Here’s a list of proposed topics for this year’s climate group weekend, which is to be held in Kilkenny and will have an overall theme of ‘climate ethics’. We are unlikely to cover all the topics below – these are just some headlines that we can use to refine our discussions over the weekend. Documents will be provided through a dropbox folder to be set up over the next few days.
If you are interested in attending, please contact us at info@feasta.org.
1. Overview of current negotiations at UNFCCC
• let’s set the political context for our discussion
• what happens if COP20-21 fails to come up with a new agreement?
• Is there a realistic plan B or even plan C?
• If governments fail to agree, what can other bodies such as NGOs do, or nations by themselves?
2. Current scenarios for global and regional climate change from AR5
• putting mitigation AND adaptation costs in a regional geopolitical context
• energy scenarios, peak oil and global trends medium-term trends
• how is the public and political debate responding to the latest science?
3. Climate Justice
• The challenge of agreeing on globally fair mechanisms to distribute emission rights, of which Cap and Share is still one option
• How to distribute a “shrinking” cake fairly – is it realistic that a distribution system will be fair from the outset?
• How would a commons approach work? How could it be implemented?
4. Energy and economic uncertainties and risks
• what are the emerging trends.. peak oil.. fracking.. oil price instability… resource conflicts… food prices… uncertainties over the economic costs and impacts of strong emissions reduction policies…
• Can renewables realistically bridge the gaps?
• What kind of shocks do we need to prepare for?
• public engagement and stealth denial
5. Towards a work plan for Feasta Climate Group
• Conference in 2015?
• Research/ publication
• Climate working group re-activation
– Buget
