It’s Up to You New York, New York: Catalyzing Action at the 2014 Climate Change Summit

There's a slight chill in the air as the old city of London begins to settle back into its grey and gloomy self again. Summer has waved its last goodbye, and as always, I welcome with open arms the arrival of Fall (or Autumn, as it is referred to here in the UK), which I regard as the most sentimental season of the year. My attachment to it lies in seeing the changing colors of the leaves, how they would slowly flutter down one by one, pile up on the sidewalk, and patch the streets in rich and rusty shades of gold and amber. Then there's the indelible aroma of roasted chestnuts mingling in the playful breeze that would rustle up the crimson pile, and cause them to twirl around in a silent dance.

Source: www.thelmagazine.com

But more than its nonchalant ambience, the crisp air of Fall holds the power to conjure memories of a place I once called home – New York City, in which the descent of foliage at this time of year makes the smoky, steely, blackened concrete jungle appear scarlet, bucolic, and nostalgic.

In the city that never sleeps, the early days of Fall are  also accompanied by the arrivals of Heads of State and Government from around the world. Reminiscing on my teenage years, I remember seeing diplomats shuffling themselves home like zombies in the morning as I hastily ran to catch the M15 bus to school, the noticeable presence of high-security enforcement officers and “men-in-black” figures surrounding the United Nations (UN) vicinity, and the rerouting of M42 buses, which of course resulted in a classic display of New Yorker “attitudes” i.e. incessant cursing along with open expressions of annoyance over the sudden increase of roadblocks, traffic, police (or just about anything else that  caused them to wait a nano-second longer than necessary). 

Such scenarios served as an indication to me that it was time for the big “GA” or General Assembly, described by CNN's Richard Roth as the "Superbowl of diplomacy". Annually, leaders from around the globe would gather to attend this momentous event, which is convened and hosted by the UN at its headquarters in the Big Apple. 

The GA was established in 1945 under the Charter of the United Nations and according to the UN, it “occupies a central position as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations” as well as providing “a unique forum for multilateral discussion of the full spectrum of international issues covered by the Charter”. 

What is especially memorable about the GA is its General Debate, which provides each leader with an opportunity to speak on behalf of their nations by addressing their counterparts, and the rest of the world that is watching, at the iconic green marble podium. This year, however, the 69^th session of the GA was preceded by the 2014 Climate Summit.

What is the 2014 Climate Summit?

The Climate Summit is regarded as the largest gathering of world leaders in one place at one time to address the urgent issue of climate change. The Summit was convened recently on Tuesday, 23 September, by UN Sec-Gen Ban Ki-moon who had urged leaders back in 2013 to announce bold pledges in their countries’ reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. 

As explained by the UN, the Climate Summit serves to promote climate action and aims to "show that leaders across sectors and at all levels are taking action, thus expanding the reach of what is possible today, in 2015, and beyond.” 

The Summit is not part of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiating process. This means that whatever was stated or discussed at the event shall not be considered as a formal agreement or binding decision on climate change. However, the event did set the stage for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (also known as the 21st Conference of the Parties on Climate Change or COP21) that is scheduled for Paris in 2015. COP21 is expected to result in a new meaningful, robust, and universal legal climate agreement, with the first draft due in Lima by the end of 2014. It is one of the reasons why world leaders are being publicly pressured more than ever to improve their commitments and display their best political will.

As apparent in the following statement released by the UN:

“The Summit will serve as a public platform for leaders at the highest level – all UN Member States, as well as finance, business, civil society and local leaders from public and private sectors – to catalyze ambitious action on the ground to reduce emissions and strengthen climate resilience and mobilize political will for an ambitious global agreement by 2015 that limits the world to a less than 2-degree Celsius rise in global temperature. The Climate Summit will be about action and solutions that are focused on accelerating progress in areas that can significantly contribute to reducing emissions and strengthening resilience.”

