Throughout the discussion, what all of the panellists (who I can’t name due to the Chatham House Rule) emphasised was the need to restore parity in trust. It is true that polarisation on climate change has always blighted international cooperation, and especially so since the US unilaterally pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017. It is integral that trust is restored between diplomats and organisations on an international level, and between citizens and these bodies as well. In order to attain this goal, frank and cordial communication must be restored to the international lexicon.
An anecdote from the discussion crystallised the difficulty in achieving global accord on the issue of climate change; the Paris Climate Agreement almost failed due to the vast chasm in demands between Chinese and US negotiators. This anecdote demonstrated that only a willingness to compromise led to the realisation of a deal that many have argued was an inadequate agreement given the scale of the threat posed by climate change.
Yet, as political events since then have led to an increasingly Trumpified international discourse, some of the panellists were pessimistic on the future of international cooperation, and doubtful that trust can be restored between international figures in the current international political climate.