From Bonn to Chicago: Local and Global Perspectives on the Just Transition
Global climate negotiations determine the rules and finance that shape the transition away from fossil fuels. For most people in the US, these negotiations feel distant and abstract. This panel brings together speakers from the Carbon League, Germanwatch, and Industrial Policy Lab Indonesia to share key insights from the June 2026 UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies meetings in Bonn (SB64) and explore what they mean for Chicago. Drawing on Indonesia’s experience as an emerging economy, the discussion examines how climate finance and just transition connect global decisions to city-level climate action. The panel discusses “what can Chicago do to help mobilize climate finance and support a just transition globally, even when the US withdrew from the Paris Agreement and UNFCCC?”
In this panel, we bring together representatives from the Carbon League, Germanwatch, and Industrial Policy Lab Indonesia, to draw connections between global climate negotiations and just transition efforts in Chicago. In doing so, we also draw an example from a developing country, Indonesia. Despite the US withdrawal from international climate treaties, many American states and cities remain committed to addressing the climate crisis. To this end, we want to understand: Why are climate negotiations important for US cities like Chicago? What role can Chicago play in these global dialogues about climate mitigation or finance? How can it support sustainability efforts in other parts of the world, like Indonesia, to promote the transition to renewable energies?
Zoom Link: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/92657772481