On June 20 2017, Janos Pasztor, the executive director of the Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative (C2G2) announced the setting up of an Advisory Group of leading international experts to guide and support its work in catalyzing the establishment of effective governance for climate geoengineering. "Our work to catalyze the establishment of effective governance for climate geoengineering is a huge and complex challenge involving many diverse actors. The range and depth of expertise reflected in our newly established Advisory Group will considerably strengthen the C2G2 initiative's ability to navigate these challenges and deliver its mission'" said Pasztor. "I am delighted to welcome such a diverse and knowledgeable group of experts to the group and very much look forward to working together on this important and timely task."
The Advisory Group is constituted from a diverse group of leading international experts covering a wide range of sectors and countries, selected to ensure deep insight into key issues relevant to achievement of the C2G2 mission. At this time, the group includes:
- Ms. Elenita (Neth) Daño, Asia Director, Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC Group), Philippines;
- Ms. Maria Ivanova, Associate Professor of Global Governance and Director of the Center for Governance and Sustainability at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA;
- Mr. Ronald Jumeau, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Seychelles to the United Nations and Ambassador for Climate Change, Republic of Seychelles;
- Mr. David Keith, Professor of Applied Physics and Professor of Public Policy, Harvard University, USA;
- Ms. Alessandra Orofino, Executive Director and Co-founder of Meu Rio, Brazil;
- Mr. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Global Lead, Climate and Energy, WWF International and former Minister of State for Environment in Peru;
- Mr. Jairam Ramesh, Member of Parliament, Former Minister for the Environment, Republic of India;
- Mr. Steve Rayner, James Martin Professor of Science & Civilization, University of Oxford, UK;
- Mr. Youba Sokona, Special Advisor for Sustainable Development, South Centre, Mali.
Two more Advisory Group members will be added during the remainder of this year.
Advisory Group members provide advice on the substantive issues behind the work of C2G2. They will provide independent strategic guidance and support to help ensure the initiative's work is well informed, effective and high impact. As the Advisory Group is not a decision-making body, the members have no direct and accountable influence over the work of the initiative.
THE C2G2 ADVISORY GROUP
- Neth Daño (Philippines) is Asia director at the Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC Group) a Philippines based, international civil society organization that monitors the impacts of new and emerging technologies on marginalized communities. She formerly served on the Advisory Board of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN), the operational arm of the Technology Mechanism of the UNFCCC, and was appointed for a two-year term by the UN secretary-general in the 10-Member Group that supports the UN Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM) .
- Maria Ivanova (USA, Bulgaria) is associate professor of global governance at John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies in the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She is also director of the Center for Governance and Sustainability. She is an international relations and global environmental governance scholar specializing in international environmental institutions and their performance, environmental sustainability, and the science-policy interface.
- Ronald Jumeau (Tanzania, Seychelles) is permanent representative to the United Nations and ambassador for climate change, Republic of Seychelles. He also serves as Seychelles' ambassador to the United States. He formerly held several ministerial posts including that of minister for environment and natural resources, which included responsibility for climate change, conservation, water, forestry, agriculture and fisheries.
- David Keith (Canada, USA, UK) is professor of applied physics in Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and professor of public policy in the Harvard Kennedy School, and founder at Carbon Engineering a company developing technology to capture of CO2 from ambient air to make carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuels.
- Alessandra Orofino (Brazil) is executive director & co-founder of Meu Rio, a Brazilian civil-society organization that develops tools for civic engagement and participation. Meu Rio acts as a catalyst for youth activism with over 140,000 members who collaborate to identify common issues, pool ideas for solutions, and pressure decision-makers to adopt new policies and practices.
- Manuel Pulgar-Vidal (Peru) is global lead on climate and energy for WWF International. He was formerly minister of state for environment in Peru and president of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Twentieth Conference of Parties (COP20).
- Jairam Ramesh (India) is an Indian economist, author, and politician in the Indian National Congress. He has represented Andhra Pradesh state in the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of the Parliament of India) since June 2004 and has previously held various ministerial positions including: minister of rural development, minister of drinking water and sanitation, and minister of state at the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
- Steve Rayner (UK) is James Martin Professor of Science and Civilization and director of the Institute for Science, Innovation and Society (InSIS) in the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at Oxford University from where he also co-directs the Oxford Geoengineering Programme.
- Youba Sokona (Mali) is special advisor for sustainable development at the South Centre in Mali. With over 35 years of experience addressing energy, environment, and sustainable development in Africa, Sokona is a well-known, leading global figure.
When asked why they consider the work of the initiative to be important, Advisory Group members commented:
"Governance is the design and execution of policy. Effective governance for climate geoengineering will require imagination and knowledge supported by systematic research, discussions, and deliberations." - Maria Ivanova
"Because there is no Planet B, all deliberations and any decision on experiments or deployment of technologies that pose grave and unpredictable consequences to the planet and the people must involve civil society, social movements and potentially affected communities. The rights to Know and to say 'No' must be protected and respected at all times." - Neth Daño
"Isolated and vulnerable in the vastness of the oceans and seas that surround us and which we call home, Islanders need to know that somewhere out of sight, someone is not interfering with the climate in ways further detrimental to our survival." - Ronny Jumeau
"Solar geoengineering has the best chance of enabling social and environmental benefits if development of the technology and assessment of its risks and benefits proceeds hand-in-hand with the development of international governance" - David Keith
"Barring a global economic catastrophe, it does not seem credible that the world will meet its current target of limiting atmospheric warming by 2°C, let alone 1.5°C, through conventional mitigation alone. The feasibility and wisdom of deliberate interventions in the climate system to meet present goals raise fundamental issues about humanity's relationship with climate, the goals that we set for ourselves, and the means by which we pursue them." - Steve Rayner
"Exploring the unknown territory in the context of common good certainly prevents taking uninformed harmful decisions." - Youba Sokona
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