Washington, D.C – Worldwatch will contribute to the 21st Session of the Conference
of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) starting in Paris, France today by advising governmental delegations, participating
in high-level consultations, and speaking at conferences for the general public
“The Paris climate summit has all the ingredients to make history: an almost universal
understanding of the urgency to act, an agreement on the final document within reach,
and governments worldwide determined to act,” says Alexander Ochs, Director of Climate
and Energy and Worldwatch’s head of delegation.“A quarter century after the world embarked on protecting the atmosphere, we are
closer than ever to making real change happen. Paris can alter the way we generate
and consume energy; manufacture goods; produce our food and treat our forests and
peatlands; run our transport systems; respond to the ecosystem changes already underway;
and, maybe most importantly, work together across borders when confronted with problems
of global scale,” says Ochs. “Let’s seize this opportunity!”
Worldwatch will be among the international civil society organizations at the COP21
that will lead in debates and discussions about solutions to climate change.
“It is time for society to come together and act,” says Ed Groark, Chairman of the
Worldwatch Institute. “The world can no longer afford to squabble while dramatic
changes in the global climate already shift the social and environmental systems
on which we universally rely. There is enormous public momentum behind the negotiations
in Paris. The COP must become a watershed event that sets the course for governments,
businesses, and social societies in how we treat our environment and each other
for decades to come.”
Alexander Ochs can be reached directly throughout the conference at +49 170 665
0165.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS:
From INDC Design to NDC Implementation—- Integrated Climate Projects as a Vehicle
for Effective and Sustainable Climate Impact | Workshop of the International Climate
Initiative (ICI)
December 5, 2015 | 14:00 — 15:30 | Hotel Hyatt Regency, Charles de Gaulle, 351
avenue du Bois de la Pie
Working group III: Sectoral approaches to INDC implementation
Input: Alexander Ochs, Director, Climate and Energy
To illuminate how international cooperation efforts can most appropriately support
partner countries, the meeting addresses barriers related to Intended Nationally
Determined Contributions (INDCs) implementation: (1) financing of INDCs, (2) sectoral
approaches for INDC implementation, and (3) the role of co-benefits for INDC implementation.
Note: This event is not open to the public.
Meeting of the Sectoral Leads of the Low-Emissions Development Strategies Global
Partnership (LEDS-GP)
December 7, 2015
Chairman of the Energy Working Group: Alexander Ochs, Director, Climate and Energy
Alexander Ochs will present the ambitious 2016 program of the Energy Working Group
to other sectoral leads of the Low-Emissions Development Strategies Global Partnership.
Note: This event is not open to the public.
Advancing Low Carbon Development in the West African Region
December 8, 2015 | 14:00 — 15:30 | Salle 1 of the Africa Pavilion | COP 21
Panelist: Alexander Ochs, Director, Climate and Energy
The Ministers of Environment of Senegal and Gambia will co-chair a panel of experts
to discuss the developmental challenges in the West African region in the face of
a changing climate and the imperatives and benefits for low-carbon development.
Learn about trends and lessons in the region as well as the necessary tools than
can drive low carbon development.
Meat —- The Big Omission from the Talks on Emissions
December 9, 2015 | 15:00 — 16:30 | Observer Room 04 | COP 21
Speaker: Wanqing Zhou, Research Associate, Food and Agriculture
Leading experts and government officials will discuss the climate impacts of meat
and dairy consumption, public awareness about these impacts, and potential policy
and behavior change solutions. The focus will be on action post-Paris as well as
on new research and work in Brazil, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Unsustainable Meat: The Impacts of Industrial Livestock and Feedstock Production
on Climate and the People
December 10, 2015 | 10:00 — 11:30 | The Netherlands Climate Pavilion | COP 21
Speaker: Wanqing Zhou, Research Associate, Food and Agriculture
Small farmers, representatives from affected communities, and social participants
impacted by industrial livestock and feedstock production will present testimonies,
photographs, and creative campaigns to contribute to the discussion of agroecology
and food sovereignty as solutions to the climate crisis.
RESOURCES
Before and during the COP21 Paris Conference, the Worldwatch Institute is publishing
a series of blogs featuring developments and expectations from the negotiations
as well as from various regions. Please check in for updates. Among the posts already
published:
India’s INDC for Emissions Reduction: Finding the Devils in the Details – Worldwatch Institute
(Worldwatch is an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. that
works on energy, resource, and environmental issues. Worldwatch delivers the insights
and ideas that empower decision makers to create an environmentally sustainable
society that meets human needs (www.worldwatch.org)
