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2. Brazilian Youth Fight to Decolonize Climate Justice
- Author:
- Anna Beatriz Anjos
- Publication Date:
- 03-2022
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- Activists from Brazil’s urban peripheries are among the hardest hit by the climate crisis, and they are becoming increasingly active in the fight against it.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Inequality, Urban, Justice, and Political Movements
- Political Geography:
- Brazil and South America
3. The Devastating Costs of Puerto Rico’s Solar “Farms”
- Author:
- Ruth Santiago, Hilda Lloréns, and Catalina de Onís
- Publication Date:
- 02-2022
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- The road to achieving sustainable energy in Puerto Rico should not be paved by bulldozing agricultural lands and coastal plains.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Climate Change, Environment, Sustainability, Solar Power, and Energy
- Political Geography:
- Caribbean and Puerto Rico
4. Environmental Justice in the Age of Unnatural Disaster
- Author:
- Chris N. Lesser
- Publication Date:
- 03-2022
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA)
- Abstract:
- The recent mudslides in Petrópolis are just the latest examples of the issues of unequal access to land and precarious housing in Brazil.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Natural Disasters, Inequality, Justice, Land, and Housing
- Political Geography:
- Brazil and South America
5. A Changing Climate and Its Implications for Health and Migration in the Pacific: Examples from the Marshall Islands
- Author:
- Laura Brewington, Kelli Kokame, and Nancy Lewis
- Publication Date:
- 09-2021
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- Climate change impacts--temperature and rainfall changes, extreme events, sea-level rise, and ocean acidification--are amplifying health risks in vulnerable populations throughout the Pacific Islands, and also influence their mobility. This nexus of climate change, health, and migration is evident in the experience of the Marshall Islands. The nation and its population are dispersed over almost two million square kilometers of ocean, with sizeable diasporas in the United States. Climate impacts in the Marshall Islands exacerbate ongoing health threats, such as limited drinking water supplies, inadequate nutrition, and poor infrastructure. The out-migration of Marshallese is largely motivated by health, economic, education, and environmental reasons; therefore, planning for migrant movements should include adaptation strategies that also reduce health risks. A better understanding of how health, mobility, and climate change interact will help shape policy responses and provide useable climate information for focused, timely interventions that maximize health and well-being among populations in motion.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Health, Migration, and Infrastructure
- Political Geography:
- Asia-Pacific and Marshall Islands
6. Ukraine’s Projected 2nd Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC2): Is It Possible to Achieve More Ambitious Goals at a Lower Cost?
- Author:
- Volodymyr Omelchenko
- Publication Date:
- 04-2021
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Razumkov Centre
- Abstract:
- Achieving climate goals is the economic policy priority. In fact, Ukrainian Green Deal is the best economic tool for Ukraine’s gradual entry into a single European political and economic space and its achievement of sustainable development goals, as defined by the UN resolution of 25 September 2015.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Sustainable Development Goals, and Economic Policy
- Political Geography:
- Ukraine and Eastern Europe
7. IS CLIMATE CHANGE DRIVING GLOBAL CONFLICT?
- Author:
- Nina von Uexkull and Halvard Buhaug
- Publication Date:
- 02-2021
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Political Violence @ A Glance
- Abstract:
- While former US President Donald Trump frequently denied man-made climate change, the Biden administration has pledged to make climate change a priority, including for national security. In line with years of thinking within the defense sector, the Biden-Harris team refers to climate change as a “threat multiplier,” pointing to risks of regional instability and resource competition driven by worsening environmental conditions. This perspective also aligns with the initiatives of other countries that have pushed climate security in the UN Security Council and other international bodies.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Climate Change, International Security, Conflict, and Armed Conflict
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
8. The Impact of Climate Change on U.S. Foreign Policy and the National Interest
- Author:
- John Harbeson and Keith P. McCormick
- Publication Date:
- 05-2021
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- American Diplomacy
- Abstract:
- Editor’s note: In September 2020 the DACOR Bacon House Foundation invited climate experts from government, science, diplomacy, the academy, and media as well as an audience of foreign affairs professionals to examine the current state of knowledge on climate change and its impacts on U.S. foreign policy and the national interest. A summary of the conference proceedings follows.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Climate Change, and Diplomacy
- Political Geography:
- North America, Global Focus, and United States of America
9. G20, COP26 and the Climate Emergency: Insights from Italian Public Opinion
- Author:
- Margherita Bianchi and Giulia Gozzini
- Publication Date:
- 11-2021
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Istituto Affari Internazionali
- Abstract:
- Climate change is increasingly understood as the defining challenge of our times. Multiple polls underscore the extent to which citizens and government elites are united in identifying the climate emergency as the primary threat to human wellbeing and development. While prescriptions to tackle the climate crisis may diverge, the pandemic has increased the imperative to make human development and economic growth more responsive to the environment and natural ecosystems. Amidst promises to “build back better” in the wake of Covid-19, much anticipation is understandably being directed at the COP26 summit in Glasgow, that began on 1 November, one day after the conclusion of the G20 Rome summit.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Climate Change, Energy Policy, United Nations, Natural Resources, and Public Opinion
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Italy
10. Crowdsourcing for Climate-Smart Agriculture: Insights from the Bolivian Andes
- Author:
- Rafael Lindemann Taborga
- Publication Date:
- 11-2021
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Istituto Affari Internazionali
- Abstract:
- The vast majority of family and smallholder farmers in developing countries do not have access to locally relevant weather forecasts, undermining their capacity to adapt to climate change. Anticipating climate related risks reduces farmers’ vulnerability as they can plan ahead and limit the damage caused by storms, extreme temperatures, pests and other weather-related events. A recent pilot experiment in the Bolivian Andes – run by a consortium of international and national non-profit organisations, research centres and Bolivia’s productive development bank – found that encouraging smallholder farmers to crowdsource agro-climatic information enhances the accuracy of local weather forecasts, increasing their adoption of climate-smart practices. As a cost-effective system, crowdsourcing can be harnessed to broaden the coverage of agro-climatic information services, while enhancing their local relevance by responding to actual needs. The basic principle of crowdsourcing is that of outsourcing a task traditionally performed by a designated agent to individuals, groups of people or a platform that share a common goal. Encouraging smallholder farmers to utilise technology to send reports from their farmlands fosters a sense of ownership and collaboration, thereby favouring forms of collective knowledge production and sharing.
- Topic:
- Agriculture, Climate Change, Energy Policy, Natural Resources, and Digital Policy
- Political Geography:
- Bolivia and United States of America
11. The Venezuelan Oil Industry Collapse: Economic, Social and Political Implications
- Author:
- Rafael Ramírez
- Publication Date:
- 11-2021
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Istituto Affari Internazionali
- Abstract:
- Venezuela’s hydrocarbons industry has completely collapsed. Seven years of mismanagement and political purges, the dismantling of Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.’s (PDVSA) managerial structures and deviations in longstanding company policy implemented by the government of Nicolás Maduro since 2014 have undermined the sector and destabilised the national economy.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Oil, Natural Resources, Economy, and Industry
- Political Geography:
- Venezuela, North America, and United States of America
12. Building an Energy and Climate Coalition with Latin America and the Caribbean: An Agenda for the Biden Administration
- Author:
- Mauricio Cardenas and Laurie Fitzmaurice
- Publication Date:
- 06-2021
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
- Abstract:
- The initial months of the Biden administration’s foreign policy have underscored the importance of defining the type of relations with China (cooperative in some areas, adversarial in others) and revamping relations with Europe on areas of common interest. However, the United States should look closer to home, where it can find some major opportunities for international policy advancement. The Biden administration has a window of opportunity to rethink its relations with and policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In particular, there are very good reasons—political and economic—for putting the energy and climate change agenda at the center of the hemispheric partnership. On the political front, building a hemispheric bloc will increase the influence of its members in global negotiations. On the economic front, the countries in the region offer significant opportunities for trade and investment for the United States. Canada, which earlier in the year pledged to work with the United States on addressing climate change,[1] could also have an interest in promoting and potentially participating in this initiative. Prior to the arrival of the pandemic, the economies of LAC had already been confronting a complex series of economic growth challenges after the end of the commodities supercycle. Many countries in the region faced high levels of public indebtedness, currency depreciation, credit rating risk, insufficient tax revenue bases, and low investment rates.[2] The appearance of the COVID-19 crisis only served to exacerbate these conditions. The LAC region contains 8.4 percent of the world’s population but represents 30 percent of COVID-19 fatalities to date.[3] Forecasts now predict that per capita GDP will remain below the 2019 level at least until 2023.[4] The continuing surge of undocumented immigration into the southern border of the United States, the social and economic impacts of COVID-19, and the growing influence of China in the region could increase political pressure on the United States to develop a coherent policy toward LAC. These urgent and competing dynamics represent an opportunity for the United States to recast its policy toward the region as one of engagement. The United States could utilize the tools of technology and financing focused on energy and climate to put the region on a path toward sustained economic growth and social progress. LAC needs technology and financing to build clean infrastructure, develop alternative energies, and reduce energy poverty.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Regional Cooperation, and Regionalism
- Political Geography:
- Latin America, Caribbean, North America, and United States of America
13. The New US-EU Energy Security Agenda: Roundtable Report
- Author:
- Jonathan Elkind
- Publication Date:
- 07-2021
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
- Abstract:
- On June 3, 2021, Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) and the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP, the German Institute for International and Security Affairs), in cooperation with the European Climate Foundation (ECF) and the European Union (EU) Delegation to the US, cohosted a private virtual roundtable focusing on energy security issues during a period of heightened action on climate goals. This document summarizes the June 3 roundtable, which was conducted on a not-for-attribution basis. Participants in the roundtable included just over 50 senior corporate executives, civil society representatives, academic and think tank experts, energy analysts, and government officials from the European Union and United States. In June 2021, President Joe Biden traveled to Europe, his first overseas trip since his inauguration as president, and he met with European heads of state and government in the context of a British-hosted G7 meeting, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit, and a US-EU Summit.[1] The journey signaled a concerted effort by the United States and the European Union to rebuild bilateral relations, which were battered during the Trump administration. Protecting the global climate and accelerating the transition to clean energy are objectives that unify top leaders on both sides of the Atlantic today. The European Union has a legislated mandate of climate neutrality by the year 2050 and is implementing its comprehensive European Green Deal and elaborating a corresponding legal and regulatory framework for an enhanced 2030 target. In the United States, the Biden administration reentered the Paris climate agreement and announced plans to reach net-zero emissions by midcentury, though climate protection still faces significant political challenges in the US Congress and in certain states. If the European Union and the United States proceed as these plans indicate, their energy systems face a period of accelerating, unprecedented, and sustained change—new technologies, new supply chains, new business models, and new interdependencies between economic sectors.
