QUNO’s team at the recent United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations (SB58) in Bonn (June 5 – June 15) was the Representative for the Human Impacts of Climate Change (HICC), Lindsey Fielder Cook, and HICC programme assistant Alana M Carlson. During the two weeks the QUNO team presented two publications, held a quiet diplomacy dinner with climate negotiations, a side event and spoke at a press conference.
QUNO’s priorities included continued support for urgent, fair, and transformative climate action, and support for the operationalization of the new funding arrangement for Loss and Damage.
This marked the 10th year of quiet diplomacy dinners at the UNFCCC to help build communication and understanding between a diverse group of countries. The dinners offer an off-the-record space to encourage more open and personal discussions, and continue due to the high level of negotiator appreciation for the space.
Lindsey and Alana also distributed the new Government Official’s Toolkit, which collates the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scientific findings on urgent, effective, equitable, rights-based and available to scale climate action. Alana distributed her briefing paper on “Fair Sources of Finance for a New Loss and Damage Funding Arrangement,” written in collaboration with Britain Yearly Meeting and Faith for the Climate. The paper was shared to encourage just action on financing the new Loss and Damage Fund to redress the harm those least responsible for the climate crisis have experienced.
QUNO’s interactive side event was titled “Truthful engagement in real, effective and ethical climate action for an ambitious Global Stocktake,” and included panelists from the negotiation, research, activist, community organizer and legal experience. The event was led by QUNO and the Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas (FAWCO), with co-hosts from Britain Yearly, Quaker Earthcare Witness, and the Friends World Committee for Consultation. The side event can be watched here. To see a collage of audience reflections from the event, click here.
Finally, Lindsey spoke as part of an inter-faith press conference on the moral call to action. She addressed the importance of addressing the root causes to climate change and stated that “Moral imperative is the most powerful grounding of our work because it is not necessarily political, it is from the heart.” The press conference can be watched here.
