The 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change concluded its work in Katowice, Poland on December 15, 2018. COP24 debated the rules concerning measurement and reporting of emissions under the Paris Agreement (2015), discussed financing of emissions reductions by developing nations, and debated the issue of loss and damage of economies by the effects of climate change.
COP24 did succeed in setting rules for transparency and consistency of emissions reporting, standardizing measurements across different economies such as the U.S. and China. Debate on financing, and loss and damage, remained contentious to the end of the session and remained unresolved for future COPs.
The role of the U.S. in COPs since President Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement in June 2015 has been ambiguous. Although some U.S. officials, confronted by boisterous protestors, promoted fossil fuels at a side session, other U.S. official kept their heads down and participated in discussion of the rules. The U.S. is still a member of the Paris Agreement until just after the 2020 election, and its participation is accepted by other parties despite widespread anger at the Trump Administration.
What is the role of Washington State in the COP and the convention? We are one of 17 states participating in the U.S. Climate Alliance, which have pledged “we are still in” the Paris Agreement. The Alliance has representatives at COPs, although they have no official role. Alliance representatives do interact with officials from other governments to assure them that U.S. entities such as states, cities, counties and businesses are complying with the requirements of the Paris Agreement. This will help maintain the reputation of the U.S. as a climate leader regardless of what the federal government does.
Leave a Reply