Climate agenda: from Azerbaijan to Brazil (Nature and People, Foundation Vostok Discussion Club)

Climate change is currently one of the top issues on the international agenda for negotiations. The environmental essence of climate change is closely interconnected with economics and politics. And whereas in the past such platforms as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the World Meteorological Organization were the primary ones focusing on this issue, now climate change issues are being discussed more and more as part of international economic processes, including at the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the International Labour Organization. The carbon market, which was launched based on the practices of the Kyoto Protocol and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is actively developing and needs international approaches to be harmonized for the turnover of carbon units to function and be transparent. There have long been discussions about the advisability of taking a unified approach (agreement) to ‘carbon prices’. However, in the modern world, this is extremely difficult to do without international trade, and there is a question of how the carbon regulation introduced by individual countries could affect the international trade chain, stability, and confidence in international trade. One of the key factors in reducing the manmade impact on the climate system is the energy transition. Significant investments are needed and financial flows need to be redistributed for it to be effectively implemented on a global scale. In addition to this tool for mitigating the impact on the global climate system, adaptation measures are also a major priority, particularly for vulnerable developing nations. This will also require the creation of a pool of targeted investment flows.

Moderator:

• Sergey Rybakov, Programme Director, Vostok Discussions Club, General director of the Nature and People Foundation

Speakers:

• Dinara Kemelova, Special Envoy of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on mountains
• Alexei Kokorin, Expert on climate issues, Nature and People Foundation, participant of the UNFCCC talks from 1993
• Sergey Kononuchenko, Ambassador at Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
• Svetlana Lukash, Russian G20 Sherpa (video address)
• Erik Solheim, The Sixth Executive Director UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Ekaterina Spiridonova, Member of the Public Council, Rosnedra
• Vladimir Vasiliev, Executive Director, The Northern Forum