Building collaboration between researchers, climate actors and decision-makers is crucial for strengthening and broadening climate action for a sustainable, equitable and low-carbon future. York University Professor Idil Boran takes a step toward this goal on June 17, when she co-hosts an official side event of the Bonn Climate Change Conference – June 2019 (from June 17 to 27) under the auspices of United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Jointly hosted by Boran and Sander Chan (Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik/German Development Institute), the official side event, titled “Taking Global Climate Action Beyond 2020 – Accelerating the Sustainable Future We Want,” will bring researchers and practitioners together to discuss priorities for strengthening climate action after 2020. The panellists will share experiences and present their organizations’ good practices. The goal is to take stock of what has been achieved so far and make recommendations for moving forward.
“The panel discussion will present knowledge from research on tracking and measuring actions, give voice to experiences of various actors and set priorities for broadening actions. There is much to learn from the experiences of NGOs and businesses, cities and regions. Panellists will discuss pathways to strengthen the engagement of climate actors in developing countries, building trust and stronger ties with communities at local levels around the world, and forming lasting alliances between actors as well as with governments and the inter-governmental process,” said Boran, adding that these discussions are crucial for just and equitable transformations.
Boran will attend the Bonn Climate Change Conference as primary delegate from York University. Boran has organized official events in the past where she has been featured as host and panellist. Her accreditation as observer is granted by York University Professor Dawn Bazely (Faculty of Science), the contact point for York’s accreditation to UN Climate Change. In her activities at UN Climate Change, Boran works closely with the Constituency of Research & Independent Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO), one of the nine recognized constituencies.
Official side events form a unique venue for UNFCCC observer organizations to share research, network and explore actionable options, said Boran. This year’s side events speak to the theme “Accelerating the Implementation of the Paris Agreement.”
In addition to co-hosting the side event, Boran will appear in an interview in the Climate Action Studio during the conference. The Climate Action Studio is a platform for showcasing action of non-party stakeholders in the climate change process, through interviews with nominated observers admitted to the UNFCCC process around specific themes linked to the negotiation process. She was selected, together with Sander Chan, to discuss her research in climate action.
“2019 is a critical year for climate action,” said Boran. “The prominence of climate change in the public spotlight has been gaining new heights. Citizens and youth movements throughout Europe and elsewhere are making strides, calling for climate change to become a public policy priority. We see a growing social movement calling to make climate change a priority. Moreover, from around the world, cities and regions, businesses and NGOs, universities and colleges are taking action on climate change.
“Stronger actions are needed at all levels. It is crucial to bring the resources from multiple disciplines from academic research, and build working relations with practitioners on the ground and decision-makers at the international, national and local levels.”
Boran celebrated the release of her new book, titled Political Theory and Global Climate Action: Recasting the Public Sphere (Routledge, 2019), on June 13 at a launch hosted by Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik/German Development Institute.
For further information, contact Boran, Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, at iboran@yorku.ca.