The meeting was the first time the international community has gathered since COP26 in Glasgow, where Parties committed to develop a work programme to speed up cuts in their emissions in this critical decade before 2030, with the aim of keeping global average temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius. In Bonn, Parties also launched work on finding new ways to finance vulnerable countries and communities around the world that are struggling to “avert, minimize and address loss and damage” associated with the impacts of climate change. Work continued on defining a “new collective quantified goal” for climate finance, which will replace the current finance goal of USD 100 billion annually from 2020-2025. Parties and representatives of civil society also used the meeting in Bonn to focus on the challenge of post-2030 ambition, by starting preparations for the Global Stocktake (GST) that will take place at COP28 in 2023 in the United Arab Emirates. The GST is designed to drive the Paris Agreement’s ambition cycle and will provide the basis for the next round of Parties’ emissions reduction targets for 2035 and 2040, as well as new efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change and to raise financial and technical resources to support developing countries. The Bonn session closed with the Parties agreeing to send forward a series of “informal notes” that will provide the basis for continued work between now and Sharm el-Sheikh. The most recent reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were at the centre of Bonn negotiations, delivering the best available scientific understanding of the urgent need and opportunities for action. The EU worked closely with vulnerable developing countries and its G7 partners to encourage major emitters to raise their pre-2030 ambition through a new Mitigation Work Programme that should be launched in Sharm El-Sheikh. On the issue of adaptation and on loss and damage, the EU and other developed countries recognise the urgency of the issue, and have committed to scale up support by strengthening existing arrangements and institutions that have demonstrated experience and expertise in supporting communities in need. In terms of climate finance, developed countries must deliver on the commitments they have made. It is also essential to align global financial flows with the Paris goals to ensure that the scale of financial support matches what is required to help solve the existential challenges created by the climate crisis. Many other countries share this position, and the EU reaffirms that this must be addressed at COP 27. In its closing statement, the EU welcomed the progress made over the ten days, and called on Parties to continue to build convergence on the various issues before meeting again in person in Sharm el-Sheikh for the UN Climate Conference (COP27) in November. The incoming Egyptian Presidency has the EU’s full support and we look forward to continued good cooperation. This year’s conference was the first to take place in Bonn since the coronavirus outbreak. It also marked the last formal negotiating session under the leadership of Patricia Espinosa, who has served as Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Secretariat since 2016. Article originally posted by the European Commission - https://ec.europa.eu/clima/news-your-voice/news/paving-way-cop-27-bonn-climate-change-conference-2022-06-17_en

The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Tuesday, April 5, 2022. — The University of the West Indies (The UWI) and UNDP have been ‘walking the talk’ on several blue economy-related initiatives since the two entities joined forces in 2019 to drive climate change solutions for the Caribbean. Among the tangible collaboration initiatives is a joint think-tank on public policy for the Blue Economy developed by The UWI and UNDP Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean to tackle development issues and strengthen development effectiveness. On Monday, April 4 the think-tank also commonly referred to as Blue Economists for the Caribbean hosted a high-level forum themed, Strengthening Research-Policy Linkages for a Thriving Blue Economy in the Caribbean to showcase some of the work advanced to date. The Honourable Dean Jonas, Minister of Social Transformation, Human Resource Development and the Blue Economy for Antigua and Barbuda delivered opening remarks. He applauded The UWI and UNDP and expressed the Government of Antigua and Barbuda’s enthusiasm for the establishment of The UWI’s Centre for Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy at the Five Islands Campus, one of the initiatives realised following the collaboration. The Centre, he said, “illustrates the range of potential areas for partnership.” He added, “Forming strategic partnerships with stakeholders such as The UWI complements regional efforts executed with, and by other international development agencies, donors, civil society, national government and local stakeholders.” Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor, The UWI and Luis Felipe López-Calva, UN Assistant General Secretary, and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean also delivered remarks at the forum which was chaired by Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Affairs Dr. Stacy Richards-Kennedy, whose office spearheaded the partnership between The UWI and UNDP. Vice-Chancellor Beckles expressed pride at the progress from the partnership. “I'm happy to report that after three years, what I have seen is the development of a best practice in terms of partnerships, activism, and establishing a track record for getting things done. We know that MOUs are not always ‘MO-DOs’ by tradition. But this is an instance in which The UWI and UNDP have been establishing a legacy of action.” He declared, “We are going to be able to demonstrate at the highest possible level that UWI will be a best-case scenario in the implementation of agreed positions and policies.” Following the opening remarks were reports on the key areas of research-policy work undertaken since the signing of the partnership agreement in 2019. This segment featured presentations from Dr. Julian Roberts, Managing Director, Blue Resources Ltd on Challenges and Opportunities for the Blue Economy in the Caribbean ; Dr. Akshai Mansingh, Dean, Faculty of Sport, The UWI; Mr. Matthew Goldie-Scot, Managing Director, Thuso Group on Climate Change and Sport and Dr. Emily Dick-Forde, Management Committee Member at The UWI Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development on the UWI Flagship Initiative: Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development (GISCRD) . View the event here

