Climate ambition starts with people
Discover more from The CCI Newsletter
Climate ambition starts with people
NEWSLETTER, May 2023—Diplomacy workshops; open dialogue for climate ambition; climate-aligned finance; EU expert group; ministerial engagement; national volunteer plans; human rights event; advocacy.
Climate ambition is about the health and wellbeing of people, of nations, and of the nature we depend on. It conditions the world we will leave to future generations. In this sense, it defines us—our experience, our possibilities, and how we will be known as contributors to the history of human achievement. Right now, whether we know it or not, we are making decisions that will have long-running consequence for shaping human experience and the potential for safety and prosperity. This is why we work to humanize and accelerate climate action, everywhere.
CCI & The Fletcher School host three Earth Diplomacy Leadership workshops, ahead of climate negotiations
In preparation for the SB58 round of United Nations Climate Change, CCI and The Fletcher School at Tufts University hosted three Earth Diplomacy Leadership Initiative workshops. In Session 1, Joe Robertson and Isatis Cintrón from CCI reviewed the structure and substance of the UNFCCC process, including Article 6.8 of the Paris Agreement, Action for Climate Empowerment, and the need for work across conventions.
In Session 2, focusing on what is at stake in the negotiations:
Rachel Kyte, Dean of The Fletcher School, laid out six areas of the negotiations to watch closely, each with material consequences for nations, people in community, and overall progress on climate crisis response: Global Stocktake, Mitigation, Adaptation, Food and Health, Accountability, and Finance.
Marcelo Mena, CEO of the Global Methane Hub, highlighted the interconnections between climate change and poverty. He noted fossil fuel emissions are still rising, when we need to be rapidly accelerating overall mitigation of global emissions.
In Session 3, we focused on work towards transformational outcomes.
Georg Børsting, a member of the Transitional Committee on Loss and Damage, provided background on the intergovernmental effort to address climate-related loss and damage, and insights on the ongoing technical dialogue.
Josefina Achaval Torre, Global Coordinator of the Good Food Finance Network secretariat, outlined the non-state actor-driven effort to build a global Co-Investment Platform for Food Systems Transformation.
Carlos Alvarado Quesada, 48th President of the Republic of Costa Rica, focused on three mindset shifts needed to raise ambition and enhance multilateral climate action.
Listen to highlights of our Talanoa Dialogue for Climate Ambition
In this global Talanoa dialogue, there was clear recognition that we need a systemic energy transition, that we need accelerated decarbonization, driven by accelerated investments, and that we need to leave fossil fuels in the ground, and value and protect nature. Citizen stakeholders called for partnerships that support investment for impact, to improve conditions for nature and for people.
Climate Aligned Finance Event on Parliament Hill
On Thursday, May 18, 2023, our Director of Programs at Citizens' Climate International, Cathy Orlando, attended a breakfast discussion on climate-aligned finance, on Parliament Hill in Canada co-hosted by the Honourable Senator Rosa Galvez and Concordia University’s Sustainability Ecosystem.
The keynote speaker was the Honourable Catherine McKenna, former Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Chair of the UN High-Level Expert Group on the Net-Zero Emissions Commitments of Non-State Entities. Key recommendations to protect our climate from greenwashing and our financial institutions from stranded assets can be found their paper ‘Integrity Matters: Net Zero Commitments by Businesses, Financial Institutions, Cities and Regions’.
In Canada, the Climate-Aligned Finance Act was introduced last year. Although there has been legislative progress, the bill remains stuck in the Senate. Over 50 leading academics have also recently called on Senate leaders to allow the bill to proceed to committee.
Two take-home messages from this event were:
Financial institutions and countries that are aligning their policies with the Paris agreement are making more money.
Financial institutions need well-designed regulations to give them clear direction and "cover" from some shareholders who want to hold onto the status quo of fossil fuel investments.
Citizens’ Climate Europe selected for expert group advising European Commission
Citizens' Climate Europe has been selected as a member of the expert group for the topic of ETS2 implementation by EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL CLIMATE ACTION. The ETS2 is the expansion of the European Union Emissions Trading System to cover buildings, roads, and additional sectors; this second ETS might make room for other modes of carbon pricing to drive decarbonization.
The first meeting is in early june and we are delighted to have the opportunity to contribute on this important policy which has been a central part of our advocacy effort over the last 4 years. In particular the policy creates some options for member states that enable greater climate ambition and public engagement.
Ghana volunteers meet with Minister of Environment
CCI Africa volunteers in Accra, Ghana, engaged the Minister of Environment, the Honorable Dr. Kweku Afriyie, and other stakeholders, ahead of a planned conference on climate communication.
Citizens’ Climate Chile plans 2023 activities
Citizens’ Climate leaders across Chile met to define areas of work for 2023, including efforts to empower citizens to engage government and build political will. Angélica Flores Rodríguez, Ivonne González Haase, Cristóbal Fernández Saavedra and Andrés Forno, met to review existing and new chapters, emerging opportunities for engagement, and activities across the Five Levers of Political Will.
Upcoming Events
Our Rights & a Liveable World
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada invites their colleagues across the world to a special online event “Our Rights and a Liveable World”—taking place Friday, June 2, 2023 at 11 am ET (3 pm UTC).
This event is unique. Parliamentarians from across Canada will be invited to ask questions of CCL Canada’s special guests. CCL Canada has assembled an amazing line-up of experts including Dr. David Boyd, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment as well as lawyers, experts and youth involved in climate lawsuits in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Earth Diplomacy Leadership check-ins during SB58 negotiations in Bonn
The Earth Diplomacy Leadership Initiative, co-hosted by CCI and The Fletcher School at Tufts University, will hold three check-ins during the SB58 round of negotiations in Bonn, as well as two follow-up workshops later in June.
Tue, June 6: Mutual Gains Negotiating Strategies (hybrid)
Fri, June 9: Taking Stock of Week 1 progress (hybrid)
Fri, June 16: Initial Review of SB58 outcomes (virtual)
Mon, June 26: SB58 Debrief (virtual)
Thu, June 29: Look ahead to COP28 (virtual)
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Annual Conference
June 10-13, 2023 – Washington, DC
The Annual Citizens’ Climate Lobby Conference will take place in Washington, DC, from Saturday, June 10, through Tuesday, June 13. Pre-registration for the in-person conference is now closed. But, you can still join in the fun, by registering to view the live stream of the two main conference days, June 11-12.
Our Get-To-Know-Us call circa the third Wednesday will return in September
For over thirty years the IPCC and United Nations have laid down the tracks for a liveable world. We at Citizens’ Climate International have been listening deeply at countless meetings, seminars, and conferences. We have a keen understanding of what some of those tracks are. To get humanity on those tracks we need you on our team. On Wednesday, September 20, 2023 learn more about us and how you can help create political will for evidence-based and socially-just climate action.
You can also watch our May 2023 Get-To-Know-Us call. It was inspirational!
Climate ambition starts & ends with people
Citizen volunteer policy advocates talking to government, engaging local media, engaging their communities, working in alliance with trusted leaders, and providing a venue for ongoing volunteer development through local chapters, make real-world political and economic change possible.
