Hilary Chiew, Climate Change Researcher,Third World Network
Hilary Chiew [4th from left] with MYD during COP21
This is a report by Jason Lim and May Barani Lwin.
Original Posting http://www.bfm.my/current-affairs-cop21-malaysia-action-plan.html
I have experienced several situations that made me rethink what is my role and why I want to attend COP21.
First time was during my third day in COP21- a random conversation with a Professor from USA. She asked me “what do I wanna achieved here in COP21?”
Second time was the conversation with Tun Jeanne at the beginning of COP21 second week. Her question was: “Why are you here in COP? What do you want to do in your life? What is your dream?”
To be honest, I do not have a firm answer on what was my goal here in COP21. It didn’t even came across my mind that I actually could enter COP (until the last minute offer of accreditation). Thus, I have no special expectation in COP21 before I come. To me, my very basic purpose since I decided to join MYD was to attend COP; experience it; share it to more people- let them know this issue needs more attention and of course, to meet like-minded people from different part of the world.
In fact, I was quite lost in the first week of COP because I somehow made the wrong choice to immerse myself in negotiations- which I don’t really understand and capable of tracking it; and it demotivated me a lot. Read how I struggled and move on from Week 1 here.
Third time was while filling in a survey held by International Negotiation Survey (INS) after one of my gender day side event , specifically this section of question:
I was amazed by the choices above actually. I didn’t know that there are people just to come here to showcase their work of their government and organisation; or just to establish contacts rather than directly involved in the negotiations (from my perspective). There is a choice of OTHERS as well, what else can they do in COP? What about me? What is my answer for this?
Finally, this side event at the very near end of COP21 called “Mobilising Ambitious State and Non-State Climate Action in the Paris Agreement and Beyond” reminded me the same question again (View Presentation slides of the session). But this time, with results from the survey that I filled in above! Apparently INS was one of the presenter in this session and they presented their survey results from COP 17-19:
It actually didn’t came across my mind that the constituencies in COP are playing different roles or having different priorities- from influencing negotiations, to propose solutions or provide expertise; or even the very basic one to raise awareness. I am surprised that most of the weightage goes to provide expertise rather than influencing the agenda, which I think is another level of involving non-state actors in the negotiations- working together instead of working against the government. In addition, YOUNGO wasn’t part of their study constituency (I was like whyyyyyy didn’t I asked the presenter when I was there).
So I was in deep thought- does that mean youths are not useful in COP? Who are we in adults’ eyes? Are we just a bunch of kids making noise out there and have zero influence on the negotiations? What about myself? How am I useful in COP21 in this case?
I guess, youths might not be capable of directly influencing the negotiations by providing our expertise. But while filling in the survey form, it somehow helped me sort out what youth are actually doing here. I think our presence in COP is a form of representing the youth voice; our presence might enhance government’s accountability; also we are here to report about the conference to wider audiences.
Most importantly, I think we are here to learn, absorb and understand how the process work; and we might be those “experts” or negotiators one day later. One more thing I want to highlight was the option of “inform myself about climate change issues” in the survey- I kinda laughed when I saw this option because I thought people who come to COP are already experts in climate change. However, when I was doing this reflection on my goal here, I realised I have gotten a lot of new information and new insights on different issues in climate change because of COP (something that I wouldn’t learn back home, e.g. gender issue in climate change)
Thanks to all these unexpected hints that popped out throughout COP21 that somehow helped me sorted out my purpose in COP. It might sounds weird because I only get to know my purpose in COP21 when I am inside COP, but I view this more like how keep on reminding myself; reposition and reflect my own role in COP21 constantly. So, my personal goal in COP21- there you go:
Update on post-COP after tonnes of reflection: I think I have achieved my goal in COP21, although not very satisfactory on the a) and b) part; but at least I know what I should do to make it better next time 😀
Written by: Emily Oi
Photo taken at Tuileries Garden, Paris. Is he face palming because of the things he worried or, is he crying due to joy? You decide.
This article is a continuation of “Reflection on Paris Agreement: Part 1”. (http://powershiftmalaysia.org.my/reflection-on-paris-agreement/)
My previous article focuses on the bright side of Paris Agreement. I would like to reiterate that all points mentioned in both articles, are based on my personal reflection and thoughts. You may find that this read-through takes more time than you expect, especially if the information is dense or complex.
Technical corrections of Shall and Should
During the Paris Committee meeting on 12 December (the last day), the Secretariat announced that there are some technical corrections to the final draft text. Immediately after the announcement, the agreement was gavelled by Sir Laurent Fabius, President of COP21.
