Going Beyond Bonn

This month the world’s attention was on Bonn. Here, global leaders continued efforts to deal with a rapidly changing political climate calling into question the legitimacy of the Paris Accord. 

To weather these stormy times, the onus of responsibility is shifting. No longer is the future of the world to be in the hands of the political collective – the so-called global community – but rather smaller players within those collectives.
 
One of the more dramatic moments of the Bonn conference came as American lobbyists talked up the merits of coal. As they promoted use of fossil fuels, protestors and other attendees jeered. These protests were led by a group of concerned American scientists and businesspeople who view the Trump administration’s pull out of Paris heading in the wrong direction. Although not a national political representative, this vocal group has made headlines as the true representative of the majority of Americans when it comes to climate change. Senator Ben Cardin summed this up perfectly in saying “…I want to make it clear: the Federal Government is not just the president of the United States.”
 
For its part, China is working tirelessly at home to shore up its commitments to the Paris Accord. As we’ve talked about at length, leadership of global sustainability is now squarely in China’s lap. This month we continue to see ways China is solidifying this position.

• The Chinese delegation to Bonn held a press conference outlining the future of the national carbon trading scheme. Overdue now by over a year, representatives say all preparatory work has been completed. At this stage, they’re simply waiting for final bureaucratic approvals before launching the national program. Officials now expect this to happen mid-2018. Although it still has some creases to iron out, the scheme is poised to keep China on track for peak carbon by 2030.
• China’s public sector is often held up as the poster child for inefficiency and nepotism. For thousands of years, getting a job as a bureaucrat was only possible given who you knew. Now, China is looking to evolve beyond this model through regulations curbing nepotism. Seen as a breeding ground for corruption, the Government is cracking down on unfair recruitment practices in the lead up to civil service hiring season. Last year, over 1.5 million Chinese sat for the national civil service examination. Unfortunately for most, the prevalence of “radish recruitment” means spots are earmarked for certain candidates years before. 
• Finally this month, UNESCO-heritage site Lijiang has set forth measures towards more sustainable regional development. Increasing numbers of tourists over the past decade have translated to the inevitable range of scams and touts. Long plagued with these issues, a mar on an otherwise pristine bit of countryside, local officials have created a Tourist Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights gives zero-tolerance to unscrupulous activities on the part of tour operators, hostels, inns, and shopkeepers. Tourism makes up over half of the local economy.

 
What news are you seeing from where you are? Let us know in the comments.