Red Cedar Model United Nations

Red Cedar Model United Nations Session VII March 24, 2018 Asia Cooperation Dialogue Background Guide Chair: Hanna Foreman Assistant Chairs: Anna Lin, Ashley Vassallo, Perry Truscon

Dear Delegates, On behalf of all MSUMUN staff, I am so pleased to welcome you to MSUMUN XVIII! My name is Hanna Foreman, and I have the pleasure of serving as your chair for the Asia Cooperation Dialogue. I was born in New York, but have spent the majority of my life moving around the world, living in Taipei, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. I am a sophomore majoring in International Relations in James Madison College with minors in Asian studies and Korean. Although most of my studies focus on foreign policy analysis in East Asia, I am passionate about a wide range of international issues, especially issues on diplomacy, cooperation and development. Last summer, I interned at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, where I helped create education programs for students on the Clinton administration s key thematic approach to foreign policy: international cooperation, inspiring the overarching theme of this committee. This is my second year in MSUMUN after serving as an Assistant Crisis Director in Project National Glory last year, and my first year as a Chair. In addition to staffing MSUMUN, I am an active member of the International Relations Organization, MSU s competitive Model United Nations team, with which I have had the opportunity to travel to conferences in Philadelphia, Montreal, New York, and Chicago. When I m not studying or obsessing over all things Model UN, I enjoy eating food, reading the news, traveling, and exploring East Lansing. Allow me to introduce the other members of the dais, my awesome Assistant Chairs! Anna Lin is a sophomore from Hartland, Michigan. Anna is majoring in International Relations in James Madison College with minors in Spanish, Asian Studies, Asian Pacific American Studies and European Studies. Anna was a part of MSUMUN as an Assistant Chair for UNICEF last year. Aside from doing school work, she likes to be active on campus with various organizations and enjoy time with her friends and family. Ashley Vassallo is a freshman from Northville, Michigan. She will be majoring in International Relations and a minoring in Science, Technology, Environment and Public Policy as well as Political Economy within James Madison College at Michigan State. This is Ashley s first year doing MSUMUN. Outside of school, Ashley also participates in the International Relations Organization, the competitive Model UN team at Michigan State, and attended her first conference in Philadelphia in her free time enjoys watching Netflix, exploring East Lansing, and listening to music. Perry Truscon is a freshman from Marquette, Michigan. He will be majoring in International Relations and Economics with a minor in Science, Technology, Environment and Public Policy. Perry has done Model UN for one year but has never hosted a MUN conference before. Perry enjoys bike rides, playing cello, and listening to music. He is an avid hiker and enjoys the scenery of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He commonly has disagreements with his friends on the way things are pronounced, but enjoys spending times with his friends anyways. As delegates in the Asia Cooperation Dialogue at MSUMUN XVIII, you will have the unique opportunity to represent foreign ministers of various countries in Asia and the Pacific. All RCMUN VII 2

delegates will have various competing interests and solutions to tackle the issues of Asia today. Therefore, you are not only encouraged, but expected to collaborate. The Next Steps of the Paris Agreement in Asia is an extremely important and relevant issue in present day Asia and there are a multitude of approaches to tackle this issue. This background guide will briefly introduce each of the topic, but independent research, a deep understanding of your national policies, and critical thinking are necessary to succeed in this committee. Finally, delegates are expected to maintain a high level of decorum and respect for other delegates throughout the duration of the committee session. Please feel free to email me at specialized1@msumun.org if you have any questions or concerns. I wish you all the best of luck and look forward to meeting you in March! Sincerely, Hanna Foreman Chair Asia Cooperation Dialogue RCMUN VII 3

