Watch the video: “What did two COPS Conferences achieve? Where did they fail?”

In November and December 2022, two crucial international conferences were held—one (COP-

27), at Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, on the climate crisis; and the second (COP-15), at Montreal, on

the biodiversity crisis. The issues discussed at these two gatherings are intimately related; they

both focus on the survival of the planet as we know it. While there were some important

breakthroughs—an agreement to compensate poor countries for loss and damage from climate

change which is caused largely by rich countries over the past 200 years—many other

objectives were not met. In particular, decisive action on eradicating emissions that are the

principal cause of global warming was conspicuously absent.

What must be done in the wake of such failed international efforts to thwart climate catastrophe?

Moderator: Susan Tanner, G78 vice-chair and coordinator of the CCWG

Susan Tanner, Vice-Chair Group of 78; Secretary, OREC; Chair Conference Organizing Committee

Susan Tanner, L.L.B., M.E.S., L.L.M While holding senior positions in both federal and Ontario governments Susan has maintained an active role in the non-profit community. In 1982, Susan was the founding chairperson of LEAF (Legal Education and Action Fund) to promote the rights of women under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In 1995, Friends of the Earth (FoE) Canada accepted a UN Environmental Prize for work on the Montreal Protocol, completed under her leadership. Susan continues to be actively involved with organizations such as Ottawa Renewable Energy Coop, Women for Nature (Nature Canada), and Group of 78. Government positions included: Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Justice on Gender Equality and Diversity; Forum Lead, WUF Habitat Jam; Member of the Ontario Environmental Assessment Board; Vice-Chair of the Social Assessment Review Board; and mediator for the Ontario Grievance Settlement Board. She holds a Master of Environmental Studies and a Masters of Law.

Speaker: Jennifer Bansard, Writer, Earth Negotiations Bulletin

Jennifer is a political scientist with expertise in climate, biodiversity, and urban governance, as well as the role of science in environmental governance. She works at the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), which provides science-based advice on sustainability issues.

Jennifer holds Master’s Degrees in Environment & Resource Management (VU Amsterdam, Netherlands), International Relations (Sciences Po Aix, France), and Applied Political Sciences (University of Freiburg, Germany). She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Potsdam. In her dissertation, she examines the emergence of “blue carbon,” a concept that refers to the carbon sequestration potential of coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes.

Jennifer is passionate about all things environmental. When she is not in front of a computer, she loves to hike around one of the many lakes in the Berlin area.