Mr. Ban also reiterated the vital need for political momentum and transformative action through his summary speech, as follows:

“The purpose of the 2014 Climate Summit was to raise political momentum for a meaningful universal climate agreement in Paris in 2015 and to galvanize transformative action in all countries to reduce emissions and build resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change. I asked leaders from government, business, finance and civil society to crystallize a global vision for low-carbon economic growth and to advance climate action on five fronts: cutting emissions; mobilizing money and markets; pricing carbon; strengthening resilience; and mobilizing new coalitions.” 

The Summit carried out its purpose through the star-powered opening ceremony, the Plenary Sessions where Heads of State and Government introduced their new national strategies for action, the Private Sector Forum lunch that focused on the issue of carbon pricing and statements of new commitments by private and public actors, the announcements of new initiatives delivered by coalitions of governments, businesses, and civil society organizations, and finally the Thematic Sessions, which focused on policy and practices in critical issues of climate action.

What was the outcome of the Climate Summit?

According to the UN, the outcome of the Summit was expected to be “the sum total of the announcements made by the leaders of government, business, finance, and civil society during the Summit to address climate change, along with a renewed sense of hope, optimism and momentum”.

Source: www.businessinsider.com

While the Summit did not essentially produce any formal decisions or agreements (as was briefly mentioned earlier), it did manage to bring climate change to the forefront by pushing leaders to pledge their countries’ commitments, mobilizing active public participation on climate change, acknowledging the science surrounding the phenomenon, and emphasizing the urgent need to address the problem as a global community at stake.

The Climate Summit was also met with the support of A-list celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio who joined in to influence decision-makers and the public in taking serious action (“you can make history or be vilified by it” – watch Leo’s speech here), and industry leaders such as from oil and gas who, according to Mr. Ban, “made an historic commitment to identify and reduce methane emissions by 2020”. Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, a Marshallese poet who spoke on behalf of civil society delivered a moving poem, stating that “we deserve to do more than just survive, we deserve to thrive”.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
at the People's Climate March (Source: UN)

At the same time, a huge People’s Climate March was organised around the globe (including here in London) as civil society’s way of demanding action on climate change. Even UN Sec-Gen Ban Ki-Moon joined in the street rally in Manhattan, telling reporters, “This is the planet where our subsequent generations will live…There is no 'Plan B' because we do not have 'Planet B'.” 

Events, activities and high-profile meetings were also held under Climate Week NYC to provide the public with planned activities targeted on informing and educating as well as getting people to participate.

Further details of the outcomes are outlined in Mr. Ban’s summary speech, which can be read here.

Malaysia’s Commitment to Climate Change

As for Malaysia, our Prime Minister, Hon. Dato' Sri Najib Razak announced that the country is “well on track” in its previously pledged target to reduce emissions intensity of GDP by 40% by the year 2020 (His entire speech can be found here). He stated that the emissions intensity of Malaysia’s GDP has been reduced by more than 33% and that this progress was being achieved through the implementation of national policies on climate change and green technology, as well as other initiatives such as gazetting new forest reserves and passing the Renewable Energy Act, which establishes a feed-in-tariff for renewables.

He also mentioned that Malaysia continues to struggle in managing both mitigation and adaption to climate change, and that the country has yet to receive any financial assistance or technology transfer from Annex I countries (i.e. the industrialized, developed countries):

Prime Minister of Malaysia addressing the 69th General Assembly at the UN
(Source: Reuters)

“That target we set in Copenhagen was conditional on finance and technology transfer from Annex I countries. Yet neither condition was met. We did not receive the assistance we were promised under article 4.7 of the Convention”.

Nevertheless, the Prime Minister remains optimistic in Malaysia’s efforts, explaining that there are new policies aimed to promote energy efficient vehicles, a corporate greenhouse gas reporting programme, a building sector energy efficiency project and a low carbon city framework, in addition to plans for construction of a new urban mass transit system that could halve the number of cars on city streets. But the PM also continued to emphasise the need for ALL countries to commit to their pledges as it would be futile if they are announced without serious intention and consistent action:

“Malaysia continued to cut its emissions intensity, for the sake of our people – and our planet. This time must be different. This time, all countries should commit to an ambitious deal to reduce emissions. And they must follow-up that commitment with consistent action….We can grow our economies, increase prosperity and reduce emissions all at the same time. We stand ready to work with other fast-developing nations to argue for greater ambition in 2015; and to show that economic development and climate action are not competing goals, but common ambitions”.

