Deeper Dive into the Blue New Deal
by Vanessa Brown In my last blog post, I argued that the Ocean Climate Action Plan (“OCAP” or “Blue New Deal”) would shape Biden’s climate policy and provide the framework for the United States’ Paris Agreement re-entry. In this post … Continue reading
Blue New Deal Expected to Drive Biden Climate Policy, Paris Agreement Re-Entry
by Vanessa Brown Although the Trump Administration has pledged that the United States will exit the Paris Agreement, the formal withdrawal process will not be complete until November 4, 2020–the day after the election. Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, has pledged … Continue reading
A story of success in the Seychelles sustains hope in the wake of “failed” COP25 negotiations
While COP25 negotiators largely failed to account for civil society’s demands—and to represent all stakeholder interests at the international level—the reverse is occurring in the Seychelles, where people are no longer missing from the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). … Continue reading
The COP is broken, and only inclusivity will fix it
The science is essentially unchallenged, climate activism has reached a crescendo, and U.N. climate negotiators are once again poised to punt. What went wrong, and why isn’t anyone here surprised? How is it that the U.N. has been taking shots … Continue reading
Framing Article 6: Rules About Transparency More Than Trade
One of the final components of creating a rulebook for 2015’s Paris Agreement is fleshing out Article 6, a central feature of the negotiations at this year’s COP. Negotiators are focused on several technical issues and disagreements about the rules … Continue reading
Blue COP continues to deliver on an increasingly ocean-inclusive UNFCCC process
On Wednesday, December 11th, Professor Sarah Reiter and COP25 student delegate Kristyn Ostanek attended several ocean-minded side events. The more than 75 ocean events over the course of the past two weeks here at the negotiations have been part of … Continue reading
No adjustors, no lawyers, no paperwork…no problems on financial support for loss and damage
Blockchain technology may simplify the process for farmers to access insurance payouts for loss and damage from climate events. Parties have only a few days remaining to make decisions about which way Article 6, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the … Continue reading
COP25: assorted images
Demystifying COP: An accessible take on the international climate change negotiations
A week into the international climate negotiations, and with time running out, we need a “stock take” on why we are here, and what the world expects from us. Any COP veteran—negotiator or observer—will likely agree that COP is a … Continue reading
Blue COP: A ray of opportunity after a wave of emotional events
Despite more than 70 side events scheduled on the topic of oceans at the Blue COP, the ocean is still on the sidelines. However, with leadership from the small islands and other ocean-minded states, there is a movement afoot to chart … Continue reading