- Topic:
- Security, Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, International Cooperation, and European Union
- Political Geography:
- Europe, North America, and United States of America
14. The Impact of ESG on National Oil Companies
- Author:
- Luisa Palacios
- Publication Date:
- 11-2021
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Columbia University
- Abstract:
- The rise of ESG investing—investment focused on environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance—in the 21st century has created significant pressures on oil companies. Some shareholders of international oil companies (IOCs) have pressed them to pay closer attention to ESG goals and diversify their business models away from hydrocarbons and into other sources of energy amid efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions.[1] National oil companies (NOCs)—which currently control about 50 percent of the world’s oil production—have different corporate mandates than their IOC peers that might imply a more complicated relationship with ESG goals. NOCs are mainly owned by governments in the developing world, and thus face vastly different demands than IOCs answering to private sector shareholders.[2] But different does not mean NOCs do not or will not feel pressure to address ESG issues. Given NOCs’ significant share of global oil production—and the fact that this share may increase as IOCs diversify—the pressures they face and changes they make could have a significant impact on the future of the oil and gas industry as well as countries’ abilities to meet climate goals. During the November 2021 COP 26 meetings in Glasgow, Saudi Arabia and India became the latest countries with strong NOCs to pledge to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the next decades.[3] This commentary examines how the ESG agenda is impacting NOCs through the ecosystem of organizations and principles that have emerged from the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement as well as from investors and regulators in global financial markets. The piece then describes the three components of the ESG framework in relation to NOCs and the challenges of accurately measuring adherence to them due to insufficient standardization of metrics and the variety of reporting frameworks. Also, because environmental, social, and governance competence are not strictly related to one another, companies may be strong in some areas and weak in others, making it difficult to evaluate their ESG performance as a whole.[4] Finally, while ESG pressures are coming alongside discussions about the energy transition and climate change, ESG assessments do not evaluate companies’ energy transition plans, even if some aspects of ESG scores might provide insights about them. The commentary pays special attention to the importance of corporate governance for national oil companies in achieving overall ESG goals, given the key differences between their ownership structure and that of private sector companies working in the oil industry.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Oil, Natural Resources, and Green Technology