One of the technical corrections which I am most concern, is the replacement of the word ‘shall’ to ‘should’ in Article 4.4 (page 22).
“Developed country Parties should continue taking the lead by undertaking economy-wide absolute emission reduction targets…” (Article 4.4, Paris Agreement)
Replacement of one word may change the content of the whole text. Albeit Paris Agreement is an agreement with legally binding force, the word ‘should’ is just a “selective” principle while the word ‘shall’ is an obligation. In other words, developed country Parties have the right to choose to continue taking the lead, or not. The word ‘shall’ is to differentiate the responsibility of developed and developing countries based on Common but Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR) principle. Since the word ‘should’ is in use now, the responsibility for both developed and developing countries is at the same level.
Loss and Damage
Paragraph 52 in the decision part stated that “Agrees that Article 8 of the Agreement does not involve or provide a basis for any liability or compensation”. (Article 8, is the agreement for Loss and Damage). This means developed countries will not hold liability for the damage they had caused, by centuries due to historic emission. Frankly speaking, the situation would be like: “Oops, we acknowledge your loss and we do feel sorry about it, unfortunately we are unable to compensate your loss.” Besides, the language in Article 8 is also weak due to the use of the word ‘should’ and ‘may’ in 8.3 and 8.4 respectively (page 26).
Uncertainty
There are uncertainties in the agreement. The agreement is perceived to be an achievement for Obama’s administration, or to the world. But, the presidential term for the United States President Barack Obama will end in Jan 2017, which also means his term will end in almost a year’s time. He will not be able to oversee the implementation of the agreement. Besides, United States may disagree with the agreement, if the President for the next term does not have the same interest as President Obama did. This “what if scenario” also applies to countries from all around the world. In a plain text, the success of the agreement depends on political stability as well.
As for the finance, the issues on developed countries fulfilling their pledges of $100 billion annually, starting in 2020 are still unclear. What is missed in the agreement – there are no explicit targets in the text.
Conclusion
“The agreement is not perfect, but what is in life?” said by Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the UNFCCC during her interview with CNN after the agreement is adopted.
Some people said the Paris Agreement is a flaw. Well, nothing is perfect in this world but nothing will happen if nothing is being done. As for me, Paris Agreement will be a turning point. We will see a shift from fossil fuel era to a more sustainable and renewable energy era in the near future.
Last but not least, the Paris Agreement is just a stack of paperwork full of unsound obligations, sound actions are required in order to achieve the objectives of the agreement. Domestic actions such as mitigation and adaptation need to be done to achieve the contribution listed in the INDC, without compromising the needs of the people and ecosystem and, inline with the objective of Article 2 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)(page 4)
Written by: Thomas Lai
Edited by : Merryn Choong
I was at COP21 for both weeks. There are things that i like and dislike.
What I Like
Al Gore speech
I attended 2 events which the presentation was delivered by Al Gore. His events were always full house. One of his events “Impacts and Solutions to the Climate Crisis” was held at La Loire, which is the biggest plenary that can fit at least 1,200 audiences. Yet, the whole plenary was full and some of audience even need to sit on the floor. He is such an influential guy. His speech was like a magnet. It attracts everyone’s attention. While delivering his presentation, he also show us some video clips that show the devastating effect of climate change. One of the video clip really struck my heart and i almost cried. The video clip show an African guy was being interviewed about his likelihood when the drought is still persist. Halfway through the interview, that guy just break into tears. Together with the background music, it make the atmosphere so sentimental. Besides, I saw people taking out tissue as well. *if you know what I mean*
Relaxation room
“Are you kidding me?” was my first thought when i heard these 2 words. I believe you have the same feeling as me right now. The relaxation room indeed is a nice amenity. The room equipped with comfy sofa bed. The room is also very popular for people who want to take a short nap due to its peaceful and quiet atmosphere, except the fact that sometimes you may heard people snoring.
The relaxation room at COP21. Everyone was taking a short nap after a tired day. Photo from ClimDev – Africa
Because of it popularity, the room was always packed and it is very hard to find a seat during daytime. There is only once that the room is empty as that day is Sunday (6th December) and there is no event happening in COP21. To be frank, the sofa bed felt more comfortable than the bed in my apartment. I stayed in the room for the whole afternoon to write my article, not forgetting taking a short nap.
Green Zone
Green Zone aka Climate Generation Space is a huge space for debates, knowledge-sharing, discussions and conviviality. I like Green Zone because the atmosphere here are much lively and colorful as compared to Blue Zone. I thought I was at a huge adult version of kindergarten when I first step into the zone. Moreover, I heard quite a few times that the fish n chip here are delicious. Too bad I missed the opportunity to taste it.