Topic I: The Next Steps of the Paris Agreement Introduction The Paris Agreements it viewed as a major contemporary triumph when it comes to combating global climate change. Compared to similar environmental treaties of the past, it included an affluent United States, an emerging superpower in China, and an industrializing India. In contrast to most of these past treaties, the agreement also includes Pacific Island states threatened by rising sea levels. Given that the agreement will force reforms in domestic and international policies of states, it will also impact economic activity in all signatory states because it encourages states to invest in green energy and curb emissions on a yearly basis with the main goal to decreasing the average global temperature by two degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, while recognizing the importance of pursuing 1.5 degrees (Meyer). Currently, the Paris Agreement is signed by 195 countries with each signatory state pledging to work towards a better, more secure future for Earth through various goals and initiatives to combat climate change. However in recent years, there have been changes with the American withdrawal of the agreement 2017, leaving many countries concerned about the credibility and future of the agreement. With record breaking natural disasters occurring in the recent years, countries are focusing on specific issues. The most important one that countries are focusing on is keeping the temperature increase below the 2 degree Celsius. This concerns countries with coastal land and islands in the region. Other issues include widespread pollution in the region and the steps signatory states are taking in curbing emissions and investing in sustainable technology actions countries are taking. As well as funding issues are most countries do not feel incentivized to participate in this agreement even though they have signed on to the Paris Agreement (Gowen). History The UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) was a framework committee set up to combat climate change and promote environmental cooperation of countries, negotiated in 1992. The UNFCCC holds conferences known as COP (Conference of Parties.) The COP meets yearly and acts as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC Parties, of which there are currently 197 parties, including all of the UN states and its observers. The Paris Agreement is a landmark agreement formed by the UNFCCC, that combined 195 nations to combat climate change, based off of earlier documents such as the Kyoto Protocol (11 December 1997). Member states recognized that the Kyoto Protocol was not effective at mitigating the effects of climate change, and as a result, countries desired a more detailed agreement. The result was the Copenhagen Accord on December 18, 2009.. This accord was a continuation of the Kyoto Protocol and underscored the necessity of the signatories to continue their work to end climate change. Criticism still exists however, as the Accord itself is not legally binding, and sets no targets to achieve in emissions reductions. Negotiations for the Paris Agreement started in 2011 at the COP17 (17th Conference of Parties), however the agreement resulted from the COP21, held in Paris from November 30th to December 12th, 2015 when the idea was debated and flushed out. The agreement was not signed until 22 April 2016, and became effective 4 November 2016. The USA signed the agreement on April 22, 2016, yet on June 1, 2017, President Trump announced his plans to leave the agreement. However, under the rules of the agreement, the earliest any country can leave is RCMUN VII 4

Nov. 4, 2020. Countries legally may withdraw from the agreement up to three years after the agreement comes into force, which would be by Nov 4, 2023. Current Issues On October 5th 2016, the Paris Agreement was born after the minimum number of signatures needed to ratify the document was reached. The final Paris Agreement entered into effect on November 4th 2016. As of today, 170 parties ratified the agreement. The Paris Agreement stands out because it constitutes the largest multinational commitment to successfully unite countries in the effort to combat climate change and its effects. The pact is also non binding, which enables considerable sovereignty by providing flexibility for each country to set realistic goals for themselves. Despite the success of the Paris Agreement, it still poses many challenges that must be addressed by the committee. These challenges include concerns regarding how to implement policy, disagreements over requirements, financing issues, and how to adapt without United States support of the agreement. Concerns regarding successful implementation of the Paris Agreement include how to best implement the goals of the agreement at a local level. The Paris Agreement states that policy should be gender-responsive, participatory [RM1] and fully transparent, and take into consideration vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems, as well as local and indigenous knowledge (Gill). This means that the Paris Agreement should take into account the impact of climate change on marginalized groups in the world, such as women in developing countries and indigenous populations. Challenges stem from the question of how to make policy relevant to local people, because the Paris Agreement is state based. Another highly contested issue of the Paris Agreement is the requirement to cap global temperature growth at 2 degrees celsius below pre industrial levels. The number was challenged by countries that were most affected by climate change, especially island nations impacted by rising sea levels. These nations pushed for a goal to cap temperature growth at 1.5 degrees celsius below pre-industrial levels. Many countries have set forth fair share goals under the agreement that outline how they plan to reduce emissions and adhere to the temperature cap set by the Paris Agreement. However, not all fair share goals of countries adhere to the standards of the Paris Agreement. India s goal falls within the fair share range, Indonesia s goal is insufficient, and China, Japan, Singapore and South Korea all have highly insufficient goals that are not consistent with the Paris Agreement Standards (Climate Action Tracker). Obviously, the Paris Agreement would be impossible without proper financing, however, there are many issues arising regarding where the money is expected to come from. Richer countries are expected to provide funding to help developing countries afford the transition to clean energy. $100 Billion raised between wealthy countries is needed to achieve this lofty goal (Meyer). Debates between countries are sparked when defining what constitutes wealthy nations. The current definition includes the United States, EU, Canada and Japan, but there are calls for China and India to pitch in despite their reluctance to do so. The final concern involves the future of the Paris Agreement without the United States. Pulling out of the Agreement raises concerns regarding whether or not the United States can continue to provide global leadership. Asia is considering economic growth with climate concern viewed more positively. With the United States out of the picture, there is now an opportunity for Asian nations to provide climate change leadership while still facilitating economic growth (Tay). Considering all challenges facing the Paris Agreement is critical for the Committee's Success. RCMUN VII 5

