The next years are critical for international action on climate change. The current negotiation process, as mandated by the Durban Plan of Action, aims at a new global climate agreement by the year 2015, which will take effect in 2020. The international climate process culminates with three important summits (Warsaw, Lima, Paris). The European Union (EU) has an important role to play and will have to revive its climate leadership, build up confidence and form coalitions in order to make the 2015 climate summit in Paris a success. The EU’s leadership until now has been the key for leveraging political traction with others and securing outcomes at Kyoto, Copenhagen and Durban. However, the EU faces internal challenges that threaten to undo these achievements. With the economic crisis dominating the European agenda, influential stakeholders across Europe are pushing a narrative that we cannot afford to tackle climate change under current economic circumstances in order to protect their business models that are threatened by the energy transition. Others warn that the EU is alone in taking real action on climate change and we cannot do more until others join. These narratives are barriers to an ambitious 2030 climate and energy framework and in turn could derail the momentum for a global climate deal in 2015.
The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union in cooperation with E3G organise the Dialogue Series “From Warsaw to Paris” on EU ambition in the international climate regime in the run-up to the Climate Summit (COP21) in Paris in 2015. The events and resulting policy briefs focus on key actions and barriers for the EU between now and Paris, including how to increase EU domestic ambition, understanding non EU country positions and discussing how Europe can best form strategic alliances with third countries. The dialogue series will help to boost the EU’s international climate diplomacy to leverage an ambitious future global climate agreement. For details, please contact Silvia Brugger.
