How can CSO contributions to the Paris Agreement be optimized? On-the-ground experience from Montreal Protocol CSOs
[EVENT DESCRIPTION]
● Civil society organizations (CSOs) have the potential to play an integral role in advancing the discussions and evaluating progress with respect to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) such as the Paris Agreement. Often, a single CSO has responsibilities in multiple MEAs, and thus have accumulated both institutional and personal knowledge in seeing how the discussions, as well their roles in those discussions, have evolved over the years;
● However, opportunities to formally discuss these accumulated institutional and personal knowledge have so far been scarce. This is unfortunate, as when new MEAs are made and/or existing ones are amended, many CSOs that have participated in these discussions for many years hold with them valuable insights that may readily be transferable and shared with other organizations either just starting out, or engaging in similar activities in a different region of the world;
● This event is to provide a common platform for CSOs from the Montreal Protocol–considered to be the most successful MEA–to gather and to share their valuable insights on how CSO contributions to the Paris Agreement may be optimized, drawing from their experience seeing the Montreal Protocol evolve from its beginnings all the way to the Kigali Amendment, cementing its status as a de facto climate agreement with the potential to avoid up to 1 degree of warming by 2100.
[PANEL DISCUSSION TOPICS]
● How has the Montreal Protocol evolved over the years, based on your experience? What, if any, can the Paris Agreement learn from what you have witnessed on the ground at the Montreal Protocol?
● Can you describe your experience (CSO) working on mitigating HFCs in your countries, in accordance with the Kigali Amendment? What challenges have you faced? At what point did you see a need to collaborate with government stakeholders, or other CSOs to advance your work?
● Are you able to suggest technical or procedural synergies between the Montreal Protocol (Kigali Amendment) and the Paris Agreement, in terms of reporting requirements, governance mechanisms and/or any other practical suggestions?
● What has been the main enduring barrier(s) to the implementation of the Montreal Protocol and to the further strengthening of the Montreal Protocol institutions?
● What do you think are the roles CSOs do (or should) play at Multilateral Environmental Agreements? How can CSOs amplify their voices?