Climate change has become an increasingly relevant issue facing Asia. One side effect of climate change is air pollution, especially in Eastern and Southeastern Asia. One critical problem facing Southeast Asia is the hazes. These fires are typically started when slash and burn farmers growing palm oil start a fire that goes out of control. The fires typically originate on Peatlands, where fire takes longer to burn enabling them to release more harmful smoke in larger quantities. In 2013, an haxe originated in Indonesia and spread to Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei. The smoke from these fires is potent, often making it dangerous to go outside. Air pollution continues to be a problem throughout Asia. China is the world's largest emitter of Carbon Dioxide. In India, air pollution is the 5th leading cause of death. Both problems are facilitated by raising vehicle emission and industrial coal exhaust. Current Positions The withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement further corroborates the trend of declining American involvement in the world. The levels of financing and the agreement s credibility are in question because the U.S. initially pledged 20% of contributions toward innovations in greener energy and emissions reductions. In addition, given that the U.S. is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the world, the departure of the U.S. may undermine the credibility of the accord because many of the commitments listed in the accord are not enough to prevent rising global temperatures given the need for lower cuts in emissions (Gowen and Denyer). From a more optimistic perspective, the departure of the U.S. should also be seen as an opportunity for other states to step up and take a leadership role for the sake of their interests and the rest of the world. India and China have both taken steps to fill the leadership vacuum the United States has left behind on their own terms. Both have pledged to honor their commitments to the Paris Agreement and take a larger role in encouraging other states to follow their lead in working towards a greener future. In the case of India, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has stated that failing to address climate change is a morally criminal act, while Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that further committing to the Paris Agreement is a responsibility for future generations. However, both countries also address their own issues when it comes to their economic development and growth in relation to environmental sustainability. Countries, such as Japan, that have been close allies with the United States also feel concerned about the state of the agreement without the involvement of the U.S (Gowen and Denyer). While the Paris Agreement opens up a leadership vacuum for some countries, other states in Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, view the Paris Agreement as a method to ramp up investment on renewable projects. Many countries with a vast amount of natural resources in Southeast Asia, are in favor of constructing policy frameworks that are friendlier towards business, with the hope that more green innovation is key to cutting down emissions. This business friendly approach can benefit many countries economically and environmentally, as well as allow them to remain in line with the goals set forth by the Paris Agreement (Tjandra). Many Southeast Asian countries are vulnerable to climate change given their proximity to the Pacific and/or Indian ocean and see the Paris Agreement as a sign of hope. Air pollution is a major concern for many of these countries, which tends to spread to neighboring countries. Many ASEAN member states have seen the introduction of policies, such as setting fuel standards in the transportation sector, but more needs to be done to ensure a greener future (www.dw.com). RCMUN VII 6

Overall, all member states of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue are signatories of the Paris Agreement, but all member states must find a way for their bloc to reach a consensus on the next steps to take to ensure a greener future. Given the diverse strengths of rising industries, national economies, and foreign policy interests, sustainability and preserving the environment must be seen as a priority because it pertains to the economic and security interests of all states. (www.dw.com). Conclusion The Paris Agreement was a landmark agreement signed by the majority of the countries of the world. However with the departure of the United States from the agreement, it opens the door for other countries to take the lead in combating climate change. With the U.S. withdrawal from global affairs, regional powers, such as China, Japan, and India, have taken the lead in green energy and creating policies to jump start innovation. In addition, given the fact that many Asian countries are island nations, the Paris Agreement is seen as a step closer to preventing and/or slowing down the risks of climate change on islands. Questions to Consider How can the Paris Agreement be improved in order to slow down and/or reverse the effects of climate change in all Asian countries? What economic, social, and political opportunities does the Paris Agreement present to Asian countries? What reforms should be explored in order to combat the threat of climate change? How will key industries be impacted by the provisions of the Paris Agreement? How will your country address them? What opportunities does the Paris Agreement present, in regards to innovation and technological advancement? Works Cited Climate: What Is the Paris Agreement? Channel NewsAsia, 1 June 2017, www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/climate-what-is-the-paris-agreement-8900706. Gill, Tom. How to Implement the Paris Agreement in Asia. SEI - Stockholm Environment Institute, Stockholm Environment Institute, 1 June 2017, www.sei-international.org/-news-archive/3708. Hare, Bill, et al. Rating Countries. Climate Action Tracker, 2017, climateactiontracker.org/countries.html. Hershberger, Matt. 6 Environmental Challenges Facing Southeast Asia. Matador Network, 16 Apr. 2014, matadornetwork.com/change/6-environmental-challenges-facing-southeast/. Meyer, Robinson. A Reader's Guide to the Paris Agreement. The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 16 Dec. 2015, www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2015/12/a-readers-guide-to-the-paris-agreement/420345/. Tay, Simon. Trump Letdown Needn't Harm Asia's Climate of Cooperation. South China Morning Post, South China Morning Post, 3 June 2017, RCMUN VII 7

www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2096712/trumps-paris-letdown-neednt-harm-asias-climatecooperation. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Status of Ratification. The Paris Agreement - Main Page, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 12 Oct. 2017, unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/948 Gowen, Annie, and Simon Denyer. As U.S. Backs Away from Climate Pledges, India and China Step Up. The Washington Post, WP Company, 1 June 2017, Tjandra, Grace. The Paris Agreement: Can Indonesia Be The Next Brazil? The Diplomat, The Diplomat, 22 Sept.2017, thediplomat.com/2017/09/the-paris-agreement-can-indonesia-be-the-next-brazil/. (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. What the Paris Climate Deal Means for Southeast Asia Asia DW 18.12.2015. DW.COM, RCMUN VII 8