Podcast: COP26 and climate justice for the Pacific

On this episode of Policy Forum Pod, Siobhan McDonnell and George Carter join us for a powerful, confronting conversation about the impact of climate change in the Pacific Island region ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.

Despite being at an enormous disadvantage in terms of resources and delegation size, what strategies have Pacific Island countries used to be so effective in international climate negotiations? How will Pacific negotiators approach the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, or COP26, amidst enormous challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing urgency of the global climate situation? And has the Australian Government been guilty of ‘double-speak’ by delivering one set of messaging in regional negotiations and another in global forums? Dr Siobhan McDonnell and Dr George Carter, both scholars at The Australian National University (ANU) and negotiators for Pacific Island delegations at COP26, join Professor Sharon Bessell and Dr Arnagretta Hunter to discuss these questions and more. Listen now: https://bit.ly/2Y0wLoY

George Carter is a Research Fellow in Geopolitics and Regionalism at ANU Department of Pacific Affairs. In 2019, he became a Co-Director of ANU Pacific Institute.

Siobhan McDonnell is a legal anthropologist with over 20 years of experience working with Indigenous people in Australia and the Pacific on land use, gender, and climate change. She is a Senior Lecturer at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.

Sharon Bessell is Professor of Public Policy and Director of Gender Equity and Diversity at ANU Crawford School of Public Policy.

Arnagretta Hunter is the Human Futures Fellow for the ANU College of Health and Medicine, a cardiologist, physician, and a Senior Clinical Lecturer at ANU Medical School.

Want to hear more of our mini-series on climate change and COP26? In the fifth episode, the Australian Capital Territory’s Climate Change Commissioner Sophie Lewis and Member for Ginnenderra Jo Clay join us to talk about a unique approach to measuring carbon emissions and what it means for our lives and societies.

In the first episode, we discuss climate change, security, and the upcoming UN Conference of the Parties in Glasgow with Robert Glasser.

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