WIREDGOV

EXPERT COMMENT

The recent London Climate Action Week revealed that while formal climate multilateralism remains under strain, climate diplomacy is becoming more diffused, implementation oriented and focused on delivering security.

As much of Europe emerged from a record-breaking heatwave that closed schools, disrupted businesses and exposed the limits of adaptation even in some of the world’s wealthiest economies, London Climate Action Week (LCAW) took on particular salience. While the impacts of climate change were unfolding in real time, more than 75,000 participants from across the world attended over 1,300 events to debate the future of global climate action.

The central takeaway was not simply renewed urgency. It was that climate diplomacy is changing shape and that climate action is happening. 

In recent years, many have questioned the effectiveness of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The slow pace of consensus-based negotiations and the limited progress made at its annual COP summits have led some to argue that climate multilateralism is dead, or at least on life support. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.