Policy Forum Pod

The challenges and heartbreak of climate negotiations

Policy Forum Pod

Show Notes

On this episode, we discuss the deliberations, points of contention and wider implications of the Bonn Climate Change Conference, which recently took place in Germany. Dr Siobhan McDonnell who was part of the negotiations joins us for this podcast.

The Bonn Climate Change Conference aims to lay the groundwork for the political decisions required at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) at the end of the year.

Dr McDonnell describes the “real and palpable grief in the room” when new climate science was presented to the Alliance of Small Island States that showed predictions are now twice as bad in 2100 compared to what was presented in the latest IPCC report.

Despite this new data, a backwards step has been taken in the difficult negotiations. There’s now no longer an agreement on including the IPCC report as an agenda item at COP28. She says that the latest climate science is horrific and apocalyptic and the fact that negotiations cannot “even begin from that established understanding is very hard.” She also discusses how important it is that indigenous peoples are involved in climate negotiations as they are the most impacted across Pacific nations and how there is no financial support for the ‘non-economic’ damage caused by climate change.

Dr Siobhan McDonnell is a lawyer, anthropologist and economist who has spent over 25 years working with Indigenous people in Australia and Oceania on land rights, gender, and climate change issues, including as a climate change negotiator for various Pacific governments. She’s also a Senior Lecturer at the Crawford School of Public Policy at ANU.

Sharon Bessell is a Professor of Public Policy and Director of both the Children’s Policy Centre and the Poverty and Inequality Research Centre at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.

Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow at ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.

You can find full show notes at policyforum.net.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from Policy Forum Pod

May 17, 2024

In this episode, we speak to the CEO of the Paul Ramsay Foundation, Professor Kristy Muir about care, connection and who decides in policymaking, especially around children.

May 10, 2024

In this episode we speak to Dr Sophie Lewis, the ACT Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment. She discusses the key takeaways from the 2023 ACT State of the Environment Report, and how both individuals, industries and governments can make a difference.

May 3, 2024

Professor David Lindenmayer joins the podcast to discuss the importance of forests, the threats they are facing, and the myths around the logging industry.

Apr 26, 2024

ANU Vice-Chancellor, Distinguished Professor Genevive Bell joins us to discuss the power of stories, knowledge and a vision for our future.

Apr 19, 2024

In this podcast we speak to Professor Sara Bice about the importance of building for social inclusion, co-design and community consultation as Australia spends $300 billion on infrastructure projects.

See all episodes →