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
15. Is Coronavirus Good for Our Sick Planet?
- Author:
- Luca Franza
- Publication Date:
- 03-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Istituto Affari Internazionali
- Abstract:
- Dolphins are being spotted in harbours, canals in Venice have never looked so clean and the temporary ban of corridas has spared the lives of a hundred Spanish bulls. Looking at the bright side of things is an admirable quality, but we should not get too carried away with the idea that COVID-19 is good for the planet. Besides the anecdotal phenomena quoted above, the collapse of mobility and economic activity induced by COVID-19 are generating meaningful short-term consequences for the environment. These include a sharp reduction in Hubei’s and Northern Italy’s air pollution levels and a likely reduction in global CO2 emissions in 2020. Rejoicing over such news rests on a short-sighted view. The interlinkages between COVID-19, energy and climate issues are so complex that we are actually looking at a mixed bag of consequences.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Pollution, and Coronavirus
- Political Geography:
- China, Europe, and Global Focus
16. Time for a European Climate and Sustainable Development Bank
- Author:
- Daniele Fattibene
- Publication Date:
- 04-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Istituto Affari Internazionali
- Abstract:
- The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stands at a crossroads. While Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have progressively entered the political discourse and agendas of numerous states, without long-term financial investments, building a more just and sustainable future will remain little more than a rhetorical embellishment.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Development, United Nations, and Sustainable Development Goals
- Political Geography:
- Europe and European Union
17. COMMENTARIES: State of the European Union address 2020
- Author:
- Katerina Davidova, Vít Havelka, Jana Juzová, Christian Kvorning Lassen, Danielle Piatkiewicz, and Zuzana Stuchlíková
- Publication Date:
- 09-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Europeum Institute for European Policy
- Abstract:
- Experts from EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy comment on the State of the Union address (SOTEU) given by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on 16 September 2020. Topics of the commentaries: Christian Kvorning Lassen: General Impressions – A Visionary Speech Challenged by Political Reality; Christian Kvorning Lassen: A Stronger European Health Union is Needed; Christian Kvorning Lassen: Migration – Ambitious rhetoric, dubious feasibility; Danielle Piatkiewicz: Multilateralism: Europe’s Call to Global Action – Taking the Lead; Kateřina Davidová: EU’s climate momentum not quashed by the pandemic as new target is presented; Jana Juzová: European Neighbourhoods – Vague Reassurances, Economy First; Zuzana Stuchlíková: Next Generation EU, Rule of Law and Conference on the Future of Europe; Vít Havelka: The EU and the UK fights over blame for Brexit fiasco
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Health, Migration, European Union, Multilateralism, and Rule of Law
- Political Geography:
- Europe
18. Member states’ expectations towards the German Council Presidency
- Author:
- Christian Kvorning Lassen
- Publication Date:
- 07-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Europeum Institute for European Policy
- Abstract:
- As Germany assumes the presidency of the Council of the EU, the Union is facing the “biggest test of its history” according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and a severe economic recession could not be more extraordinary. The weight of expectations on Berlin to assume a European leadership role during the presidency are as extraordinary as those challenges. What exactly do other member states expect from Germany and how do they set their policy priorities? To answer this, the European Policy Institutes Network (EPIN) has compiled an analysis of 15 different national perspectives. Czechia hopes that Germany will forge a compromise that ensures more funding for the cohesion policy and more flexibility to use those funds, including those allocated to the European Green Deal. Czechs look towards the German presidency in hope that the salience of the Green Deal will fall, arguing instead that the pandemic requires a delay – or even abandonment – of a principally green-based restructuring of the economy. The fact that studies based on the previous financial crisis indicate that green investments are ideally positioned to spur economic recovery is ignored; the resistance towards climate neutrality in Czechia is ideological rather than empirical.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, European Union, Economy, Recovery, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Germany
19. Avoiding “Cuba-sur-Calais” and Other Misadventures on Brexit Island
- Author:
- Roderick Parkes
- Publication Date:
- 11-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
- Abstract:
- British political institutions have shown resilience during the Brexit crisis. London apparently believes it has the scope to put EU talks behind it and recalibrate its position in the world. The British government is carrying out an integrated review of defense, aid, and foreign policy and preparing its presidency of the COP26 climate talks and G7. By contrast, its neighbors are gripped by the notion of Britain’s further constitutional deterioration. Their perceptions could well become self-fulfilling.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Defense Policy, Climate Change, Politics, Brexit, and Negotiation
- Political Geography:
- Britain and Europe
20. The Point of No Return: The 2020 Election and the Crisis of American Foreign Policy
- Author:
- Thomas Wright
- Publication Date:
- 10-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Lowy Institute for International Policy
- Abstract:
- With the international order weakened by COVID-19, economic recession, and receding American leadership, the 2020 presidential election will be even more consequential than that of 2016. There is no reason to believe that President Trump will follow in the tradition of other Republican presidents and pursue a more multilateral and cooperative strategy in his second term. Emboldened and unconstrained, a second Trump administration could spell the end of the alliance system and the postwar liberal international order. A Biden administration would be a reprieve for the US-led international order, and will act on climate change, COVID-19, immigration, and multilateralism, while Biden will need to adjudicate internal debates on China, the Middle East, globalisation, and foreign economic policy.
