PANELISTS:

• Anke HEROLD, Executive Director & Executive Board Member, Oeko-Institute e.V. (Institute for Applied Ecology)
• Sally YOZELL, Senior Fellow & Director, Environment Security Program, Stimson Center
• TENG Fei, Associate Professor & Deputy Director, Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy, Tsinghua University
• Keita FURUKAWA, Affiliated Research Fellow, Ocean Policy Research Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation

 

MODERATOR & WELCOMING REMARKS:

• Nong HONG, Executive Director & Head, Blue Carbon & Climate Change Program, Institute for China-America Studies

 

OPENING REMARKS:

• WANG Sheng, President, National Institute for South China Sea Studies; Senior Advisor, Blue Carbon & Climate Change Program, Institute for China-America Studies

 

CONCLUDING REMARKS:

• YANG Li, Executive Director, Institute for China-Europe Studies

There is about one month to go to the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the UNFCCC, which is set to take place in Egypt from November 7-18, 2022. The world’s climate is deteriorating at a much faster pace than expected as we experience more frequent extreme weather and natural disasters. Also, the current measures on climate change set during COP26 are far from being met. With the ambition of making this conference into “a radical turning point in international climate efforts in coordination with all parties,” COP27 seeks to find solutions to both imminent and persisting climate crises. COP27 hopes to continue the world’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the framework of the Paris Agreement. Meanwhile, it plans to support the climate-vulnerable countries in adapting to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Therefore, financing and assisting developing countries that lack the monetary and technical capacities to achieve the stated goals is another essential component of COP27.

Are countries delivering on their climate protection agendas as they promised at last year’s COP26 and the Paris Agreement, which was signed almost seven years ago? What are some examples of noticeable domestic policies designed to fulfill these agreements? Are there any recent developments in or retrogressions of these policies? Is establishing international institutions to form binding powers in affecting countries’ domestic environmental policies a feasible solution? As an important topic of COP27, what are examples of practical measures in assisting developing countries to mitigate and reverse climate challenges? How do we encourage different actors to work together and consider using one another’s comparative advantages in multilateral cooperation? Considering recent downturns in both geopolitical interactions and mutual trust, how do we ensure countries pay close attention to environmental problems while not using it as a bargaining chip? Conversely, would healthy competition be a good solution to bring all major powers back to the table? Join the ICAS Blue Carbon & Climate Change Program for this event to warm up for COP27 in November.