Robin Gwynn

Helping Climate Vulnerable Countries to find their "voice"

I said before that my role centred on helping climate vulnerable countries to find their "voice", particularly in the run-up to Copenhagen. As we approach the last few weeks of intensive engagement, here's a bit more about that.

The Foreign Office done a lot of thinking over the past couple of years about how we can add to the overall UK Government effort on climate change. That is, after all, arguably the world's number one global issue - given its effects on everyone alive now and in the future. So - as my fellow Foreign Office bloggers are showing - we've been looking at ways to raise awareness of climate issues worldwide, and to link climate to national political, economic and social issues as well as the environment. Whatever their stage of wealth or development, nations across the world need to factor climate change into their thinking and planning across the board.

That also means engaging a broader group of leaders, from Heads of State down. Ultimately action on climate needs political will. Which is where the Foreign Office worldwide network comes into its own as an influencing tool - working with leaders to understand the implications of climate change in their country and region, and what they can do about it.

Within that framework I've been looking with DfID at the large number of countries, many of them on the global frontline of climate change, which so far have had less of a say in the negotiations leading up to Copenhagen. Often such countries lack individual political or economic power, and didn't themselves create the problem - but have been the first to suffer from the effects of past emissions. We believe that by acting together to maximise their influence, vulnerable countries can exert real leverage on both the richer, industrialised countries and the emerging newer economies in pursuit of a high ambition outcome from Copenhagen.

I'll develop that idea in my next blog. But I'll just finish here by saying it was good to be invited yesterday evening to speak at the 20th birthday party of an organisation, FIELD (Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development), which has long campaigned in this area. I won't claim that we always see eye to eye on everything, since you wouldn't expect a Government's perspective always to be aligned with civil society expertise. But I think our desire to work on common objectives, and preparedness to discuss and address differing views,  mutually strengthens us and benefits those we are trying to help, notably in the vulnerable countries themselves.

Posted at 00:11 17 October 2009 by Robin Gwynn  |  Comments[0]