Interview with Pierre Henri Guignard: A Path towards Climate Collaboration
Explore the insights of former French ambassador Pierre Henri Guignard as he shares his perspective on climate action and his role in the MENA 20-50 Climate Action Committee. In this interview conducted by Maria Maalouf, delve into the significance of the COP 21 conference and the Paris Agreement in the global fight against climate change. Guignard underscores the urgency of implementation and adaptation measures, highlighting the vital role of cooperation and the region’s vulnerability to extreme weather events in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). He also discusses the collaborative efforts between the United States and China on climate issues, the United Arab Emirates’ hosting of COP 28, and the impactful initiatives such as Masdar in Abu Dhabi.
Expecting a responsible and sustainable COP 28
The world is currently meeting in New York on the occasion of the 78th United Nations General Assembly. Tomorrow, we will gather in Dubai for the COP28 on Global Warming.
In the post-COVID era—assuming the current viral wave doesn’t bring back the need for lockdowns—we have re-discovered the importance of meeting in person and the benefits of going beyond virtual dialogue. Hopefully, it will allow us to advance toward the much needed solutions our scorched planet calls for: we need to find common ground in order to produce differently, to consume differently, and to live differently. And this is my point: as the Secretary general of COP21, in Paris in 2015, with the COP President Laurent Fabius’s support and in full agreement with the UNFCCC’s team, I took great care to organize our conference in the most sustainable and responsible manner possible. Certified ISO 20121, the conference was neutral in carbon, the materials used to build the temporary village where tens of thousands of delegates met daily—including a gathering on one day under one roof of 160+ heads of state and government—were recycled or reused, and we successfully offered only locally produced and seasonal food, achieving a zero-waste balanced meeting: each night, the food not consumed was distributed to families in the area.
Climate and Transitions Climate Diplomacy Behind Closed Doors*
A couple of months ago, COP 28 convened in Dubai and, against all expectations, delivered an unprecedented consensus signaling an acceleration in phasing out fossil fuels. Regarded by some as a triumph against the odds and by others as a mixed blessing, the ‘Dubai Consensus,’ driven by an oil-rich monarchy, embodies both a notable achievement and a tangible letdown. However, isn’t this the case with all climate and environmental agreements?
On November 17th 2023, for the first time, global temperatures exceeded 2°C above pre-industrial seasonal averages. This threshold was one the international community pledged not to reach, let alone surpass, with the adoption of the Paris Agreement on December 12th, 2015. Specifically, the Paris Agreement aims to keep “the increase in the global average temperature well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.” This goal now seems out of reach.