change 11 Oct 2018 - Brookings Institute Climate reality requires starting at home: Weaning from fossil fuels 23 Sep 2018 - Edwards quoted in Financial Times on Argentina energy future 13 Jul 2018 - Europe and Latin America can blaze a trail on implementing the Paris Agreement 1 Jun 2018 - Brookings Institute One year since Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement 21 May 2018 - Edwards article in World Politics Review: Is the G-20 Heading for a Showdown With Trump on Climate Change? 11 May 2018 - Edwards Op-Ed in Washington Post 22 Jan 2018 - Roberts Op-Ed The climate solution no-one in Davos will be talking about 15 Dec 2017 - Edwards' article on how Regional and domestic politics could sabotage Brazil's bid to host UN climate change talks in 2019 8 Nov 2017 - Roberts quoted in Reuters story on financing loss and damage 9 Oct 2017 - EcoRI article describes Roberts' testimony against the natural gas power plant proposed for construction in Burrillville, Rhode Island 17 Sep 2017 - BBC Radio 5 featured a live interview with Roberts about Trump's conditions for staying in Paris 4 Sep 2017 - Roberts comments on the use of his work in a report by Rhode Island Department of Health on the proposed power plant in Burrillville, Rhode Island 17 Jul 2017 - Roberts mentioned in NPR's story on the US having a say in UN climate spending 15 Jul 2017 - Roberts calls for solid climate policies in RI 5 Jul 2017 - Roberts demands swifter action on CO2 release 5 Jul 2017 - Roberts demands RI Governor Raimondo to take climate action 30 Jun 2017 - Roberts gives advice on owning and using electric cars 23 Jun 2017 - Roberts comments on how voters are persuaded by the terms 'climate change' and 'global warming' 20 Jun 2017 - Roberts' involvement in local climate group is helping to fight fossil fuel development 3 Jun 2017 - WPRO Radio's Steve Klamkin interviews Roberts on the Paris Agreement 2 Jun 2017 - Roberts comments on US involvement in the Green Climate Fund 2 Jun 2017 - BBC Radio 5's Faye Rusco interviews Roberts on Trump's withdrawal from Paris 2 Jun 2017 - Roberts discusses the role of mayors and private sector companies post US pull-out of Paris 1 Jun 2017 - Roberts gives more details about the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement 1 Jun 2017 - Roberts organizes emergency protest in RI 1 Jun 2017 - Roberts comments on the implications of US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement 1 Jun 20117 - Roberts share his views on the US exit from the Paris Accord 31 May 2017 - Roberts cited on the far-reaching implications of US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement 31 May 2017 - RI left vulnerable if US pulls out of Paris Accord, says Roberts 24 May 2017 - Roberts chimes in on Trump's proposed EPA budget 30 Apr 2017 - Roberts helps to 'fact check' Trump's first 100 days in office 25 Apr 2017 - Roberts lobbies for people's march in RI to mark Trump's first 100 days in office 23 Apr 2017 - Roberts cautions against threats to science at march for science in Rhode Island 7 Apr 2017 - White House Chronicle's Llewelyn King interviews Roberts on Trump’s executive order and climate policy directions 10 Mar 2017 - Roberts quoted in Providence Business News about new proposed fossil fuel infrastructure in Rhode Island 6 Feb 2017 - Devex article on climate finance under the new administration quotes Roberts 18 Jan 2017 - Roberts featured in NPR Marketplace segment on Obama's $500m donation to the Green Climate Fund 29 Dec 2016 - Roberts quoted in Common Dreams article about the state of environmental justice in 2016 19 Nov 2016 - EcoRI profiles Roberts and the new Civic Alliance for a Cooler Rhode Island 14 Nov 2016 - Roberts featured in Rhode Island Public Radio segment on Trump and the Paris Agreement 12 Nov 2016 - Roberts quoted in Climate Home article on Republican plans to defund climate change programs 10 Nov 2016 - Roberts quote appears in EcoRI article about Trump and the environment 9 Nov 2016 - Roberts quoted in InsideClimate News article on COP22 reaction to Trump's election 9 Nov 2016 - Science Daily discusses new CDL article on paying for loss and damage 9 Nov 2016 - Roberts quoted in Climate Home article on COP22 reaction to Trump's election 8 Nov 2016 - Roberts' paper on paying for loss and damage discussed and quoted in Phys.Org 7 Nov 2016 - Roberts' paper on paying for loss and damage discussed and quoted in Futurity article 21 Sep 2016 - Roberts quoted in a Breitbart News article about Clinton's support following shift in climate change language 20 Sep 2016 - Roberts quoted in a Climate Home article on Clinton's language around climate change after Sanders' endorsement 5 May 2016 – Climate Home quotes Edwards on the announcement that Patricia Espinosa will lead the UNFCCC from this July 5 May 2016 - Dialogo Chino quotes Edwards following announcement that Patricia Espinosa will replace Christiana Figueres as head of the UNFCCC 24 Apr 2016 - Deutsche Welle quotes Edwards on how ratifying Paris Agreement can boost prosperity in Latin America 23 Mar 2016 – Edwards provides extended quote to Dialogo Chino on Obama’s trip to Cuba and Argentina 25 Dec 2015 - ConexiónCOP conversó con Guy Edwards sobre el nuevo acuerdo climático y America Latina 14 Dec 2015 - Rhode Island Public Radio quotes Roberts on how Paris Climate Pact should steer New England toward clean energy 11 Dec 2015 - Associated Press quotes Romain Weikmans on “Wild West” account on climate finance 10 Dec 2015 - Climate Home talks to Roberts about the lack of an independent system on climate finance Read more... Archives
December 2019
AuthorsThe pieces featured in the blog are authored by CDL members and a diverse group of partners from around the world. The opinions expressed in these articles are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not reflect those of Brown University. Categories
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