We’ll Always Have Paris?

In light of this, the fanfare surrounding the US’ re-entry to the Paris Agreement must be paired with ever stronger demands for action that delivers climate justice on a global scale. This will require international cooperation – but not of the type embodied by global summits and non-binding treaties. International action on climate change is often cloaked in the language of an Econ101 lecture: the quintessential collective action problem, an inescapable prisoner’s dilemma, plagued by free rider pitfalls. In short: while everyone working together to mitigate the climate crisis would provide the best outcome for all, despite some individual costs, self-interest and the ability to ‘free ride’ on others’ efforts prevents the action we need, absent a binding and enforceable collective agreement. The influence of these assumptions on the shape of global climate negotiations – particularly the Paris Agreement – cannot be understated. This is climate politics by and for insiders, in which market-based climate solutions are still considered the ‘progressive’ route, and technocratic governance that sees the climate and nature crises as siloes – divorced from harsh political and human realities – reigns. As progress on these accelerating catastrophes stutters and far right politics marches on around the world, it’s blindingly clear this approach cannot and will not work. Even in Europe, often looked to as a beacon of liberal hope with respect to climate change, the Green Deal – which leans heavily on neoliberal innovations like public sector ‘de-risking’ of green investments to crowd in profit-seeking private finance – has been stymied by the resistance of Viktor Orban’s Hungary and a coal-friendly Polish government. A return to international summits with photo ops of politicians shaking hands in front of oversized flags won’t fix this problem. The prospects for any of these ‘shoulds’ are, to say the least, not great. After all, under then-secretary of state John Kerry (now Biden’s climate envoy) at the Paris Agreement’s negotiation, the US pushed a hardline position against accountability for its outsized role in climate damage in vulnerable countries. That’s not to say it’s impossible – thanks to the efforts of activists and labour movements, Biden’s climate plan, with 40% of renewable investment committed to frontline communities , for example, is already making departures from the previous consensus. But this has to be fought for. The  Climate Focus  is part of Novara Media’s  Decade Project , an inquiry into the defining issues of the 2020s. The Decade Project is generously supported by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (London Office).

2020-12-05 | Articles, Opinion, adrienne buller | English |