[WEBCAST] COVID-19 and Climate Change: The Need for a Green Economic Recovery

This program is part of the Asia Society Policy Institute's (ASPI) series entitled “Coronavirus, Asia, and the World.” ASPI presents web-only programs twice weekly to analyze the scope of the ramifications from the novel coronavirus across the Asia-Pacific region and the world. All events will be live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook. For information about future events in this series and for ASPI’s additional coronavirus content see here.

COVID-19 has had an obvious and immediate impact on the level of greenhouse gas emissions, with most estimates forecasting an approximately ten percent drop globally this year compared to 2019. However, with countries racing to develop and deliver enormous fiscal stimulus measures, there is a risk that a carbon-intensive recovery will wipe out these short-term gains and put the world even further off track to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, as the science demands.

At the same time, this crisis also presents an opportunity for the world to build back better through embracing a green economic recovery. And with the United Nations’ COP26 Climate Change Conference now delayed until 2021, this provides a unique moment for the world to rally together coming out of this crisis, including as they develop stronger targets to reduce emissions in the short term as required for under the Paris Agreement’s five-year cycle for increasing national ambition.

Asia Society Policy Institute President, The Honorable Kevin Rudd AC, will be joined by the CEO of the European Climate Foundation and architect of the Paris Agreement, Laurence Tubiana, and the Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce, John W.H. Denton AO, to discuss what COVID-19 means for the global fight against climate change and the prospects and possibilities for a green economic recovery.

SPEAKERS

Laurence Tubiana is CEO of the European Climate Foundation (ECF). In addition to her role at ECF, she is the Chair of the Board of Governors at the French Development Agency (AFD), and a Professor at Sciences Po, Paris. Before joining ECF, Laurence was France’s Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP21, and as such a key architect of the landmark Paris Agreement. Following COP21, she was appointed High Level Champion for climate action.

John W.H. Denton AO assumed the position as Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce in May 2018. Having previously served as ICC’s First Vice-Chair and on the ICC Executive Board, John was Partner and CEO of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, a leading independent law firm in Australia. John is also Chair of the Business Council of Australia’s Global Engagement Task Force; Chair (emeritus) of the Experts Group on Trade and Investment in Indonesia; Board Member of Asialink and Asia Society; and a Founding Member of the Australia-China CEO Roundtable.

The Hon. Kevin Rudd is inaugural President of the Asia Society Policy Institute. He served as 26th Prime Minister of Australia (2007 to 2010, 2013) and as Foreign Minister (2010 to 2012). He is Chair of the Board of the International Peace Institute in New York, and Chair of Sanitation and Water for All, a global partnership of government and non-government organizations dedicated to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6. He is a Distinguished Fellow at Chatham House and the Paulson Institute, and a Distinguished Statesman with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is also a member of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization’s Group of Eminent Persons.