Draft Agreement Gives Hope for Future

When I woke up this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to find out a draft agreement had been released in Paris. As I am writing, Parties are convening once more to consider the text and hopefully move forward with its adoption. As an appropriate homage to the international negotiations process we’ve been following for two weeks, I am writing my blog post with a very closely looming deadline.

Watching the webcast of the Comité de Paris, 7th meeting, I can definitely see excitement and optimism in the room as people take their seats. I hear laughter and applause and see several audience members embracing one another and taking pictures, as if something historic is about to happen.

Having no prior experience in following any kind of international negotiation prior to the start of this semester, I have certainly learned a lot about not only the history behind COP21, but also the nuances of such negotiations and the various interests of different Parties. I gained a great appreciation for the people directly involved in these negotiations, working tirelessly to bring the world to a compromise to prevent the suffering of as many people as possible over the next half century and beyond. Going from thousands of brackets to none in two weeks is no small feat. And while there are still some contended points and missing language in the text, according to some, I believe that it was important to get out a draft agreement to give the world hope that we are capable of coming together to continue with full force this fight against catastrophic climate change. As many have already stated, this agreement is only the beginning, and I’m looking forward to continuing to follow the outcomes from COP21, such as future nationally determined contributions and greenhouse gas inventories, using the knowledge and resources I have acquired over the last semester.