Opening Country Statement Plus Summary of Nationally Determined Contribution

Opening Country Statement Plus Summary of Nationally Determined Contribution

Scenario:  You represent the country of your choice to the COP.  You could be the countrys leader or its climate negotiator.  You welcome the opportunity to present your countrys interests particularly regarding the problem of climate change.  In that regard describe the climate situation your country faces.  You might want to talk about the damage already wrought.  Were you a small island state, for example, you would express how your country faces extinction as the sea-level rise is expected to overwhelm you and your people.  You might bring in how small your contributions to atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions are to the overall picture. 

Please describe from your countrys perspective what it is that you would like to see results from the COP and even from the climate regime itself going forward.  If you are a developing country, likely youll want to discuss the importance of subsidized financial and technology flows to your country for both power generation, mitigation of GHGs, and adaptation.  

Since this COP seeks countries to update their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, explain how your country plans to reduce GHGs in the future.  

you should check out what the country youve chosen has already said they would do.  In most cases that are on the UN website, see, e.g., https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/NDCStaging/Pages/All.aspx .  But also see sources describing what countries are preparing going into this COP.  For example, if you are choosing the UK, last week Boris Johnsons government released this information.

On Monday, following our Warm Up, we will convene as COP26.  We will present in country alphabetical order.  Please proceed in character.  Make it fun.  Think Boris Johnson.  

This assignment is a page to one-and-a-half pages long, single-spaced, 12 font, with extra spacing between paras. 

Source:
Kelly Levin, et al, What Does Net-Zero Emissions Mean? 8 Common Questions, Answered, World Resources Institute, wri.org, Sept 17, 2019,
https://www.wri.org/insights/net-zero-ghg-emissions-questions-answered
 
Helen Mountford, et al, Will COP26 Be a Success?  That Depends on 4 Critical Questions, World Resources Institute, wri.org, October 12, 2021,
https://www.wri.org/insights/success-cop26-glasgow
 
‘What Can We Expect from COP26’, Earth Institute Columbia University, International Research Institute for Climate & Society, Webinar, Friday, October 29 at 9:00 AM; https://globalcenters.columbia.edu/events/what-can-we-expect-cop26

‘Climate Change: The Greatest National Security Threat to the United States’, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Zoom webinar, October 27, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM, https://quincyinst.org/event/climate-change-the-greatest-national-security-threat-to-the-united-states/
 https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/NDCStaging/Pages/All.aspx