Examples of people influencing climate diplomacy (REPLIES)

[HARRIS, Paul [SSC]]

Dear GEP-Ed Colleagues,

 

Last month I asked you for help in finding “examples of people being allowed into the climate negotiations in meaningful ways -- that is, in ways that allow persons genuinely to highlight their concerns, interests and rights so as to influence, at least a tiny bit, climate diplomacy.”

 

I promised to share the replies. I have compiled most them below (a few people who have been involved in negotiations asked that I keep their replies confidential).

 

Many thanks to everyone who shared their insights. Much appreciated.

 

All the best,

 

Paul

PAUL G. HARRIS

Chair Professor of Global and Environmental Studies, EdUHK 

www.paulgharris.net 

BOOKS:

+A Research Agenda for Climate Justice (E. Elgar), here.

+Climate Change and Ocean Governance (Cambridge University Press), here.

+Global Ethics and Climate Change, 2nd. ed. (Edinburgh University Press), here.

+Routledge Handbook of Global Environmental Politics (Routledge), here.

+20 more books on global environmental politics, policy and ethics here. 

+100+ articles and book chapters here.

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REPLIES:

 

Please find attached a chapter [titled The Study and Practice of Global Environmental Politics: Policy Influence through Participation] in a forthcoming edited volume entitled The Theory-Practice Divide in International Relations, published by Georgetown University Press.  The chapter offers a framework for understanding influence in global environmental politics more broadly, but provides some examples from climate change.

 

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Not sure that's what you're looking for but there's Indigenous water activist Autumn Peltier who addressed the UN last year at the Climate Summit in NYC:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/we-can-t-drink-oil-indigenous-water-activist-tells-un-1.4615016?cache=yes%3FclipId%3D375756

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/09/30/greta-thunberg-isnt-alone-meet-some-other-young-activists-who-are-leading

 

And back at the 1992 Rio summit, Severn Suzuki gave a speech, available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_O1Au8vZLA

 

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In my previous role (as Global Environment Programme Manager at the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) my delegation was regularly permitted to make interventions in SBI negotiations on Article 6 of the Convention/Action for Climate empowerment – i.e. climate change education, training, public awareness, public participation etc.

 

I refer to the recognition of contributions from youth participants to these negotiations in this paper:

 

Thew, H., 2018. Youth participation and agency in the united nations framework convention on climate change. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 18(3), pp.369-389.

 

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Yeb Sano comes to mind. He was the head of the Philippines' delegation. They have a national interest in loss and damage, but his emotional interventions at COP 18 in Warsaw in 2013 went beyond that. The full speech would be viewable on the UNFCCC's webcast of the opening COP plenary. Here is a clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAuqtNR7xcQ

 

This speech started the Fast for Climate movement, and has been credited with getting the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. It may not directly fit your search, since he had access as a delegate, but did seem to me to be more of a case of an individual making a difference. From what I remember, people were in tears, and there was a long standing ovation. 

 

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Last year I published a peer reviewed article exploring the constraints and possibilities of those most affected by climate change to participate meaningfully in the climate negotiations, as well as opportunities for reform.

 

https://doi.org/10.1080/23802014.2018.1597640