Andrzej Błachowicz, is Managing Director at Climate Strategies. Andrzej Blachowicz has been involved in climate change and energy policy issues since 2001. He served as a Cabinet member and advisor on climate change to the Polish Minister of Environment during the Polish EU Presidency. Andrzej Blachowicz has been one of the Poland’s lead experts during the negotiations of the EU climate and energy package, as well as in the UNFCCC process.
This paper is a contribution to the EU-LAC Foundation’s Newsletter edition of December 2014 dedicated to the theme Climate Change.
The international community seems to be inching forward in bits and pieces towards a “successful” outcome at Paris COP21. The European Union – despite its internal differences – managed to agree on an ambitious climate and energy package; China and the US – two world’s largest emitters – made an announcement specifying the peaking year and its emission reduction target, respectively. THE (so much expected) DEAL to be reached in Paris at the end of 2015, if it is to make a real impact, needs to have mitigation targets that aim to appropriately address the key objective of the UNFCCC – to avoid dangerous climate change, as well as lay down clear implementation strategies such that the outcomes are both fair and effective.
We are realists and know that Paris will most likely deliver only elements of such a deal – with lots of further work to be done in the years to come. However we strongly believe that we can do something to IMPROVE THE QUALITY of the deal. Our vision is to create a science-policy interface – an informal dialogue where top-class academics and analysts present their vision how to overcome major roadblocks before Paris. ‘Crowdsourcing’ innovative policy solutions, so to speak. (read paper)