Climate & foreign policy: Climate breakthroughs for the world’s growing economies
None of the amazing technical breakthroughs we’re all working on will make a dent in global greenhouse gas emissions–unless these technologies and techniques are adopted in the fastest-growing economies of the developing world. Leapfrogging emissions-intensive economic development is not a given, even if our new innovations are cheaper than their fossil fuel competitors in the United States, and adoption will also require political and governance breakthroughs. That requires the in-kind contributions of foreign policy–from diplomacy to development–to be deployed alongside these new technologies. In a short-sighted fit of pique, the Trump administration has almost entirely amputated the US government’s foreign policy arms for this work: USAID, the State Department, and other foreign services. Just as the health clinics were shut down, so were the programs that used to help partner countries reform their policies to create competitive markets for renewable energy, enable local development of electrical infrastructure, and catalyze investments in clean technologies.
SF Climate Week is an opportunity for diverse leaders and experts to discuss the challenges of global adoption of climate-smart technologies, the imperative to rebuild programs that facilitate enabling environments for adoption, and the future of foreign policy based on an understanding of that imperative.
Speakers:
@Melody McNeil: former Director of the USAID Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment
@Margaret Ramalho McMorrow: former Chair of the Climate and Environment Development Partner Group in Uganda
@Christina Cairns: former Director of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
@Blaine Johnson: Bay Area Regional Co-Lead for FP4A NextGen, energy sector consultant, former USAID Energy Advisor
About the host: Foreign Policy for America was founded to support principled American engagement with countries around the world to meet global challenges such as combating climate change. Foreign Policy for America advocates for investing in U.S. clean energy competitiveness and strengthening national and global resilience to mounting climate and energy security challenges. This event is hosted by the Bay Area chapter of Foreign Policy for America’s NextGen Initiative.
By registering for this event, you agree to share your registration information with the organizers of SF Climate Week.
This is not a Library sponsored program.