The role of public participation in the development of UN policy on climate

changeOtto Spijkers

Assistant Professor Public International LawUtrecht University School of Law

Dividing the tasks

• Overarching theme: – The role of the legal environment in

supporting or frustrating the involvement of the public in tackling the challenges of climate change

• Division of labor:– Participation in policymaking at

international level: Otto– Participation in implementation at

domestic level: Andrea Water and Ocean Law in Times of Climate Change

31 October 20132

Outline Otto’s Part

• Global Public Participation• Global Public Participation in the

drafting of the Sustainable Development Goals– UN Secretary-General Work Stream– Consultations– Open Working Group (OWG)

• Focus on Climate Change

Water and Ocean Law in Times of Climate Change31 October 2013

3

Global Public Participation

• Definition of Global Public Participation

• Purposes of global public participation at the United Nations

• Best Suitable Type of Global Public Participation at the United Nations

• Identifying the relevant stakeholders and other participants in global public participation

Water and Ocean Law in Times of Climate Change31 October 2013

4

Global Public Participation in the Sustainable Development

Goals

• A Background to the Post-2015 Process

• Public Participation in the UN Secretary-General Work Stream– The Sustainable Development Solutions

Network– The UN Global Compact– High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on

the Post-2015 Development Agenda

Water and Ocean Law in Times of Climate Change31 October 2013

5

Climate change

• Climate change is the change of the average type of weather (climate) over a certain period of time.

• It is almost certain that mankind is the main cause of global warming since 1950.

• Since 1880, the average temperature on earth has increased by 0,9° C.

• The rise in temperature in the Netherlands is greater than average (1.5 ° C).

• Global warming continues, but it does so in fits and starts; the climate is capricious, like the weather.

• Models expect the temperature between 1995 and 2025 to rise by 0.3-0.7 ° C.

Water and Ocean Law in Times of Climate Change31 October 2013

6

Climate change in the High-Level Panel Report

• Climate change– Not a separate SDG, but a “cross-

cutting issue”

• Some of the goals linked to climate change

Water and Ocean Law in Times of Climate Change31 October 2013

7

Global Public Participation in the Sustainable Development

Goals

• Global consultations• Regional consultations• National consultations• Thematic Consultations

Water and Ocean Law in Times of Climate Change31 October 2013

8

How the world voted

9

How the world voted on climate change

10

Global Public Participation in the Sustainable Development

Goals

• Public Participation in the Open Working Group (OWG) – Participation in OWG Sessions– Participation Options outside OWG

Sessions– The Influence of the OWG on Future

SDGs

Water and Ocean Law in Times of Climate Change31 October 2013

11

Climate change in the work of the Open Working Group

• Open Working Group will discuss the issue of climate change and disaster risk reduction at its seventh session, scheduled for 6-10 January 2014

Water and Ocean Law in Times of Climate Change31 October 2013

12