Thursday

30th Nov 2023

UN's former climate chief 'not worried' about Trump

A former top climate official of the United Nations told EUobserver on Wednesday (14 December) she is “not worried” about climate-sceptic Donald Trump's election as president of the United States.

“I can't lie to you and say I am exuberant about this, but I am also not worried,” said Christiana Figueres, former executive secretary of the body which hosts international talks on climate change, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Figueres played a key part in the negotiations leading to the signing of the first-ever global agreement on climate change last year in Paris.

During the election campaign, Trump said he would “cancel” the deal, although he recently noted he would keep an “open mind” towards fighting climate change.

Following his electoral win, the business tycoon announced he would appoint several known climate-sceptics and defenders of the fossil fuel industry to high positions.

But Figueres said not to worry.

“Because, first of all there are so many countries that will continue to work. That is exactly what we heard in Marrakesh,” she said, referring to the Paris follow-up summit in Morrocco, last month.

She noted that a group of 47 developing countries - “not even developed, developing countries!” - have committed to having 100 percent of their energy from renewable sources.

“The reactions that I am hearing is: we are getting to a point where we can no longer afford as a global community to either delay or to slow down. I'm hearing many, many voices that people are actually accelerating,” said Figueres.

Figueres spoke to EUobserver and three other journalists in the Berlaymont building of the European Commission, sitting next to Energy Union commissioner Maros Sefcovic.

She is involved in a project he is coordinating with former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, which brings together mayors from all over the world to work together on fighting climate change.

Figueres, who quit her post as UNFCCC chief in July this year, has become an informal ambassador for the project, called the Global Covenant of Mayors.

Both Sefcovic and Figueres pointed out the importance of city governments in reducing greenhouse gases - they are said to be responsible for 70 percent of all global warming gases.

And those cities, along with states, corporations and financial institutions “will continue” to reduce greenhouse gases, Figueres said.

“They are not doing this because they are goody-two-shoes, or because they want to save the planet, or any of those, you know, la-la arguments.

“They are doing it because they know it is good for their economy. And they know that we are irrevocably moving toward a decarbonised global economy, and if they want to continue to participate in that global economy, this is what they have to do,” said Figueres.

“The fact is that the United States will continue to work on climate change and will continue to pursue many of its climate change goals because the United states, like many other countries, doesn't work only through the White House or only through the federal government.”

Agenda

Climate change and EU cheerleading, This WEEK

The European Parliament will try this week to give the EU a good name, with votes and debates on issues where conventional wisdom says that citizens expect results.

EU and 195 countries adopt Paris climate accord

Deal cements new bottom-up approach which involves pledges by every UN state to reduce greenhouse emissions, as well as a review mechanism to jack up ambition every five years.

Opinion

Will EU climate chief Hoekstra come clean before COP28?

As the new EU climate commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, heads to COP28, three senior MEPs question his ties to the fossil-fuel industry — and call for him to disclose all his ties while working for 11 years for McKinsey.

Latest News

  1. EU offers Turkey upgrade, as Sweden nears Nato entry
  2. Russia loses seat on board of chemical weapons watchdog
  3. Finland's closure of Russia border likely violates asylum law
  4. The EU's 'no added sugars' fruit-juice label sleight-of-hand
  5. EU belittles Russia's Lavrov on way to Skopje talks
  6. Member states stall on EU ban on forced-labour products
  7. EU calls for increased fuel supplies into Gaza
  8. People-smuggling profits at historic high, EU concedes

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  2. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  4. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  5. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  2. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  4. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
  5. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  6. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us