The 2014 Climate Summit has witnessed some bold pledges and what appeared to be a more pronounced degree of commitment to combatting climate change. However, the disappointing track record of climate change negotiations in the past would understandably raise doubts as to whether an effective agreement could be reached in Paris by 2015. Indeed, the debate on who should be more responsible and who should commit to cutting more emissions is a complex and never-ending one. While such dimensions of the climate talks are still being discussed and negotiated, it is hoped that the concerns and promises expressed by both civilians and leaders at the Climate Summit would ultimately lead to realising the shared dream of a more just and sustainable world.

And what better place to catalyze action towards such a dream than the City where dreams are made?

A view of my old neighbourhood:
Much has changed in New York & in my life since this shot was taken, 
but my deep sentiments towards the City that raised me & gave me voice remains the same.

Nothing is Constant but Change

As 2013 prepares to draw its curtains, many of us will feel the need to reflect on the days that have passed us by. We conjure images in our minds of what we have done, life events that we were a part of, what made us happy or sad, and more often that not, we ponder on what we have achieved and who we have become.  

Last month, I celebrated another passing year of my life. And I feel really thankful to be where I am today. Despite the challenges (that my mom tells me "only makes life all that more exciting!"), I'm still pursuing my interest and curiosity in this field, experiencing the best that all my worlds have to offer, and getting this feeling that I am not the exact same person who I used to be. 

When I think back to who I was a year ago and consider who I am now, I realise that somehow I have changed. And it is a reality that I accept with open arms because they say that change can be a good thing.

The world as we see it is also undergoing change, and it is happening at a rapid pace. As Arjen E.J. Wals and Peter Blaze Corcoran (2012) describes, “We live in turbulent times, our world is changing at accelerating speed. Information is everywhere, but wisdom appears in short supply when trying to address key inter-related challenges of our time such as; runaway climate change, the loss of biodiversity, the depletion of natural resources, the on-going homogenization of culture, and rising inequity”.

From my learning, I have picked up on the reoccurring notion that to survive in the long run, to be sustainable, and to achieve progress we must learn to adapt ourselves to new environments that bring new challenges. Failure to do so could lead to the deterioration of our livelihood and ultimately, the death of us.

Thinking along these lines, I have noticed the critical and increasingly frequent use of the synonymous words “change”, “transformation”, and “revolution”. Along with their derivatives, these words have been found in many of the concepts and slogans we see in popular use today, which may indicate a growing realization of their importance in the growth and development process. More often than not, they are accompanied by the word “action” that functions to turn the dream into the reality.

Source: http://themojocompany.com/

Sustainability Requires Change

Sustainable development is also a concept that highlights the urgent need for change in working together to achieve the right balance between social progress, economic growth and environmental protection. It is stated in the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development Report, Our Common Future (1987): 

“Attempts to maintain social and ecological stability through old approaches to development and environment protection will increase instability. Security must be sought through change.”

These changes would be required not only of political and legal institutional frameworks, but even more crucially a change in mindsets, behaviors, and attitudes. To achieve sustainability, we would need a change in culture and models of governance.

The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, for example, is a framework that was created to encourage behaviour change in consumers in order to help establish and nurture more sustainable lifestyles. According to Unilever, the Five Levers for Change are as follows:

Source: www.csrwire.com



• Make it understood. Do people know about the behaviour? Do they believe it’s relevant to them? This lever raises awareness and encourages acceptance.

• Make it easy. Do people know what to do and feel confident doing it? Can they see it fitting into their lives? This lever establishes convenience and confidence.

• Make it desirable. Will doing this new behaviour fit with their actual or aspirational self-image? Does it fit with how they relate to others or want to? This lever is about ‘self and society’ because humans are social animals.

• Make it rewarding. Do people know when they’re doing the behaviour ‘right’? Do they get some sort of reward for doing it? This lever demonstrates the proof and payoff.

