Implementing the Paris Agreement: IASS Attends COP22 in Marrakech

Researchers from the IASS will participate in a number of events at the UN Climate Conference in Marrekech. IASS Managing Scientific Director Mark Lawrence will deliver the opening remarks at an event on “Industry 4.0 and Climate Change”. He will also moderate a side event focussing on actions on near-term climate mitigation to protect air quality and achieve the Paris climate goals and the Sustainable Development Goals, organised by the IASS in cooperation with various partners. IASS researchers Cicilia Githaiga, Alexander Gusev, Matthias Honegger, and Patrick Toussaint will also speak at or attend events and informal meetings at COP22.

Climate policy will form a core focus of the IASS throughout its research programme for the funding period 2017–2021. The project “Climate Action in National and International Processes” will focus principally on on-the-ground climate action in cooperation with the Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), among others, with which the IASS has worked closely for several years. Birgit Lode, an IASS researcher and expert on international law, was elected to the Steering Committee of the CCAC in 2014. In addition, the IASS is a lead partner in the CCAC’s Brick Production Initiative and the Regional Assessment Initiative on SLCPs.

The implementation of the Paris Agreement is another major focus of the Institute’s work on climate change. In Marrakech, Patrick Toussaint, an expert at the IASS on environmental law, will interview experts from national delegations as well as representatives from civil society, science, and think tanks on key aspects of the treaty’s implementation and the role of diverse actors in this process. He will also participate in the “Climate Law and Governance Day 2016” in Marrakech.

Economist and political scientist Alexander Gusev will participate in several events on the decarbonisation of the energy system and the ongoing development of renewable energy. Gusev’s main research focus is the identification of strategies for the reduction of emissions of CO₂ and methane. Environmental scientist Matthias Honegger will speak with negotiators and observers at COP22 about his research on the governance of negative emissions technologies and solar radiation management. He is also to hold lectures on the market mechanisms (Article 6) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the Paris Agreement. Legal expert Cicilia Githaiga will participate in several events dealing with her research topic: the use of CO₂ as a raw material.