– Panel on Paris Agreement

The COVID-19 pandemic halted preparations for COP26 (Glasgow), the most important international climate conference since that of Paris in 2015. Coined as an important COP during which countries would have made even more ambitious commitments to reduce emissions and counter the effects of climate change, the COP26 has been postponed to fall 2021. In addition, the recent surprise announcement by President Xi Jinping on China’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2060, at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2020, breathes new life into the Paris Agreement. Moreover, the reentry of the US in the agreement will have major impacts on the ability of the global community to deal with climate change.

In this context, what can we expect from the future global efforts to fight climate change? Are we up to the challenge? What would it take to overcome it?

First, the panelists will present their perspective on the future of the Paris Agreement. This first part will then be followed by a discussion between the panelists moderated by Isabelle Hudon, Ambassador of Canada to France.