- Topic:
- Foreign Policy, Climate Change, Globalization, Elections, Economic Policy, Donald Trump, COVID-19, International Order, and Joe Biden
- Political Geography:
- China, Middle East, and United States of America
21. COVID-19 Crisis: Timely Reminder for Climate Change
- Author:
- Margareth Sembiring
- Publication Date:
- 04-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- The COVID-19 outbreak disrupted our daily lives and impacted national economies. Amidst the virus turmoil, our natural surroundings have benefited from the slowdown. The global community needs to make a concerted effort to rethink our approach to economic growth to avert a climate crisis.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Economy, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
22. Decarbonisation on a Finite Planet
- Author:
- Margareth Sembiring
- Publication Date:
- 11-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- Decarbonisation is not happening in a vacuum but on a planet already replete with ecological challenges. The material-intensive requirement of low-carbon technologies means more mining, and the currently inadequate recycling capacity means more waste. Existing pressures point to an urgent need to reduce consumption to avert climate and ecological crises.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Science and Technology, Recycling, and Biodiversity
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
23. Fire and Rain: The Legacy of Hurricane Lane in Hawai'i
- Author:
- Alison D. Nugent, Ryan J. Longman, Clay Trauernicht, Matthew P. Lucas, Henry F. Diaz, and Thomas W. Giambelluca
- Publication Date:
- 08-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- Hurricane Lane, which struck the Hawaiian islands on 22–25 August 2018, presented a textbook example of the compounding hazards that can be produced by a single storm. Over a four-day period, the island of Hawaiʻi received an average 17 inches of rainfall. One location received 57 inches, making Hurricane Lane the wettest tropical storm ever recorded in the state and the second wettest ever recorded in the US. At the same time, three wildfires on the island of Maui and one on Oʻahu burned nearly 3,000 acres of abandoned agricultural land. As the global climate warms, the number and strength of hurricanes is expected to increase, both in Hawaiʻi and in the Pacific region generally. A better understanding of the relationship between hurricanes and global climate change is critical in order to predict the vulnerability of people and resources during a severe weather event and to plan an appropriate course of action.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Natural Disasters, Natural Resources, and Crisis Management
- Political Geography:
- North America, Asia-Pacific, and Hawaii
24. Toynbee Coronavirus Series: Dipesh Chakrabarty on zoonotic pathogens, human life, and pandemic in the age of the Anthropocene
- Author:
- Dipesh Chakrabarty
- Publication Date:
- 06-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Toynbee Prize Foundation
- Abstract:
- Living through historically unprecedented times has strengthened the Toynbee Prize Foundation's commitment to thinking globally about history and to representing that perspective in the public sphere. In this multimedia series on the covid-19 pandemic, we will be bringing global history to bear in thinking through the raging coronavirus and the range of social, intellectual, economic, political, and scientific crises triggered and aggravated by it. Toynbee Prize Awardee Dipesh Chakrabarty is the Lawrence A. Kimpton Distinguished Service Professor of History, South Asian Languages and Civilizations, and the College at University of Chicago. He is a founding member of the editorial collective of Subaltern Studies, a consulting editor of Critical Inquiry, a founding editor of Postcolonial Studies, and has served on the editorial boards of the American Historical Review and Public Culture, among others. His distinctions, publications, and awards are too numerous to mention; the landmark work for which he is perhaps best known, Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial Thought and Historical Difference (Princeton, 2000; second edition, 2008), has been translated into Italian, French, Polish, Spanish Turkish, and Korean and is being brought out in Chinese. Included among his vast range of research interests are the implications of climate change science for historical and political thought and, most relevant for our discussion today, the Anthropocene.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Coronavirus, Pandemic, COVID-19, Ecology, and Anthropocene
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
25. Security in the Shadow of Climate Change in the Sahel
- Author:
- Haim Koren Gideon Behar
- Publication Date:
- 08-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies
- Abstract:
- In this issue of Ifriqiya, Dr. Haim Koren and Ambassador Gideon Behar discuss the causes and potential solutions to the dual challenges of climate change and rising violence in the Sahel region of Africa.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Conflict, Violence, and Islamism
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Sahel
26. Europe in the Age of Uncertainties
- Author:
- Mikael Barfod
- Publication Date:
- 05-2020
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- American Diplomacy
- Abstract:
- Donald Trump has regularly chipped away at multilateralism during his three years in power: climate change, trade wars, immigration, withdrawal from international conflicts, ambiguity about defence alliances, and even suspension of the US budget for the World Health Organization, to mention a few. EU policy, on the other hand, has always supported the UN and the multilateral approach. A traditionally open and liberal EU has a clear self-interest in preserving multilateralism. Could the EU (as I have previously argued[1]) still take the lead in forming effective international alliances to reactivate and possibly even reform multilateral structures? How can Europe take “its destiny into its own hands” as Angela Merkel suggested recently? Well said, but she is retiring in a year and a half. And meanwhile, what has the coronavirus done to Europe’s destiny? Let’s look at today’s main challenges and opportunities.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Immigration, Multilateralism, Trade Wars, and Donald Trump
- Political Geography:
- Europe and United States of America
27. In the Aegean, Energy Sustainability = Increased Security
- Author:
- Katerina Sokou and Aristotle Tziampiris
- Publication Date:
- 10-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- The Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies (BESA)
- Abstract:
- The challenging geography of Greece makes it hard for the country to take full advantage of its natural resources and expand its energy grid. Though it has doubled its share of renewables, it needs to redouble those efforts to reach the EU’s ambitious goal of covering a third of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030. The Greek islands that have been at the forefront of the migration and refugee crises would particularly benefit from a targeted policy to reach that goal, as the transition would increase their energy security, reduce their energy costs, and diversify their economies. Greece has the potential to be a model of sustainability that would enhance the stability of the entire Eastern Med.