A medium sized #COP21 sculpture
Drawing near Indigenous People Pavilion at Green Zone
Bilateral meeting
I attended 2 bilateral meeting organised by MYD. They are the UK Youth Climate Coalition (UKYCC) and Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC). After listening to both of the parties, I realised that I am not the only one who felt lost and frustrated during COP21. COP21 indeed is a huge circus with many events happen concurrently, which make us want to explore here and there and ended up getting lost. Well, getting lost is part of growing up isn’t it? By getting lost, one will know what is his main goal is about. I realised my area of interest is policy/negotiation tracking. I would like to learn more about policy and negotiation technique in the future.
Food is everywhere
In COP21, you hardly possible get hungry because you can find food anywhere. The only problem you need to worry is whether you have sufficient money or not. The food i like the most is the pastry because it is cheap and filling. Among all pastry, chocolate pain au lait is my favourite.
Choc pain au lait – my favourite pastry
Charging station
There are 3 different charging methods in COP21. One is the charging lockers, second is a charging “tree” station and the third is the bicycle charging station. I have tried all. I discovered the charging lockers on my first day at COP21. As the name described, one can charge his electronic devices in the designated box and locked it. The key will be kept by the owner until he take back his devices. Having said that, the lockers were always occupied started from the end of 1st week, even early in the morning. *suspicious*
The charging “tree” station is using plug n charge method and there are plenty of plugs available in a “tree”. Not many people were using this because the devices will be exposed to public and there is a risk of getting stolen.
Bicycle charging station is the coolest innovation among all. State of art is simple. You cycle, you get electricity. Thus, this will not be a good choice for lazy people.
Bicycle charging station
What i “meh”
Closed events
Some of the negotiation process like ADP spin-off group meetings are still closed. In other words, people like me who is a yellow badge holder (observer) was not allowed to participate. I have felt a bit frustrated because I am unable to get first hand information or get to know what is going on during the negotiation process. In order to achieve maximum transparency and accountability, participation from civil society is a must.
Time consuming to walk from Blue Zone to Green Zone
Due to stringent security measures, we are required to walk for at least 15 mins to reach one of the zones albeit they are just next to each other. The most irritating part is we need to go through security check per entry. In other words, a return trip will require 2 security checks. All electronic devices need to be taken out and put in one box, winter coat or windbreaker need to be in one box and bags need to be in one box too. #hectic
Cold water
The water from all water dispensers in COP21 are cold. Hot water is not available publicly and i need to ask from the waiter in food stalls. Sometime, i was not allowed to do so unless i buy a drink from them. #cunning In my opinion, hot water dispensers should be provided as well so that i can brew MILO – my favourite drink since childhood.
Written by Thomas
Women could play a crucial role in climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions by using their knowledges and stewards on natural and household resources. I attended a workshop during Gender Day about the solution on the policy making level organised by Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) , called the “Reality check – how tools, guidance, finance and cooperation under the UNFCCC support implementation of gender- responsive policy on the ground”.
The session explored on how the recommendations from the Expert Group Meeting in Bonn, November 2015 builds on a UN toolkit on gender-responsive National Communications. This session was pretty technical and new to me- so many “first time”.
It was my first time coming across the how to incorporate gender equity in policy making. Key issues for gender-responsive climate action for sustainable development includes:
I met with Sunitha from National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO) Malaysia- someone that I could talk to on gender issues.
I learnt that technology is not gender-neutral. All these inequalities and stereotypes of technology being male-dominant, especially in cases of heavily mechanised sectors, will lead to the inadequate reflection of gender considerations in the development, transfer and diffusion of climate technologies as well as the implementation of Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) and other technology-related mechanisms and processes in the UNFCCC.
For instance, lack of participation of women in assessing climate technology needs in developing countries, e.g. in the development and promotion of solar cook stoves, can result in the slow adoption of the technology. In addition, gender equality considerations must become integral to technologies for climate change adaptation and mitigation in order to reverse the potentially harmful misperception of technology as gender-neutral, and overcome the false association of small-scale, household- based and traditional technologies as more relevant to women and the large-scale technology infrastructures as the domain of men.
As for climate finance; I learnt that women would have to stay at home to take care of their family members while man normally have more freedom to migrate due to work.
In agricultural areas, women are also the ones mainly responsible for crops production. Climate change which widely affect the food production will have to make women to do more work but for lesser food. This further leads to women’s less economic independent as compare to man, which also reduces their financial capacity to adapt to changes- such as to prepare more storage for food; or to repair house parts.
