Global sustainable leadership lecture 1 Flashcards
Definition of responsible leadership
Responsible leaders build and cultivate
sustainable relationships with stakeholders to
achieve mutually shared objectives based upon
a vision that relationships need to yield results
that benefit the many*
COP-27; key outcomes (loss and damage)
Developing countries have been seeking financial assistance for loss and damage –money needed to rescue and
rebuild the physical and social infrastructure of countries devastated by extreme weather –for nearly three
decades. Finally achieving agreement on a fund is a major milestone. Now comes the difficult part –the fund must
be set up, and filled with cash. There is no agreement yet on how the finance should be provided and where it
should come from.
COP-27 key outcomes (1.5C)
The 2015 Paris agreement contained two temperature goals –to keep the rise “well below 2C” above pre-
industrial levels, and “pursuing efforts” to keep the increase to 1.5C. Science since then has shown clearly that 2C
is not safe, so at Cop26 in Glasgow last year countries agreed to focus on a 1.5C limit. As their commitments on
cutting greenhouse gas emissions were too weak to stay within the 1.5C limit, they also agreed to return each
year to strengthen them, a process known as the ratchet. At Cop27, some countries tried to renege on the 1.5C
goal, and to abolish the ratchet. They failed, but a resolution to cause emissions to peak by 2025 was taken out, to
the dismay of many.
COP-27 Key outcomes (gas)
The final text of Cop27 contained a provision to boost “low-emissions energy”. That could mean many things, from
wind and solar farms to nuclear reactors, and coal-fired power stations fitted with carbon capture and storage. It
could also be interpreted to mean gas, which has lower emissions than coal, but is still a major fossil fuel. Many
countries at Cop27, particularly those from Africa with large reserves to exploit, came to Sharm el-Sheikh hoping to strike lucrative gas deals
COP-27 key outcomes (fossil fuels)
Last year at Glasgow, a commitment to phase down the use of coal was agreed. It marked the first time a
resolution on fossil fuels had been included in the final text –some would say, incredibly for 30 years of
conferences on climate change. At Cop27, some countries –led by India –wanted to go further and include a
commitment to phase down all fossil fuels. That was the subject of intense wrangling late into Saturday night, but
in the end it failed and the resolution included was the same as that in Glasgow.
COP-27 key outcomes (word bank reform)
A growing number of developed and developing countries are calling for urgent changes to the World Bank and
other publicly funded finance institutions, which they say have failed to provide the funding needed to help poor
countries cut their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis.
COP-27 key outcomes (Adaptation)
Building flood defences, preserving wetlands, restoring mangrove swamps and regrowing forests –these
measures, and more, can help countries to become more resilient to the impacts of climate breakdown. But poor
countries often struggle to gain funding for these efforts. Of the $100bn a year rich countries promised they
would receive from 2020 –a promise still not fulfilled –only about $20bn goes to adaptation. In Glasgow,
countries agreed to double that proportion, but at Cop27 some sought to remove that commitment. After some
struggle, it was reaffirmed
