ParlAmericas, the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Senate of Mexico host the 5th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change, Addressing Inequalities to Enable Climate Ambition: A Just Transition to Achieve the Paris Agreement.
ParlAmericas is holding the 5th Gathering of its Network on Climate Change titled “Addressing Inequalities to Enable Climate Ambition: A Just Transition to Achieve the Paris Agreement,” organized with the Parliament of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Senate of Mexico. The gathering will bring together parliamentarians from more than 20 countries in the Americas and the Caribbean, as well as parliamentary staff, specialists in the field and representatives of civil society and youth organizations from the entire hemisphere.
The first session of the gathering, held on June 4, was dedicated to an inter-parliamentary dialogue to analyze strategies to promote inclusive climate action, incorporating intersectional and gender-responsive approaches to promoting a just transition. The session was moderated by the Honourable Rosa Galvez (Canada), Senator and Vice-President of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change (PNCC) for North America, and included the participation of specialists Enrico Botta, Coordinator of the Green Growth and Global Relations Committee at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Claudia de Windt, Founding Partner and CEO of the Inter-American Institute on Justice and Sustainability; Samantha Smith, Director of the Just Transition Centre of the International Trade Union Confederation; and Eduardo Uribe-Botero, Director of Grupo Energía Bogotá.
In addition, on June 15, a discussion was held with parliamentarians and representatives of civil society and youth organizations in collaboration with the regional offices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to exchange ideas on inclusive climate action incorporating intersectional approaches and social consultation processes, and on the importance of the Action for Climate Empowerment approach as a tool for strengthening citizens’ commitment to climate action. This session was moderated by Member of the Legislative Assembly Paola Vega (Costa Rica), Vice-President of the PNCC for Central America, and provided an opportunity for an interactive exchange with stakeholders to report on the work carried out by parliamentarians in relation to these issues.
The 5th Gathering will end on June 25 with a plenary session, which will include a keynote address by Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba (Mexico), special envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the 2019 Climate Change Summit, and a panel on parliamentary experiences in promoting inclusive climate action for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. In addition, elections for vacant positions in the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change will be held during the plenary session.
In reference to the theme of the 5th Gathering, the Honourable Bridgid Annisette-George (Trinidad and Tobago), Speaker of the House of Representatives and Vice-President of ParlAmericas stated that “as political leaders, we have a duty to implement an ambitious, inclusive and democratic climate agenda that honours the spirit of the 2030 Agenda of leaving no one behind. It should be a moral and ethical commitment to our children and the legacy that we will leave for future generations.”
For his part, Senator Eduardo Ramírez (Mexico), President of the Senate, stated that “the urgent fight against the effects of climate change requires that legislators incorporate intersectional and gender-responsive approaches into our parliamentary work to take into account the complex universe of inequalities experienced by the most vulnerable populations, to ensure that climate plans and just transition processes toward resilient, zero-emission economies meet their needs and do not exacerbate existing inequalities.”
For more information on the work carried out by ParlAmericas, go to www.parlamericas.org and follow @ParlAmericas on social media.
