Paul Watkinson
pwatkinson.bsky.social
Paul Watkinson
@pwatkinson.bsky.social
Longtime climate negotiator for France, sometimes EU, helped on Paris Agreement at COP21, advised COP28, chaired the UNFCCC SBSTA for a couple of years. Keen to see greatly strengthened action and collaboration on climate mitigation and adaptation.
Reposted by Paul Watkinson
Nous sommes extrêmement reconnaissants aux modérateurs Paul Watkinson (@pwatkinson.bsky.social) et Ramona Bloj, ainsi qu’à Luis Vassy et Ariane Joab-Cornu de Sciences Po pour l’organisation de cette séquence inédite.
October 29, 2025 at 1:09 PM
I'm conscious that this is all easier said than done, and that this remains very much thinking in progress, but would be happy to engage on the ideas.
March 19, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Finally, we will need better ways to access all the information - for once this might be a task for artificial intelligence might be able to provide an answer (not just hype).
March 19, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Such an approach could give new relevance to the information produced by multiple processes that currently get little consideration beyond the development of a few lines in conclusions or decisions that few read. It could also help to put some order and ensure better follow-up to the action agenda.
March 19, 2025 at 10:36 AM
- Use also as a platform to draw lessons and overview progress on the action agenda.
March 19, 2025 at 10:36 AM
- Feed outputs from the many activities that are underway, such as work programmes, constituted bodies, transparency framework, into a presidency-led implementation forum.
March 19, 2025 at 10:36 AM
- Simplify work under the COPs and SBs, not seek negotiated outcomes on all items at every session.
March 19, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Knowledge is the most powerful tool humanity has ever developed, it gives us the ability to understand what is happening around us and to take decisions on our future. Reactionary forces have always tried stop knowledge being developed and shared. Strength to you and all the others under attack.
March 1, 2025 at 9:48 PM
None of this will be easy, but in the face of deliberate and active efforts to stop and slow down the climate transition, we need to learn from what works, and avoid what does not, in national and international contexts.
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Third, we need to put some order into the mutlitude of initiatives launched by successive COP presidencies - some of them can make a huge difference, but others are little more than pure communication.
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Second, the multilateral climate process needs to deliver concrete support to action. Of course, we will still need to negotiate to agree ways forward on some points, but we must stop negotiating everything - that just plays into the hands of those who want to slow things down.
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
First, we need to develop climate policies that respond to peoples' hopes and expectations - cutting emissions, managing the transtion do not give them hope - we can build policies that offer a vision of their personal growth and the future for their children.
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Three main ideas:
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Some thoughts on how we might respond in this article on my LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/pulse/respon...
Responding to troubling times
These are troubling times for anyone concerned about the climate – and that ought to be just about everyone on the planet. Global temperatures have hit record highs, extreme events are multiplying.
www.linkedin.com
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
It’s tempting to despair, but there are some reasons to remain positive, and above all to strengthen the fight for climate action. But if we are going to succeed, we need to avoid past mistakes and get a clearer idea of what works, and what doesn’t.
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Meanwhile, major oil companies are abandoning any plans to diversify their investments and returning to what they know best, producing more oil and gas. Banks and other financial institutions are backing out of agreements to transform their investments.
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Other countries profess their continued support for climate action, but in the face of mounting opposition many are increasingly tempted to slow down implementation or water down their domestic climate policies, and budget constraints are leading them to cut their development assistance in turn.
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Instead his administration is encouraging fossil fuel production, openly attacking climate science (with consequences for all of us), and ending aid to developing countries.
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM
And yet, rather than responding to the growing climate crisis, Donald Trump is taking the world’s biggest economy and the largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases out of the Paris Agreement.
March 1, 2025 at 9:38 PM