- Topic:
- Security, Climate Change, Energy Policy, Natural Resources, Refugee Crisis, and Sustainability
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Greece, and Mediterranean
28. The Battle Heats Up: Climate Issues in the 2020 US Presidential Election
- Author:
- Arnault Barichella
- Publication Date:
- 12-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Institut français des relations internationales (IFRI)
- Abstract:
- Environmental issues have frequently enjoyed bipartisan support in American history: the Clean Air Act was enacted in 1963 under Democratic President Johnson, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 under Republican President Nixon. This began to change in the 1980s under President Reagan, due to the rise of neoliberal economic theories pioneered by Republicans. Conservatives increasingly viewed environmental regulations as economic impediments. Partisanship on this issue then accelerated throughout the 1990s and 2000s, subject to the influence of powerful lobbying groups. President Bush Jr. refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol in 2001, actively promoted fossil fuels, and his administration attempted to cast doubt about the science of climate change. Climate partisanship somewhat abated during the 2008 and 2012 Presidential elections, since both McCain and Romney were ‘moderate’ Republicans.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Elections, Legislation, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama
- Political Geography:
- North America and United States of America
29. Creating Fossil-Fuel-Free Communities Globally
- Author:
- Emanuel Pastreich
- Publication Date:
- 09-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Foreign Policy In Focus
- Abstract:
- Now that the movement to address climate change at the systemic and cultural level has gained unprecedented momentum, it is critical for us to establish a viable alternative economy that committed citizens around the world can join. The basic unit of that economy should be fossil-fuel-free (FFF) communities. In these FFF (fossil-fuel-free) communities, to be built from the ground up, nothing eaten or consumed, no form of transformation or communication employed, and no aspect of housing, furniture or utensils will contain fossil fuels (including plastics or fertilizers). Nor will any of these items be produced, transported, or manufactured using fossil fuels.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, International Affairs, and Social Movement
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
30. Don’t Forget: Nuclear Weapons Are an Existential Threat, Too
- Author:
- Olivia Alperstein
- Publication Date:
- 09-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Foreign Policy In Focus
- Abstract:
- A new study shows just how bad a nuclear war could get. We need a plan to eliminate this risk permanently
- Topic:
- Climate Change, International Political Economy, and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
31. Climate Crisis: ‘Listening to the Science’ Not Enough
- Author:
- Sofiah Jamil
- Publication Date:
- 11-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- Greta Thunberg has called on politicians to “listen to the science” and take climate change seriously. But climate communication strategies can be more effective when “listening to the science” is complemented with “listening to society”.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Science and Technology, Conflict, and Society
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
32. Climate Change: Re-assessing Current Approaches
- Author:
- Margareth Sembiring
- Publication Date:
- 12-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- Proposed solutions to climate change are heavily reliant on technological advances. Considering the initial causes of current warming trends that can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution, a shift in consumerism may provide better solutions to climate woes.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Science and Technology, and Renewable Energy
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
33. Environmental Awareness: Alternative Strategies Beyond Symbolism
- Author:
- Sofiah Jamil
- Publication Date:
- 05-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- Are existing environmental campaigns making an impact? Environmental awareness strategies should incorporate lessons from history and traditions, to bring about more effective outcomes.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, and Carbon Emissions
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
34. Alpine Environments under Threat in Hawai'i and New Zealand
- Author:
- Abby G. Frazier and Laura Brewington
- Publication Date:
- 11-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- Of all the earth's environments, alpine regions are arguably the most vulnerable to climate change. This is especially true for alpine areas on islands. In both Hawai'i and New Zealand, about 11 percent of the land area is above the tree line, the definition of an alpine environment. In addition to climate change, these island ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to damage from human activity and the invasion of alien species.
- Topic:
- Climate Change and Environment
- Political Geography:
- New Zealand, Asia-Pacific, and Hawaii
35. New U.S. Policies toward Greenland
- Author:
- Charles E. Morrison and Mark Nuttall
- Publication Date:
- 09-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- In the summer of 2019, Greenland received considerable media attention for two developments: Its large ice sheet saw record rates of surface melt with potentially devastating impacts on the oceans, and Donald Trump suggested that the United States should look into buying the island from Denmark. Although Greenland is not for sale, the Greenlandic government welcomes foreign investment and assistance in meeting the island's socio-economic challenges. The United States can also assist Greenland by improving international scientific cooperation on climate change research, helping Greenlanders adapt to a changing climate, and providing global leadership in addressing and mitigating the effects of climate change.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, Leadership, and Donald Trump
- Political Geography:
- Greenland and United States of America
36. Nurturing the Seeds of Growth
- Author:
- Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis & Research (ZIPAR)
- Publication Date:
- 09-2019
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Zambia Institute for Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR)
- Abstract:
- The 2020 National Budget is centered on “Focusing national priorities towards stimulating the domestic economy”, a break from fiscal consolidation which has threaded the themes of recent past Budgets. This Analysis describes how Zambia should ensure that the expansionary fiscal policy stance and debt accumulation yield growth rather than stifling it; implementation of the 2020 Budget plants and nurtures seed for growth; and it minds the rising climate change adversities and diminishing social sector support. The Analysis offers key insights and recommendations.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Budget, Economic Growth, and Fiscal Policy
