COP23 – Page 2

For the fourth consecutive year, volunteers from La Ruta del Clima will be be attending the Conference of Parties (COP), from November 6 to 17, in Bonn.

At this year’s conference, we will be co-hosting side events on the role of youth and civil society in climate change governance. Our team will be providing daily updates of the negotiations and COP-related events on our website and social media. We will be interviewing climate negotiators, NGOs and other key players from the COP. Subscribe to our YouTube page to stay up to date with our interviews and daily video briefings during the conference.

In addition, we will be providing updates on this year’s negotiations through our weekly radio program, Ojo al Clima, a joint production with the University of Costa Rica and LatinClima. Tune in on Mondays at 8 a.m. on 101.9 FM.

The following members of La Ruta will be representing Bonn at this year’s conference:

Adrián is a Climate Policy Specialist and the President of La Ruta. Adrián is passionate about working with young people in Latin America on climate change and sustainable development projects. He works in environmental law, providing research on communal adaptation to climate change and promoting informed citizen participation. Adrián has an M.A. in Environment, Development, and Peace from the University of Peace and a law degree from the University of Costa Rica.

Periodista Valeria Roman — Valeria Román

A journalist and youth rights activist, Valeria serves as the Vice President of La Ruta del Clima. She is dedicated to communications work with NGOs with regards to sustainability and human rights issues. Valeria currently lives in Mexico City, where she is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Communications at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma.

Rosa Vásquez Rodríguez — **Rosa Vásquez**

Rosa is an engineer and environmental consultant. Rosa has extensive knowledge of environmental issues and the effects they have on vulnerable populations. She has experience facilitating environmental management projects in the productive sector and has worked extensively on carbon neutrality initiatives. Rosa’s work focuses on promoting citizen participation and creating cross-sectoral capacities to transition toward a sustainable and low emissions model. Rosa is currently enrolled in a master’s program in Sustainable Urban Technologies at the University of Buenos Aires.

Mauricio is passionate about sustainable development, education, and climate change. He has extensive experience working with young people, both nationally and internationally, as well as with environmental NGOs, international volunteers, and educational institutions. Mauricio holds a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Melbourne and a B.A. in International Relations from the Universidad Internacional de las Américas.

An environmental engineer and consultant, Cindy also serves as La Ruta’s Treasurer. Her interests lie in process innovation and modification to promote sustainability in the context of climate change. She is committed to encouraging young people to propose, educate and develop alternative low-emission models. She works as a consultant on emissions measurement, environmental impact, and sustainable engineering. Living in Nice, France, Cindy is pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering for Smart Cities at the Institut Méditerranéen du Risque, de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable de Université Côte d’Azur.

Sam has over ten years of experience working on climate change, natural resource management and sustainable development issues in Costa Rica, the United States, and Peru. Prior to joining La Ruta in January 2017, Sam has worked with the Department of Interior and Peace Corps for the United States government, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in Costa Rica. He holds a dual Master’s Degree in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from American University and the University of Peace.

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.rutadelclima.org. You can also follow our activities at COP23 through social media on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The issue of climate finance is slated to take on a critical role at the 2017 UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn this November and build upon progress made in previous negotiations. COP23 President Frank Bainimarama, who is the Prime Minister of Fiji, has made access to climate finance a “key pillar” of his presidency.

Climate finance, in the context of international negotiations, dates back to the creation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992. It was agreed that developed nations should “take all practicable steps to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, the transfer of, or access to, environmentally sound technologies and know-how to other Parties.” The Kyoto Protocol advanced the issue of climate finance, by helping to establish the Adaptation Fund, which finances projects to aid developing nations in adapting to climate change.

In recent years, climate finance has been at the forefront of climate negotiations. The 2009 Copenhagen Accord calls for developed countries to mobilize $100 billion a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries. The 2010 negotiations in Cancun lead to the creation of the Green Climate Fund, a fund for wealthier nations to assist developing nations in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris Agreement reaffirmed the $100 billion commitment set forth in Copenhagen.

Leading up to this year’s convention, key announcements about climate finance have been made. On October 16, the Asian Development Bank announced it would increase its financing to over $500 million between 2017 and 2020, more than doubling its previous totals. The following day, Fiji, this year’s host nation, became the first developing country to issue a green bond to finance climate change mitigation and adaption in this vulnerable island nation.

Joe Thwaites, an Associate in the Sustainable Finance Center at World Resources Institute, told of the significant role that climate finance is expected to play in the upcoming conference.

“This is the first COP hosted by a small island developing state, and with the impacts of climate change becoming clearer, a key emphasis of the negotiations is likely to be on support for the poorest and most vulnerable countries,” said Thwaites. “There is likely to be a strong focus on adaptation finance; funding to help countries deal with the impacts of climate change.”

Thwaites went on to say: “There are several concrete agenda items where this is likely to come up. Countries are considering how the Adaptation Fund will serve the Paris Agreement. In addition, they will review progress toward developed countries’ goal of mobilizing $100 billion a year for developing countries by 2020, and will provide guidance on how funding, particularly for adaptation, can be scaled up toward this. Negotiators will also be discussing how countries should account for, report, and review climate finance provided and received, and how developing countries can articulate their future support needs. Every year COP also provides guidance to the Global Environment Facility and Green Climate Fund.”

While there is a great deal of optimism coming into the conference, this has been somewhat marred by President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and his attacks on climate finance. In announcing his decision in a statement filled with half-truths and factual inaccuracies, Trump blasted the “so-called Green Climate Fund” as a “scheme to redistribute wealth out of the United States.”

Since Trump’s decision came on the heels of a $500 million installment to the Green Climate Fund by President Barack Obama, there was considerable concern that the goal of investing $100 billion annually for mitigation and adaptation for developing countries could be jeopardized. Still, the rest of the international community is poised to move ahead this month.

“The situation in the United States is obviously worrisome,” said Donovan Escalante, a Senior Analyst at the Climate Policy Initiative. “However, I do not think it is sufficient to overcome the progress that has been made in the last decade to combat climate change. We have seen enormous progress in reducing the cost of renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency and creating the political will to resolve the issue of climate change.”

The shift in policy by the Trump Administration has in many ways emboldened the international community as well as many local and state governments in the United States in the months leading up to Bonn.

“In the wake of Trump’s announced withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, 14 U.S. states and over 500 cities have committed to adopt, honor and uphold the Agreement’s climate goals,” said Thwaites. “Several cities and states have expressed interest in a collective effort to contribute to international climate funding. Other countries are also standing firm and delivering on their commitments to the GCF. So even if the U.S. federal government is withdrawing, there remains momentum behind the GCF and climate action more broadly.”

Category: COP23

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