
The 24th Conference of the Parties (COP 24) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place in Katowice, Poland on 2-14 December, 2018. Coming on the heels of the earlier Paris Agreement and the IPCC’s 1.5C report, it represented a major opportunity to develop and agree on implementation mechanisms necessary to put the commitments made in Paris to work. The Paris Agreement, signed by 184 countries laid out in general terms the conditions for limiting global temperature increase to 1.5C. While the Agreement requires countries to develop and put in place mitigation plans more ambitious than their previous commitments, it left many technical details vague and contained no practical provisions for transparently tracking and reporting emissions and making sure commitments are enforceable. COP 24 was expected to address several related questions, without which the commitments in Paris could fizzle out. That would result in losing more time, while climate change marches unabated towards increasingly dangerous levels.
- What could we realistically expect from the COP?
- What was actually achieved? What was missed and why?
- What are the implications for next steps? What are the implications for future generations?
- What are regional implications, including for the Central and Eastern European region?
Join a panel of distinguished experts and young professionals on the frontlines of the climate change battle to listen, to challenge and to share your perspectives.
Panelists:
Jen Allan, Lecturer, Cardiff University and Team Leader, Earth Negotiations Bulletin – via skype
Kevin Anderson, Deputy Director, Tyndall Center, University of Manchester – via skype
Dorottya Bauer, Strategic Communications Intern, European Climate Foundation – via skype
Tibor Faragó, Honorary Professor, Szt. István University, ex-Climate Negotiator of Hungary (1991-2010)
Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Professor, CEU and Vice-Chair, IPCC WG3
Host and facilitator: László Pintér, Professor and Head of Department, Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy and Senior Fellow, International Institute for Sustainable Development
Summary of the Katowice Climate Change Conference: 2-15 December 2018, IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin A Reporting Service for Environment and Development Negotiations
Online at: http://enb.iisd.org/climate/cop24/enb/