In the lead-up to COP28, I presided over an important plenary discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations on “COP28 and Beyond—Does Multilateral Climate Diplomacy Work?” The discussion focused on the salience of multilateral climate change efforts by the United Nations and its members states (especially since COP21), COP28 outcomes, and the future of climate change and policy reactions to it more broadly.
In a vibrant discussion, we covered a range of topics including:
- An update on the current status of climate change and the progress toward the goals set by the Paris Climate Accord and the Sustainable Development Agenda,
- The main successes and failures of multilateral climate diplomacy and how it could be more effective,
- The location of this event in a petrostate and under the leadership of Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who leads Abu Dhabi’s state-run oil company and also oversees its renewable energy efforts,
- The private sector’s role in the COP process and beyond, particularly when it comes to facilitating (and unlocking) international climate finance, achieving Net Zero and facilitating climate adaptation,
- Loss and damage and the equity dimensions of climate change, and
- The challenges and rewards of working in this field.
It was an honor to moderate this panel. Thank you to my panelists:
- Jay Koh, Cofounder and Managing Director, The Lightsmith Group; CFR Member
- Jennifer Schuch-Page, Senior Advisor, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, U.S. Department of State; CFR Term Member
- David Kanter, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, New York University; CFR Term Member
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