• Make it a habit. Once people have made a change, what can we do to help them keep doing it? This lever is about reinforcing and reminding.

Malaysia: A Nation in Transition and Transformation

In efforts to realize its goal of becoming a high-income, developed nation that is sustainable and inclusive, Malaysia is a country that has undergone social, economic, and environmental changes throughout its history. And much like the world as stated above, it has done so at accelerating speed. Vision 2020 outlines Malaysia’s dream of the near future:

“By the year 2020, Malaysia can be a united nation, with a confident Malaysian society, infused by strong moral and ethical values, living in a society that is democratic, liberal and tolerant, caring, economically just and equitable, progressive and prosperous, and in full possession of an economy that is competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient” (Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, 1991).

However, at the time when Vision 2020 was conceived, the dimensions of the challenges that Malaysia faced was different and many aspects of it has changed as the country experienced the effects of globalization, climate change, demographic transformation, and changes in socio-political scenarios, among others.

Source: nitc.mosti.gov.my

In response to the pressing needs and demands of the people, the Government implemented a “Government Transformation Programme” known as the GTP. Under the Prime Minister’s Department, the Performance Management and Delivery Unit or PEMANDU – a Malay word for “driver”, describes it as:

“an ambitious, broad-based programme of change to fundamentally transform the Government into an efficient and rakyat-centred institution”.

The GTP began its second phase in 2013 (as GTP 2.0), which PEMANDU explains:

"aims to further deepen and enhance the transformative initiatives initiated in the first phase. GTP 2.0 expands and enhances GTP 1.0 initiatives that have proven to be effective, and introduces new initiatives that further expand the nexus of change".

Accompanying the GTP is the Economic Transformation Programme or ETP, along with other similar transformation programmes in the pipeline. With every year that passes, the Government reviews the progress of the programmes and introduces necessary changes that are in line with the changing needs of the rakyat. 

(More info on the GTP and ETP can be found here)

  

At the core of the Malaysian Government is its Public Service and civil servants. They are the Government’s planners, enforcers and enablers – tasked with facilitating the evolving national agenda and advising political leaders in formulating and implementing public policies. The Public Sector in Malaysia forms an integral part of the Government’s transformation agenda. Today, its most important responsibility is to introduce and effectively implement programmes and policies that are in line with the Government’s strategic plan of action, which seeks to transform the country.

Under the GTP, for example, part of its strategic plan involves identifying and addressing National Key Result Areas (NKRAs). According to PEMANDU, the NKRAs “were not deemed priority areas arbitrarily, but the result of various surveys, opinion polls and dialogues conducted with the rakyat. Each NKRA is led by a Cabinet Minister who is ultimately responsible to the Prime Minister for the successes and shortfalls of the NKRA's key performance indicator”.

Other than taking action on public issues highlighted through the NKRAs, such as reducing crime, fighting corruption, and improving student outcomes, the Malaysian Government also appears to be making changes in the way it communicates with citizens. The internet, and more recently social media, has especially been utilized to connect the Government directly to its stakeholders.

Source: www.mstar.com.my

Tan Sri Dr. Ali Hamsa, Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia noted:

“The Malaysian government has adapted well to the Internet and social media age, as all ministries. A majority of government agencies at all levels of government, namely federal agencies, state agencies and the local authorities have either Facebook, Twitter or blog accounts linked to their websites and portals. As of June 2013, there are a total of 755 agency Facebook and Twitter accounts, and this is envisaged to increase in the near future.” 

He also pointed out how the Government may benefit from participating in online social media through engaging and collaborating with the rakyat: “social networks can be utilised as a platform to reach out to the people and to engage with them. This can be done by adapting government procedures and communication strategies to embrace the use of social media networks to collaborate and elicit their support and feedback with regard to our plans, policies and programmes. By this, we can aspire to be more transparent in our decision-making and formulation of policies”. (Investvine.com, 2013)

Change Relentlessly

In its attempt to help the Government change and transform Malaysia in the course of the country’s development, the Public Service is also taking steps to change and transform itself. According to the New Straits Times (2013), Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidi Zainal, Director-General of Malaysia’s Public Service Department, explained:

"We are transforming the civil service to boost efficiency and serve the public. Public expectations are different today as they demand better service from us”.

