"This is a marathon. This is not a sprint”
Contextualizing: Negotiations have been ongoing for two decades. It has taken a long time, and it will take a long time.
“Countries on the ground are not waiting for the UNFCCC”
Contextualizing: a speaker from Mali talked about the adaptation plans for the state. He mention that particularly in Africa many states are already implementing measures to deal with the effects of Climate Change - they are not waiting for funding and support from the UN.
“Fundamental responsibilty is to work at home"
Contextualizing: States have already decided their policy positions before they have come to COP. The negotiators have limited movement on the mandates from their governments - it is the mandate that needs to be changed in order for negotiations need to be changed.
"You are also demanding to be in the driving seat"
Contextualizing: Youth feel that this agreement about their future, and their children's future however they are not being recognized enough as the most important stake holders in these negotiations.
"If the likelihood of an event is 100% no insurance company would go near that”
Contextualizing: Scientific evidence of Climate Change is so certain about its anthro-policial routes and the effects it will have on the planet. Oceans will warm and therefore storms will become more intense. The likelihood of this happening is almost 100%. Loss and damage is a concept that acts like an insurance policy - the people paying out (mainly the OECD) are not likely (and aren't) to support this concept.
"We are the future. And I demand for our future to be herd"
Contextualizing: Youth as stakeholders in these negotiations are the most important stakeholder. Their entire lives will be changed by the effects of climate change.
"You should never let anyone take away their dream from them, not even their parents"
Contextualizing: This was a quote from a young women from Africa, however it is applicable universally and also specifically to Climate Change negotiations. The later - "their parents" are the ones negotiating and the ones who lived during a time where the casual relationship between coal burning and CO2 emissions were establishing, but change was not taken.
"The apex of the triangle has to be bipartisan, given the three year election"
Contextualizing: New Zealand in particular runs on a three year election cycle - however negotiations do not run on this cycle. The New Zealand position needs to span the political parties so that every three years (and a short time before) the position does not change, nor does it become weak.
“We work on a three year budget commitment”
Contextualizing: Like the above, economic budgets run on different yearly cycles (but are not always the same as the election cycle). In order to have a consistent financial approach there needs to be an agreement to work beyond a three year cycle.
(All posts by Institute delegates reflect their own thoughts, opinions and experiences, and do not reflect those of the Institute. For official Institute updates, take a look here)