I have learnt that it is particularly unfortunate that women are less likely than men to receive funding for climate-related initiatives. Compounding the problem is that most funders do not have adequate programs or systems in place to support women and their solutions for climate change at the grassroots. That less than 1% of all worldwide grants go to projects at the intersection of women and climate is a clear reflection of this critical funding gap.
So, back to my personal reflection- Gender Day indeed is an emotional yet informative day for me. So many “first time” moment and I am glad that I learnt something out of it! All in all, it was a fruitful day especially on the great combination of the sessions that I have attended- from hearing the voices of direct victims to understanding what had been done from both community and the international side. I am looking forward at the outcome incorporating gender equality in combating climate change with this comprehensive approach of both bottom-up and top-down approach.
Benefits of gender-inclusive planning. (Source from UNDP GENDER RESPONSIVE NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS TOOLKIT)
The participation of NGOs in UNFCCC is increasing in significance. Currently, there are around 1,400 non-governmental organizations participated as observers for the annual UN climate change conference (a.k.a COP). The number may increase every year due to the advancement of information technology and greater awareness on democracy.
Thus, have you ever wonder why NGOs participation are important? Please refer below for some of the importance of NGOs in UNFCCC.
NGOs has much to offer in information collection and dissemination. NGOs representatives are able to admit the negotiation session as observers and gather important information. The information gathered will be compiled daily and produce some useful daily newsletters, such as ECO Newsletter by CAN and TWN newsletter. Despite the differences of each type of daily newsletters, they do provide latest information about the UNFCCC process. Besides, the newsletters also will be available online and anyone with internet access is able to read them. Indirectly, this will raise awareness.
Research and policy documents done by NGOs were released parallel to the meetings. For instance, Climate Action Network (CAN) submitted an annual policy document titled “The Paris Package: A Springboard for Sustained, Transformative Change” prior to UNFCCC COP21. CAN is a worldwide network of over 950 NGOs in more than 110 countries, working to promote government and individual actions to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels. Some of the highlights of the document are equity and dynamic differentiation, pre and post 2020 finance and 5 year periodic review on adaptation, mitigation and finance. You may read the full document for further insights.
Having said that, the documents produced by NGOs may not be taken into consideration by the national delegates as generally they rely on official channels such as IPCC. Even they read the documents, there is often little feedback and very limited opportunity for back and forth dialogue. However, there is a chance that the document could shed some light on the problem of climate change.
The involvement of NGOs increases transparency of the process, thus improves democratic legitimacy of global climate governance. A government or intergovernmental organisation that operates behind the curtain of secrecy is often hard to win, be it the trust or the support of its citizens. Hence, it is a necessity for them to build public support by seeking legitimacy and credibility for the decisions proposed. As Thomas Weiss notes:
“NGOs are . . . capable of making sensitive or politically important information public – something that intergovernmental organizations often are reluctant or loathe to do because of their dependence on member states for resources”
Besides, NGOs may hold decision makers in international arenas publicly accountable for decisions in ways that the intergovernmental system itself could never accomplish. Accountability and transparency are interconnected. Higher transparency will increase the accountability of the process.
Despite these, some of the negotiation process like ADP spin-off group meetings are still limited to national delegates. In other words, observers are not allowed to participate. This lead to the issues of legitimacy and transparency are being questioned. Prof Gurdial Singh from Malaysia and the Chief spokesperson for Like Minded Developing Countries too, brought up this issue during one of the plenary session.
As mentioned earlier, NGOs often have the ability and capacity to disseminate the information. Thus, these could facilitate mobilising public opinion. NGOs can influence the public through campaigns and wide outreach as they often work with grassroots communities or even work together across national borders. The mobilisation effort can even be amplified with the development of information technology. Information technology such as internet and smartphones ease the communication between NGOs and the public as well.
Faith based organisations have the potential in curbing catastrophic effects of environmental degradation. They have the ability to facilitate mobilisation of public opinion. Partha Dasgupta, an economist and Veerabhadran Ramanathan, a climate and atmospheric scientist, together made a watershed appeal to religious leaders, for assistance in stopping environmental degradation due to anthropogenic activities.
“I think that a lot of people see the religious contribution as a cosy topic which we should only discuss on Sunday morning, but it could prove decisive. An organisation like the Catholic Church is remarkably effective at leading a famine relief campaign. These are mechanisms that we should be using to tackle other global problems, including stopping governments from riding roughshod over people’s lives with disastrous effects for biodiversity – Prof. Partha Dasgupta, University of Cambridge”
On top of these, faith leaders also play an active role in combating climate change. Within this year, Pope Francis has signed a common declaration of intent to combat environmental damage, human trafficking and, the launch of first Islamic Declaration on Climate Change.
Written by: Thomas Lai
Edited by : Merryn Choong