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Zambia
37. Xi Jinping’s Institutional Reforms: Environment over Energy?
- Author:
- Thibaud Voïta
- Publication Date:
- 10-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Institut français des relations internationales (IFRI)
- Abstract:
- During its two sessions (lianghui) in March 2018, the National People’s Congress (NPC) announced China’s most important institutional reforms in the last 30 years. These changes occurred right after Xi Jinping consolidated his power and at a time when stakeholders working in the energy field were expecting more clarity on policy orientations. Though the reforms are in line with those initiated since the 2000s, the energy sector is likely to be deeply affected by the new institutional setting, which reflects China’s energy policy path with a strong emphasis towards low-carbon technologies and a rise in importance of environmental issues, alongside Xi’s institutional modernization through greater centralization and control. Nevertheless, it is too early though to judge whether this will effectively impact the balance of power with the fossil fuel related institutions and policies. The day Environment became more important than energy The environment sector is at the core of the reforms, which probably reflects the will to put environmental protection ahead of energy issues. The latest reforms established a Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) which gathers climate and environment responsibilities, that used to be spread between a number of bodies. Unveiled in April, the MEE is now in charge of managing most environmental issues, and theoretically able to draft and empower regulations. In addition, it now represents China in international climate negotiations. In order to manage these new duties, MEE staff increased from 300 to 500.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Governance, and Xi Jinping
- Political Geography:
- China and Asia
38. 1.5°C Too Soon: More Must Be Done
- Author:
- Margareth Sembiring
- Publication Date:
- 11-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- The latest IPCC special report released in early October 2018 estimated that global temperature increase may reach 1.5°C anytime between 2030 and 2050. This is much sooner than the end of the century timeframe set in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Will this report lead to more ambitious and aggressive emission mitigation efforts?
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Treaties and Agreements, Carbon Emissions, and Paris Agreement
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
39. COP24 and the Silesia Declaration: Impact on Palm Oil
- Author:
- Margareth Sembiring
- Publication Date:
- 12-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- The negotiations in the recently concluded COP24 in Katowice produced a critical rulebook for the 2015 Paris Agreement. Equally important is the Silesia Declaration signed during the conference. It exhorted relevant stakeholders to ensure a just transition for segments of populations affected by climate agenda.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Development, Environment, and Treaties and Agreements
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
40. SVP for Clean Energy, on the Union Organizing Drive at Buffalo Solar Factory
- Author:
- Josh Freed
- Publication Date:
- 12-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Third Way
- Abstract:
- Third Way Senior Vice President for Clean Energy Josh Freed released the following statement on the United Steelworkers and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers drive to organize production and maintenance workers at Tesla’s solar factory in Buffalo, New York:
- Topic:
- Climate Change and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
41. DC Can Show True Climate Leadership by Cutting Carbon Even Faster and More Efficiently
- Author:
- Josh Freed
- Publication Date:
- 09-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Third Way
- Abstract:
- I am not only the Vice President for Clean Energy at Third Way, a center left think tank based in Washington dedicated to getting the United States to zero carbon pollution by 2050. I am also a native of the DC area and almost twenty-year District resident. My father was born here, as were my children.
- Topic:
- Climate Change and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
42. DC’s Climate Policy Should Be Even More Ambitious: Testimony Before the Council of the District of Columbia
- Author:
- Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Publication Date:
- 09-2018
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Third Way
- Abstract:
- My name is Ryan Fitzpatrick, and I am a resident of Ward 5 in the District of Columbia and Deputy Director of Clean Energy for Third Way, a policy think tank here in DC. As we saw yesterday with the release of the new report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world is facing an enormous challenge in the fight against climate change. We at Third Way believe that this demands urgent, aggressive action now to reduce and eliminate carbon pollution as cost-effectively, and from as many sectors of the economy, as possible
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Globalization, and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