The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Saturday, April 9, 2022. — The University of the West Indies (The UWI) in collaboration with the Open Society University Network (OSUN) recently hosted a webinar on the Caribbean’s need for climate justice. The virtual engagement held on March 30 was part of Open Society’s Global Teach-In series. Championing a grassroots effort, the initiative designated the date for universities and organisations worldwide to lead events focused on ambitious but feasible, region-specific solutions to help Solve Climate by 2030. The webinar Climate Justice in the Caribbean, hosted by the University’s Office of Global Affairs was one of more than 250 events held throughout the global OSUN network. The public education event which engaged a wide group of stakeholders, built on the research projects and collaborations that have been fostered through The UWI’s MOU with Open Society Foundations—one of which supports the development of a climate justice strategy. In her welcome remarks, UWI Pro Vice-Chancellor of Global Affairs, Dr. Richards-Kennedy reinforced the University’s position as an activist and SDG-engaged academy. The UWI, she said, is committed to the idea of higher education institutions being at the forefront of climate action and climate justice. She noted also that universities “… are not only vital hubs for research, teaching, and knowledge exchange. They also serve as living laboratories and are important spaces for demonstration projects on how research can be applied to provide practical solutions to climate challenges.” She also introduced the connection between climate and reparatory justice stating, “Climate justice is integrated also into the discourse on reparatory justice because research has shown that the countries that are the most affected are those that were historically exploited and drained of natural resources during centuries of extraction and exploitation that occurred during colonization.” This connection was acknowledged and supported by other presenters on the webinar, which included: Ms. Yamide Dagnet, Global Director, Climate Justice, Open Society Foundations; Dr. James Fletcher, Former Energy Minister of Saint Lucia and Founder and Managing Director, SOLORICON Ltd; and Dr. Emily Dick-Forde, Acting Deputy Principal, The UWI Open Campus, and Management Committee Member of the UWI Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development. Ms. Yamide Dagnet commended The UWI as being a ‘powerhouse’ in climate change leadership. She also acknowledged the connection between the justice discourse on climate change and The UWI’s global leadership on reparation for slavery and genocide. “The poor, women…the most vulnerable, marginalized communities of indigenous, black and people of colour; we bear the consequences disproportionately without any guarantee of dignity.” She went on to note that although these communities bear little responsibility for climate change and its significant economic costs, “the impact of climate change on vulnerable countries has been neglected and unfunded.” Dr. James Fletcher flagged the need to shift the conversation from ‘climate change’ to ‘climate crisis’ during his contribution. He believes that climate change suggests something incremental – therefore something for which we have time to prepare. However, he warned, “We do not have time so really what we are faced with is a crisis. A catastrophe that is unfolding at a very rapid rate…we now must adjust our response to suit the urgency.” He encouraged the Caribbean to make its own efforts; end the self-inflicted damage and build resilience in areas such as water systems, public health, and public infrastructure. Dr. Emily Dick-Forde called for Caribbean governments and people to “take active and even aggressive roles in the pursuit of climate justice.” Citing the working definition included in the UWI’s Climate Justice initiative Dr Dick-Forde said climate justice implies “…transformative changes and the need to look beyond national boundaries to what is good for the world as a whole.” She continued “Climate justice is asking for priority to be placed on the spending of national governments in those countries where their development and advancement came on the backs of other regions in several ways. Not just in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, but certainly in terms of historical injustices with respect to colonialism, imperialism, neocolonialism and especially the root, which is the enslavement and exploitation of Africans.” Highlighting the resulting financial and mental limitations for exploited regions, Dr. Dick-Forde stated unapologetically “Historical injustices are in fact hindrances to climate action in the Caribbean.” She believes reparatory justice should focus beyond our historical past; “It has to be seen as having an active role in going forward with respect to ensuring climate justice and to promoting climate action for resilience building in the Caribbean.” Regarding solutions to the urgent need to mainstream climate justice and address the climate crisis facing the Caribbean, the panelists shared several thoughts. Ms. Yamide Dagnet suggested that solutions require “free exchange of ideas and thoughts and that everyone should have the choice and dignity in shaping the policies that affect them.” Dr. James Fletcher took the opportunity to call on Caribbean governments to “intensify the diplomatic pressure on developed countries to curb the emissions of greenhouse gases…to increase their financial support to climate-vulnerable countries and lobby actively and robustly for climate justice.” Dr. Dick-Forde advocated for democratizing the systems for managing climate funds to widen access beyond governments to NGOs, community groups, and activists. View the event by clicking here