(Read the first edition of JPA Transform here - articles are in Malay and English)

Source: news.asiaone.com

The transformation of its Public Service is inevitable if Malaysia is seeking to effectively deliver quality services to the rakyat. Change or transformation in this regard is essential in building the people’s trust in public institutions, fostering better communication, collaboration, and consistency among and between Ministries, divisions, and departments, overcoming the challenges in attracting talent to the Government, producing “crème de la crème” crops of civil servants, and reforming the Government as a whole to become one that is more resilient in changing times.

“We must put the rakyat’s needs at hand, and must transform and equip ourselves with the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise to keep up with the changing times. If not, we will become irrelevant and not be in tune with the ever-increasing and changing expectations and demands of society, and the world at large”, says Tan Sri Dr. Ali Hamsa.

This process of change would of course require time, commitment, determination, and a whole lot of cooperation. But as Bob Marley put it, “if you don’t start somewhere, you’re gonna go nowhere”.

Be a Hummingbird

While I think that institutional change could be enforced by authorities through laws and policy reforms, the desire and willingness to change has to ultimately come from within each and every one of us i.e. the citizens.

Last week, one of the most influential and greatest leaders in human history, Nelson Mandela, passed away. He inspired many through his brave actions and eloquent words of wisdom. He once said, “Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do”.

I am reminded of a moment that took place over lunchtime at Imperial College. A friend and colleague of mine said something along these lines: “A country is the way it is because its people want it or allow it to be that way”.

My first reaction was to think of how unfair it was to simplify the reason for a country’s fate, without considering other factors such as economic forces, colonial history, social inequalities, climate change, and many others that one could come up with and analyse without end. I was about to contest his statement, but instead I stopped myself and began to think. It’s true that there so are many injustices in this world and in many cases, people don’t feel that they are free enough, strong enough, rich enough, smart enough or capable enough to determine the fate of their nation.

Source: www.shifthappens.com

However, we often forget that the change can start from within us too. Changes that may seem small but are significant in essence can already begin in one’s own heart and mind, then in the household, then in the neighbourhood, then the larger community, the city, the state, the country, the region, the world, and who knows where else beyond that.  

At the end of this month, we will be ushering in another new year that will bring with it new obstacles and new possibilities. And I’m pretty sure that we will be seeing a new series of changes as well. 

If successful, efforts to transform in Malaysia may lead to improved citizen livelihoods and sustainable progress of the nation. But change for the better needs to start somewhere, whether in public, private, or third sectors, or simply in individuals like you and I. As Rumi, one of my favorite poets, reminds us:

“You are not just a drop in the ocean. You are the mighty ocean in the drop”. 

I share with you below a small and inspiring tale that tells us how we can contribute to making a difference in the world, no matter how small, powerless, or insignificant we may feel. This is a story of the little hummingbird as told by Wangari Maathai (RIP), who founded the Green Belt Movement:

We are constantly being bombarded by problems that we face and sometimes we can get completely overwhelmed. The story of the hummingbird is about this HUGE forest being consumed by a fire. 

All the animals in the forest come out and they are transfixed as they watch the fire burning. They feel very overwhelmed and powerless. Except for this little hummingbird. 

It says: “I’m going to do something about the fire!” So it flies to the nearest stream, takes a drop of water, he puts it on the fire and goes up and down, up and down, up and down, as fast as it can! 

In the meantime all the other animals, much bigger animals like the elephant with a big trunk who could bring much more water, they are standing there helpless and they are saying to the hummingbird: 

“What do you think you can do? You are too little! This fire is too big! Your wings are too little and your beak is so small, you can only bring a small drop of water at the time.” 

But, as they continued to discourage him, he danced without wasting any time, and tells them: “I am doing the best I can.” 

And that, to me, is what all of us should do. We should always feel like a hummingbird. I may feel insignificant, but I certainly don’t want to be like the animals watching as the planet goes down the drain. I will be a hummingbird. I will do the best I can.

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