The Diplomatic Envoy

Climate Change

2021November 2021Opinion

The False Promises of Sustainable Policies: the Politicization of the Fight against Climate Change

Sustainable environmental policies are nearly impossible to achieve at the current rate global governments are pursuing them. Numerous states profit from unsustainable practices of development, increasing the present divide between developed and developing countries. Old standards of development, and what it means to be sustainable, have systemically stunted progress toward sustainability.

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2021November 2021Climate ChangeInternational News

A Summary of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference

On November 12, The United Nations Climate Change Summit, known this year as COP26, came to an end in Glasgow, Scotland. The conference, which started on October 31, saw roughly 20,000 heads of state, diplomats, and activists meet in person after being delayed from last year due to COVID-19. Following two weeks of climate change negotiations, world leaders of the Conference of the Parties discussed topics such as climate impacts, fossil fuel policy, and climate finance.

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Campus Spotlight2021November 2021Climate ChangeSchool of Diplomacy News

The World Affairs Council of New Jersey in Discussion of COP26

The World Affairs Council of NJ hosted an online talk with Gerald Butts, Vice President of Eurasia, and Faith Taylor, ESG Leader at Tesla. Mr. Butts has a wealth of experience in government, specifically the COP process, and global climate action. He also served in the Canadian government where he served as the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Trudeau. Ms. Taylor leads the Environmental, Social, and Governance efforts at the Tesla Corporation. She is also a co-founder of the Global Human Trafficking Center and Social Entrepreneur Program at Montclair State University, where she was a professor of marketing and management. 

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October 2021OpinionClimate Change

Could a New Legal Approach Curb Deforestation?

The Brazilian Government is ignoring the amount of carbon dioxide being emitted through the combination of deforestation and agricultural exploitation practices in the Amazon Rainforest under President Bolsonaro’s administration. Officials are failing to acknowledge the climate imbalance of the Global South, wildlife extinction, and habitat loss the rainforest is currently facing.

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September 2021International News

UNGA Starts 76th Session

According to The New York Times, the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) began on Tuesday, September 14. In the general debate, representatives from all 193 member states have the ability to speak in front of the chamber and give their thoughts addressing the many complex world issues and challenges those individual members are facing.

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WorldClimate ChangeSummer 2021 Edition

The Impact of Past and Present Climate Action on Future Cooperation

The international community is not doing enough on climate change, and our everyday lifestyles are partly to blame for the negative effects of global emissions. These routines highlight the fact that many of the issues that the world faces are interconnected – problems as simple as food waste contribute to degrading environments around the world.

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WorldClimate ChangeSummer 2021 Edition

Climate Change: Human Security is in the Hands of the G7

In recent years, our understanding of the climate crisis has evolved beyond a singular environmental perspective to a complex, multifaceted approach that recognizes the broader implications of climate change. Evidence shows that climate change significantly impacts long-term human security by undermining the livelihoods of people, compromising their cultural values and identities, perpetuating internal displacement and forced migration, and challenging the ability of states to overcome insecurity.

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2021May 2021AnalysisAmericas

The Convergence of U.S. Exceptionalism and Climate Diplomacy

Politicians have long wielded American exceptionalism – the idea that the United States’ identity, values, and culture must be protected at all costs – for citizen mobilization throughout the country’s history. It has been used during foreign interventions, the war on terror, President Donald Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, and, more recently, mass vaccination campaigns. President Biden now has an opportunity to arm climate policy with American exceptionalism to achieve ambitious climate goals.

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