43. Defense of Animal Agriculture Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense et al.
- Author:
- Blue Ribbon Panel
- Publication Date:
- 10-2017
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Hudson Institute
- Abstract:
- The increasing rate of emerging and reemerging zoonotic disease, along with threats and attempts by those with nefarious intent to attack food and agriculture, point to the need to exert more effort to eliminate vulnerabilities and reduce consequences associated with America’s agricultural sector. The Food and Agriculture (F&A) critical infrastructure sector produces, processes, and delivers the systems and commodities that feed billions of people and animals throughout the United States and globally. In 2015, the agriculture, food, and related industries contributed $992 billion (5.5%) to U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), making it one of the largest sectors of the U.S. economy. Given its critical importance to food safety and availability in the United States and around the world, protecting this sector is a matter of national security. Federal agencies; state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments; academic institutions; and industry partners all contribute to and are responsible for this vast enterprise. Our lives, culture, economy, and livelihood depend on their efforts.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, and International Affairs
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
44. Clear Waters and Green Mountains: Will Xi Jinping Take the Lead on Climate Change?
- Author:
- Sam Geall
- Publication Date:
- 11-2017
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Lowy Institute for International Policy
- Abstract:
- President Trump’s retreat on climate change put China ‘in the driver’s seat’. But to really demonstrate leadership, China needs to green its overseas investments. President Trump’s announced withdrawal from the Paris Agreement shone a light on China’s efforts to fight climate change, which are as much about economics and technology as environmental responsibility. Longer-term technological and economic change may lead China to eventually show greater diplomatic ambition on climate. China cannot assume an international leadership position on climate until it deepens its domestic energy transition and greens its overseas investments.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Energy Policy, Environment, Treaties and Agreements, and Investment
- Political Geography:
- China and Asia
45. Trump’s Paris Exit A blow to climate politics, but a boon to regional climate policy?
- Author:
- Milan Elkerbout
- Publication Date:
- 06-2017
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- Centre for European Policy Studies
- Abstract:
- The withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement represents a setback for global climate action. But the damage will be felt more in political and diplomatic terms than in terms of climate policy or reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which depend at least in the near term on domestic climate policies. The election of Donald Trump and the strong Republican majorities in both Houses of Congress that accompanied his election immediately dispelled any hope that the US would implement or maintain ambitious climate policies. Indeed, in the first months of his Presidency, Trump signed an executive order to review (and thus likely roll back) President Obama’s landmark climate policy – the Clean Power Plan. The latter initiative aimed to reduce power-sector emissions by 32% by 2030 through federal legislation. Other US climate policies, such as vehicle standards and methane regulations, are also destined for the axe. Taken collectively, these measures will make it very difficult for the country to meet its Paris pledge of reducing GHG emissions by 26-28% by 2025 compared to 2005, even if another personality occupies the White House by 2021. 1 Improving fundamentals for renewable energy may still allow the US to reach its 2020 target of a 17% reduction in emissions compared to 2005. But the difference between this target and the formal pledge made by the US in Paris is roughly equal to the annual emissions of the entire transport sector in the EU.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, International Affairs, and Climate Finance
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
46. The US exits Paris Can the EU drive international climate action?
- Author:
- Romain Pardo
- Publication Date:
- 07-2017
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- European Policy Centre
- Abstract:
- The Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement will make its implementation more challenging. The United States (US) had been instrumental in brokering a successful deal in Paris and speeding the ratification process for an early entry into force of the agreement. While the US remains party to the agreement for the next four years, its involvement in upcoming international climate discussions remains uncertain. Meanwhile, policy developments in the country such as the "Energy Independence Executive Order" indicate that the current administration has currently no intention to fulfil the pledge made by the previous one to lower CO2 emissions by 26 to 28% below 2005 levels in 2025.
- Topic:
- Climate Change, Environment, and International Development
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus
47. Expert Consensus on Downscaled Climate Projections for the Main Hawaiian Islands
- Author:
- PIRCA
- Publication Date:
- 12-2016
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- East-West Center
- Abstract:
- To better understand impacts of climate change across diverse sectors in Hawaii, resource managers and scientists collaborate with climate modelers who create projections of future climate conditions, such as changes in patterns of rainfall and temperature at the end of the 21st century. To make global climate projections applicable for Hawaii, the models must be downscaled (see Figure 1) to provide increased spatial detail for resource managers and cultural stewards. Different methods and models are used, and because these are projections for many decades from now, the results often span a range of possibilities. A Workshop held in September 2015 brought climate modelers and resource managers together to discuss areas of agreement about different aspects of climate projection. The purpose of this document is to summarize levels of expert consensus across different climate projections, and to offer guidance for resource managers, cultural stewards, and community leaders to better understand applications and limitations of available projections for the State.
- Topic:
- Climate Change
- Political Geography:
- Hawaii
48. Paving the Road to Paris? What the EU Can Do to Facilitate A Political Climate Deal
- Author:
- Olivia Gippner
- Publication Date:
- 10-2015
- Content Type:
- Commentary and Analysis
- Institution:
- LSE IDEAS
- Abstract:
- On the road to the Paris climate change conference in December 2015, what are the prospects for a deal among the key international players - the United States, China, and India? This Strategic Update asks what the EU can do to influence a higher level of ambition and continue to have a leadership role in the global climate community.
- Topic:
- Climate Change
- Political Geography:
- European Union