New paper by Tony La Viña: The UNFCCC after Durban

As the climate negotiations begin again a new working paper from Tony La Vina and colleagues analyses the Durban outcome and calls for a new approach to climate multilateralism.

According to the paper, the future of the climate change process depends on how successful we can be in creating this “multi-tracked” approach, where firstly, action and resources would not be limited and boxed according to the usual UNFCCC approach that unfortunately has become very politicized; and secondly as they would have to be simultaneously applied.

Discussion of the details of these multiple tracks is outside the scope of this paper, however, it suffices to say that the time is ripe to decentralize and incentivize climate change solutions at a scale never before seen, to build momentum towards the 2020 agreement. And this in part has already begun in pockets across both developed and the developing countries.

It can be argued that the necessary framework and foundations have already been laid down by the Cancun Agreements and the Durban Platform enough for efforts to now focus on implementation and the abovementioned approaches. In this case, the UNFCCC provides the focus; and then we latch on to the collective goodwill and innovation as showcased within the context of the UNFCCC and outside it as well.

Please click here to view the document.