Foreign Policy is Climate Policy: New Modes of Multilateralism & the Call for a More Equitable and Just World

Dec 16, 2020 | Wilson Center
online
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"How can the foreign policy community harness the transformative power of the new leadership coalitions that have emerged to strengthen the UNFCCC process—an indispensable mode of diplomacy? And as decision-makers push forward on climate action, how can they incorporate the increasingly compelling calls for social and racial justice into efforts to address climate change?"

"In the three years since President Trump announced the United States’ intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement the landscape on climate change has shifted. In the wake of the U.S. federal government’s disengagement from the international climate arena, subnational and non-state actors ramped up their efforts, both within the United States and globally. Around the world, demands for a more equitable and just world are uniting with the rallying cry for action on climate. A common descriptor of climate change is that the future will not look like the past. Could the same be said of actions to address climate change?"

"President-Elect Biden has indicated that the U.S. will re-join the Paris Agreement on his first day in office. How can the foreign policy community harness the transformative power of the new leadership coalitions that have emerged to strengthen the UNFCCC process—an indispensable mode of diplomacy? And as decision-makers push forward on climate action, how can they incorporate the increasingly compelling calls for social and racial justice into efforts to address climate change?"

Introduction- 

Lauren Herzer Risi, Project Director, Environmental Change and Security Program

Moderator-

Maxine Burkett, Global Fellow; Professor, William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawai'i

Panelists-

Jennifer Austin, Director of Policy and Strategy, COP26 High Level Climate Champions team

Julie Cerqueira, Executive Director, U.S. Climate Alliance

Rt Hon David Lammy, Member of Parliament for Tottenham, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, UK

Elan Strait, Director, U.S. Climate Campaigns, World Wildlife Fund; Manager, We Are Still In

Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Time: 3:30pm-5:00pm EST

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