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International Institute for Sustainable Development

IISD Reporting Services (IISD RS) added video coverage to its reporting services in 2013 when I joined their team. I helped develop video coverage to supplement written and photographic reporting to ensure that an event’s key messages and outcomes were broadcast to the sustainable development policy community both at the meeting and around the globe in a succinct and vivid manner. Teams provided daily video reports and/or summary wrap-up videos of events. 

 

Paris Knowledge Bridge: Unpacking International Climate Governance

The world of international climate change governance is a maze of policies, acronyms, and jargon. The complexity of the current negotiations is unparalleled among multilateral environmental agreements.

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Never before is it more important to cut through the complexity. The world looks to Paris in December 2015 where countries are to adopt a new climate change agreement. This agreement, if successfully agreed to by 195 states, will guide the future of climate governance and our planet.

These four videos are an introduction to the history, issues, actors and dynamics in global climate governance. We bring you the story of climate governance by those who make, implement and remake institutions for climate change. The videos contain interviews with 60 people, from Assistant Secretary General Janos Pasztor and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, to frontline delegates drafting the new agreement’s text and civil society working to influence policy.

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You can watch these videos in any order to learn more about how the world addresses climate change.

http://enb.iisd.org/paris-knowledge-bridge/

The History of Climate Governance (#1 of 4)

 

Efforts to address climate change have a long history. To understand the future of climate change governance, as we look to Paris in December 2015, we need to understand the history.

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By the end of this video you will:

  1. be able to state some of the key events in the 25 year history of international climate governance;

  2. understand the key issues during the negotiations leading to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol;

  3. understand key terms in global environmental governance, such as ratification, entry into force and governance, and know how these terms apply to climate governance; and

  4. be able to identify some of the major players in international climate governance, such as civil society and key states.

The Pillars of Climate Governance (#2 of 4)

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Modern international climate governance is organized around three pillars: mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation. Under each pillar are many issues and policies, illustrating the many ways climate change affects our lives.

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By the end of this video you will:

  1. understand what mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation mean;

  2. know how climate change affects people around the world in different ways;

  3. be able to cite some of the policies that are in place under each pillar;

  4. understand some of the main issues and criticism related to these pillars and the policies; and

  5. identify some of the other international organizations working to address climate change issues.

The Science and Economics of Climate Governance (#3 of 4)

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There are many actors involved in international climate governance. Two key communities are those researching and disseminating climate science and those working to build low-carbon economies. This video takes a closer look at these communities working for climate action. It also picks up on climate finance, which is one of the means of implementation introduced in video two (The Pillars of Climate Governance).

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By the end of this video you will:

  1. understand the IPCC: how it makes decisions, gathers and disseminates climate science and works with other international organizations;

  2. know about some key economic issues, such as carbon pricing, fossil fuel subsidies, economic diversification and job creation;

  3. see how climate change and sustainable development are connected;

  4. know the main bodies that channel climate finance, some of the challenges;

  5. see that climate action creates economic opportunities, not only risks.

The State of Play in the UNFCCC Negotiations (#4 of 4)

 

Countries gather in Paris in December 2015 to finalize and agree to a new agreement to address climate change. After twenty five years, many hope that the future of climate action will be brighter than the past. For these negotiations to be successful, countries must address many thorny issues to catalyze climate action that is meaningful, and lasts into the future.

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By the end of this video you will:

  1. know what is at stake in these negotiations;

  2. understand some of the key issues to solve in the new agreement, such as differentiation and balancing mitigation and adaptation;

  3. understand the need for action today, and how countries are trying to catalyze climate action before the new agreement takes effect;

  4. appreciate arguments why the UN should continue to address climate change; and

  5. witness the work of others to address climate change, and the significance of these efforts.

 

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