06 November 2017

International experts present ten-point memorandum on tackling climate change ahead of UN Climate Change Conference

A ten-point memorandum defines key global challenges for the coming years and calls upon state and non-governmental actors to accelerate their efforts to tackle climate change.

© cornfield | Shutterstock

© cornfield | Shutterstock

In preparation for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP23), which begins today in Bonn, some 300 experts from the spheres of research, politics, civil society, business and the media including climate negotiators met at the weekend to discuss the future of global cooperation and options for decarbonising the global economy in a socially responsible manner. The organisers of the international conference “Climate Action and Human Wellbeing at a Crossroads: Historical Transformation or Backlash?” placed a particular focus on the perspective of developing countries, rising powers and the small island nations. The conference was hosted by the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) in cooperation with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Bonn/Königswinter.


A ten-point memorandum entitled “The Climate – Justice – Cooperation Nexus: 10 Cornerstones of the Great Transformation towards Sustainability” was presented as the outcome of the conference. This memorandum defines key global challenges for the coming years and calls upon state and non-governmental actors to accelerate their efforts to tackle climate change.

“With the Sustainable Development Goals, the world community has come to terms with a new and ambitious social contract, which is a hopeful first step towards a comprehensive sustainable transformation”, said Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Deputy Director General of IIASA, at the closing event on Sunday afternoon. Dirk Messner, Director of DIE, sees an urgent need for action on a further level:“In order to implement the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we must not only address substantive issues but also work towards creating a new culture of global cooperation based on trust and mutual respect”, said Dirk Messner.

The memorandum on “The Climate – Justice – Cooperation Nexus: 10 Cornerstones of the Great Transformation towards Sustainability” was presented and discussed with eminent participants representing multiple perspectives from climate negotiators, private and public sectors, artists and scientists from many disciplines ranging from social science to engineering. The memorandum calls upon policy-makers and business leaders to address the following issues among others at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn:

  • Renewal of the positive spirit of the Paris agreement in order to place international cooperation on a foundation of trust
  • Consistent and coordinated implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
  • Socially responsible decarbonisation of the global economy
  • Use of new technologies to drive the transformative change towards sustainability
  • A comprehensive and reliable strategy for financing sustainable development around the world, with a particular focus on the poorest countries

 The two-day international conference was made possible through financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), Stiftung Mercator, the Käte Hamburger Kolleg / Centre for Global Cooperation Research, and the Foundation for International Dialogue of the Sparkasse in Bonn.

The German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) is one of the leading research institutions and think tanks for global development and international development policy worldwide. The institute is based in the UN City of Bonn. DIE builds bridges between theory and practice and works within international research networks. Since its founding in 1964, the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) has based its work on the interplay between Research, Policy Advice and Training. www.die-gdi.de 


Print this page

Last edited: 10 November 2017

CONTACT DETAILS

Nebojsa Nakicenovic

Distinguished Emeritus Research Scholar Transformative Institutional and Social Solutions Research Group - Energy, Climate, and Environment Program

RESEARCH PARTNERS

International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Schlossplatz 1, A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
Phone: (+43 2236) 807 0 Fax:(+43 2236) 71 313