Global Climate Diplomacy

Welcome Address: Liliana Popescu-Bîrlan, Director General, Romanian Diplomatic Institute (RDI)
Radu Dudău, President, Energy Policy Group (EPG)

Keynote Speakers:

• Mircea Fechet, Minister of Environment, Waters, and Forests
• Alexandra Bocșe, State Advisor in the Department of Climate and Sustainability, Presidential Administration
• Dan-Dragoș Drăgan, Secretary of State, Ministry of Energy

Panel 1: Ensuring Continuity and International Cooperation, from COP29 to COP30

• H.E. Gudsi Osmanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Romania
• H.E. Ricardo Guerra de Araújo, Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil
• Moderator: Radu Dudău, President, EPG

Panel 2: Addressing Regional Challenges within Climate Actions

• Andrei Țărnea, Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Ionuț-Sorin Banciu, Vice President, ANRMPSG
• Roxana Bojariu, Climate Researcher, National Meteorological Administration
• Moderator: Mihnea Cătuți, Research Department Coordinator

COP Presidency Troika (2023-2025): United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Brazil

COP (Conference of the Parties) is the annual meeting of the 197 countries that have signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The main goal of COP is to assess global progress in fighting climate change and to negotiate new measures and agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change.

Topics Addressed:

• The urgency of concerted action to counter global warming
• RO-ADAPT – a national platform for climate change adaptation
• Romania’s Energy Strategy 2025 – 2035, with a perspective for 2050
• How energy misinformation impacts public perception, leading to the stalling of significant infrastructure projects

What role does diplomacy play in this complex puzzle?
The answer is leadership by example. Together, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Azerbaijan, and Brazil produce the fourth-largest amount of oil globally. Their cooperation on environmental issues could be seen as an opportunity to mobilize sustainable actions.

Key Takeaway
It is time to work together to respond to the challenges caused by extreme climate-related events, such as rising temperatures and intense heatwaves, which disproportionately affect people living in poverty, women, those in poor health, and workers engaged in physically demanding jobs, as highlighted in recent UN reports emphasizing the need for action.