The (new) political climate for climate politics

It was a touching moment. Attending the signing ceremony of the new global climate deal in New York with Commissioner Arias Ca?ete and Dutch Minister Dijksma, we witnessed a very rare sight of wide cooperation on a global scale. In fact, I can't remember the last time that leaders from all over the world were able to join hands for such a (highly complex) common cause.

We are so used to thinking of global politics in terms of country blocs; developed and developing, Western and non-Western, religious blocs, political ideologies etc. But this time it was different; global leaders from all across these groups succeeded to put their differences aside, realising that we all want the same thing: to leave a liveable world for our children, and for theirs. 175 countries (out of a total of 193 UN nations) signed the new agreement already.

But behind the festive ceremonies, what will this new deal mean for ordinary people of this planet?

How will it affect the life of little girl from Mali who dreams of becoming a doctor but cannot do her homework after dark because she has no electricity?

She hears the talk about reducing our energy consumption but she doesn't have any electric energy to begin with, and like her there are 650 million in Africa alone. What does the new deal mean for a computer engineer in Delhi who risks his health every day by going to work because of high pollution and lack of efficient mobile solutions? And how can we protect investors from risking their capital in industries which are being phased out and encourage them to invest in green tech where the future clearly lies?

These are critical questions and it was therefore important for me to put them high on the agenda both in the Paris Agreement talks and the follow up signature in New York. To be precise, I am referring to energy development, a global network of sustainable cities, and creating sustainable investment; all which are central for in the new 'political climate of climate politics'. Let me explain.

'This time for Africa'

Back in July when I toured the African continent, I met with national leaders in order to encourage them to take an active role in the new global agreement, an ambitious one. Why?

Because while the Paris Agreement was aiming at keeping global warming at well below 2° Celsius on a global average, for some African regions this will mean no less to 3-4 degrees. Global warming could have catastrophic implications for such areas which are already close to a breaking point.

I therefore asked them to do what had not been done before; to bring developing countries to the new global climate deal. I am very glad we succeeded, that Africa is now not only a victim of global warming but also part of the solution!

But if we expect developing countries to contribute to the global deal, we also have a responsibility to help them fill in the gap. I mentioned a little girl from Mali, earlier but almost one billion (!!) people in the world have no access to electricity. That is one out of seven human beings.

Even during my speech at the University of Pretoria, I experienced several times energy disruptions. That is why the EU is committed to energy development to the African continent (as I described on my blog back then). But now, as part of the new climate deal, there is a global commitment to help our African partners make that step forward. In the margins of the New York ceremony, for instance, I was invited by French President Fran?ois Hollande, whose country presided the COP21 Summit, to discuss this commitment with him and several African leaders.

'Big city life'

If you enjoy an urban lifestyle and are proud of your city – you are not alone. The majority of humankind lives in cities. Yet, this is a very new phenomenon. Ever since we humans started settling down in fixed settlements, we always preferred living in rural areas. Only a very small percentage lived in cities which remained very modest in size. Such equilibrium lasted for thousands of years until the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century which pushed masses of people in the cities and gave rise of megapolises around the world. And it's only since nine years that more people live in cities than in the countryside, an urbanisation trend we expect to continue in the coming decades at a high rate.

This of course creates exciting new opportunities for trade, for cultural exchange, for new professions. But it can also have devastating effects on our environment, on our health, our infrastructure – which simply cannot sustain the growing numbers of people.

But this generation is not only the most urban one in history; it is also the first digital one. And that's where the solution lies!

The use of 'big data', of hyper and inter-connectivity or what we call the 'Internet of things' allows cities to smarten and inter-connect their services, to become more efficient, to ensure they provide with residents with high quality of living, also in the years to come.

We in Europe already have a network of cities which seek together smart technological solutions. We call them the Covenant of Mayors which brings together 6,600 cities and towns in 56 countries! During the Paris Summit in December I was very proud to announce the expansion of the network from European to global level.

But now it gets even better; the NY ceremony was also an opportunity to meet with Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York and the current UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change. Envoy Bloomber established 2 years ago a global city network, known as the Compact of Mayors. We both agreed it was to time to combine the two networks, creating a single platform for every city on the planet which shows the ambition for providing better quality life to its citizens, and to join the global fight against climate change.

Climate-proof investment

The energy transition we are bringing about is a radical change, an all-encompassing transition in our societal model which means we are going to produce differently, consumer differently, trade differently, etc. Some have even called it a new Industrial Revolution, a term which I have come to adopt as well.

This obliges us, decision makers, to send clear signals to the market and set a predictable regulatory framework so that investors can look for climate-proof investments in new emerging industries. These include some innovative green technologies which are emerging now but are likely to reach a significant market uptake in the years and decades to come. That is why I attended the Business Summit of the Paris Summit back in December, discussing these new business opportunities directly with the business community.

That's also why I set up a platform of Energy Union Business Ambassadors who carry the message onwards in their communities.

These ambassadors also provide us policy-makers with insight on the practical challenges stemming from ambitious EU policy goals and to learn from their expertise.

The New York ceremony allowed me to follow up. I had a fascinating conversation on this topic with Achim Steiner, Director of the UN Environment Programme, with which the European Commission enjoys strong cooperation.

I told him that some EU Member States are taking a lead when it comes to ensuring sustainable investment.The Dutch Central Bank, for example, has updated its mission to not only “safeguarding financial stability", but also "contributing to sustainable prosperity in the Netherlands”.

At European level, the European Systemic Risk Board has recently published a report on the transition to a low-carbon economy and the potential risks for the financial sector. This is the clearly the way forward.

Post scriptum: If you've read this far, here's a special bonus on the combination of digital communication, futuristic innovation, and the unstoppable spirit of one brave man: Bertrand Piccard is the first man to have crossed the Pacific Ocean in his solar plane, without a single drop of oil! While doing so he held a livestreamed conversation with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon who spoke with him just a few hours before the signing ceremony began. You'd have to watch it to believe it…