Climate Governance Integrity

 Community Consultation and Coal Plant Construction Written by Abraham Sumalinog Blue Power Coal Plant under construction, Samcheok City South Korean civil society organizations and active citizens, young and adults, are fighting for the nation's future and the whole world through environmental and climate change actions in various forms--public awareness campaigns, public picketing, protest actions, press conference, consultation, among many.  Having experienced the brunt of three typhoons that ravaged the country within a week in September this year seemed to have pushed more climate actions and awakened some citizens to the truth of the impacts of climate change.  One of such collaborative climate actions among citizens happened on the 18th of November 2020. The organizers invited climate action supporters to gather in Samcheok City to protest against a new coal plant's construction along the beautiful beach area located just five kilometers away from the City. I was ...

  Prepared by Abraham Sumalinog GCF B27 Day 1 The Co-chairs, Sue Szabo (Canada) and Nauman Bhatti (Pakistan) welcomed the Board to its second virtual board meeting, scheduled to run 4 hours a day via Zoom until 13 November 2020. The recorded meeting is available online here.  Adoption of the B27 Agenda BMs worry that the Updated Strategic Plan (USP), although proposed for adoption at this Board Meeting, is still not ready due to lack of documentation. policy gaps: include the Integrated Results Management Framework (IRMF), the Updated Strategic Plan (USP), and the Project-Specific Assessment Approach (PSAA) urged the Board to make decisive actions now, with emphasis on the adoption of the IRMF Co-chair assured the Board that the USP and the IRMF would be tabled at this Board Meeting Adoption of the B26 Report and the Board Decisions Proposed Between Meetings (B26-B27) decisions proposed to the Board between B26 and B27, namely:  Appointment of the ethics and audit commi...

Bicycling Against Climate Change & Its Culprits By: Abraham Sumalinog This Monday is not an ordinary day. I got invited and registered to join a bicycling event for climate action. I got up early and rented online a bicycle near Yeouinaru Subway Station in Seoul. It was one fine sunny day. I took the subway and arrived an hour early at our meeting venue. Fortunately, two bicycles were left on their stands and were ready for use. Ttareungi, the name given to these green bicycles in Seoul, offers locals and foreign visitors access through online paid registration. Having secured my bicycle, I had the time to explore Yeouido Public Park. I enjoyed the pine trees, plants, flowers, green grass, bushes, and the pond that offers abode to other living creatures such as the crane and turtle, which surprisingly, I did not expect to see. Returning to the agreed meeting venue, participants of the day's event came one by one--some brought their bicycles while some rented Ttareungi.  Getting...

Fossil Fuel Subsidies Written by : Andra Vitola Koranteng Fossil fuel subsidies are universal around the world, based on the approximate calculation by the international organizations roughly global value of global fossil fuel subsidies are between US$325 billion and US$5300 billion per year.  Aside from the harmful impacts that these subsidies do to the environment, fossil fuel subsidies are as well economically inefficient. Economically this money can be used on other priorities like health and education.  As for the environment, fossil fuels are the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions and prevent the shift towards clean energy. These fossil subsidies are weakening the competitiveness of renewable energy.  Issues regarding fossil fuel subsidies have been an essential point on the G20 agenda since the 2009 Summit in Pittsburg during this summit G20 leaders pledge dedication to “rationalize and phase out over the medium term inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that e...

G20 Fossil Fuels Subsidies Written by : Andra Vitola Koranteng G20 countries supposedly are encouraged to pay attention to their internal policies and measures in a systemic way as well experts are supposed to help with learning from the previous lessons so that countries can achieve efficient awareness about the environmental, social, and economic impact of their fiscal policy. [ 1 ]  However, gradually eliminating fossil fuel subsidies have been one of the hardest things to do. Since 2009, G20 countries have continuously agreed over and over to pledge to reduce fossil fuel at every summit. Yet, in reality, progress has been very little, or it has backslid. A recent report shows that G20 countries provided $147 billion in subsidies to coal, oil, and gas in 2016. [ 2 ]  Fossil fuel subsidies benefit wealthier households that use more fuel and energy, but it's unproductive to support low-income households. Instead of spending money to support coal, oil, and gas, this money can...

TI-UN Habitat Local Governance Toolkit  Written Summary by:  Lynn Lee Corruption (as defined by Klitgaard, MacLean-Abaroa and Parris, 1996) is the misuse of the office for private gain, and it can occur in any of the three major governance pillars (government, private sector, civil society). The office is a position of trust, where one receives authority in order to act on behalf of an institution, be it private, public, or non-profit. Corruption has a deeply negative effect on life in cities, as it can undermine a city’s social, economic, environmental and political objectives. For example, it could lead to lower tax revenue, which results in less government budget for social welfare programs and consequently a loss of public confidence in the government. To tackle this, we strive for transparency.  Transparency connotes the conduct of public business in a manner that affords stakeholders wide accessibility to the decision-making process and the ability to effectively in...

What Can Youth Do for Climate Issues? Written by : Lynn Lee (high school student intern, July 2020) As a youth, it’s easy to feel powerless. Many of us can’t drive, much less vote. But climate change is a pressing global issue. If we don’t act now, it might be too late.  Where to start? Well, building a strong foundation is critical.  What is the science behind climate change? Why are we on a strict timeline? There is a wealth of information available online to answer these questions.  Transparency International’s e-learning course offers a good starting point, while organizations such as National Geographic and BBC also provide simple guides for beginners.  For those more inclined to visual or auditory learning, YouTube videos (e.g., Our Planet), TED Talks (e.g., Why I live a zero-waste life, Lauren Singer), and podcasts (e.g., Costing the Earth) are available for anyone to access. Full-length films such as Before the Flood, An Inconvenient Truth, and The True Cost...