Meeting of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Staff Network on Climate Change and Sustainability focused on research strategies to inform evidence-based climate action
Parliamentary staff from across the Americas and the Caribbean met virtually for a working meeting of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Staff Network on Climate Change and Sustainability (PNCCS-Staff). The meeting, which had additional participation from international climate experts, facilitated peer-to-peer exchange on how to effectively integrate complex environmental information within legislative spaces.
Opening remarks were provided by Frédéric Forge (Canada), Senior Director of the International Affairs and Integrated Reference Services Division of the Library of Parliament and General Coordinator of the PNCC-Staff. This was followed by an expert-led panel discussing the key findings from the Sixth Assessment Cycle of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and recommendations for how to use scientific data in the creation of climate policies and laws, including how to incorporate a gender and human rights lens. Moderated by Brian B. Caesar (Trinidad and Tobago), Clerk of the House of Representatives and Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean of the PNCCS-Staff, the panel included presentations from the following individuals:
- Dr. Paulina Aldunce, Lead author of the IPCC AR6 reports and Associate Researcher at the Centre for Climate and Resilience Research (CR2)
- Dr. Carolina Santa Cruz, Science Officer, Regional Focal Point for the Latin American and Caribbean Region of the International Science Council
- Kate Higham, Coordinator of the Climate Change Laws of the World project of the Grantham Research Institute
Following this, participants engaged in an open dialogue moderated by Jatziri Pando Medina (Mexico), Technical Secretary of the Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Committee, Senate of the Republic and Regional Coordinator for North America of the PNCCS-Staff. This dialogue allowed parliamentary staffers to exchange on their own experiences accessing, analyzing, and sharing comparative data related to environmental topics, as well as gain exposure to new practices and tools used in other parliaments.
The meeting also marked the official launch of the updated ParlAmericas publication, “Navigating Online Information: Tips & Tricks for Parliamentary Research.”This resource, along with ParlAmericas’ recently updated environmental repository, “Mapping Environmental Strategies and Sustainability Initiatives,” were shared as additional reference tools to ensure gender disaggregated data and other social variables are considered in research to support parliamentary work on climate and sustainability.
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Frédéric Forge (Canada), Senior Director of the International Affairs and Integrated Reference Services Division of the Library of Parliament and General Coordinator of the PNCC-Staff
“The ParlAmericas Parliamentary Staff Network on Climate Change and Sustainability is committed to supporting parliamentary staff in their efforts to remain up-to-date on the various complex environmental issues afflicting the region, as well as exploring the innovative solutions to address them through evidence-based legislative initiatives.”
