COP29 inspiration, and a reality check
Around 100 world leaders are expected at this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), which opens Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan, and runs through Nov. 22.
A key topic for discussion will be what Rajiv J. Shah, the president of the Rockefeller Foundation, calls “closing the green power gap.” As Shah puts it: “Without transitioning to clean power systems, energy-poor countries will become the planet’s biggest emitters.” Alternatively, he writes, the world could decide to produce enough clean energy needed for developing economies to grow their potential.
In a recent Argument for Foreign Policy, Shah details his visit to the town of Lugbe, Nigeria, where the community has successfully made the transition from reliance on generators to renewable energy. It is not enough for developed countries to muster the capital to usher in their own transitions, he argues. With the right investments, innovation, and cooperation, transformations like that in Lugbe could take place in villages, towns, and cities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
What stands in the way of this vision? For a critique of U.N. climate conferences—and why they have “failed miserably”—don’t miss Oxford professor Paul Collier’s “Aid and Climate Policies Are a World of ‘Let’s Pretend.’” Collier argues that both sides of the political spectrum are to blame for stagnancy, with the left suspicious of economic growth in the developing world and the right repelled by foreign aid. The result? “Much of Africa is still left behind, and the upward march of global emissions remains undented.”
Collier concludes that the West must help such despairing communities. But while U.S. President Joe Biden is not expected to attend COP29, FP columnist Jason Bordoff makes a pragmatic case for the United States to act on climate change in a letter to the next president published in our Fall 2024 issue: namely, that clean energy is security.
“[J]ust as the energy revolution that made the United States the world’s largest oil and gas producer strengthened it economically and geopolitically,” Bordoff writes, “so will ensuring U.S. leadership in clean energy technologies enhance the country’s geostrategic position.”—Amelia Lester, deputy editor
P.S. On the ground at COP29? Join Foreign Policy in Baku for a series of in-person conversations dedicated to advancing collective action to address climate change. Learn more.
New and Noteworthy
Local-level partnerships. As Washington prepares for a new president, diplomacy driven by governors, mayors, and other local officials is on the rise. “Foreign partners have always had to deal with changing administrations,” Jon Temin and Max Bouchet of the Truman Center for National Policy write, but subnational diplomacy “builds more layers and durability into the fabric of the United States’ international partnerships.”
Sri Lanka decides. On Thursday, the country will go to the polls for the first parliamentary elections since 2020. The victory of Anura Kumara Dissanayake in September’s presidential election reflected the public’s abiding wish for a fresh start. But as Dushni Weerakoon of Sri Lanka’s Institute of Policy Studies writes, the peaceful transition of power was notable given the persistent economic volatility.
Elon Musk’s calculus. After U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last Wednesday, reports revealed that Elon Musk briefly joined the call. What does Musk’s Tesla stand to gain—and lose—from another Trump administration? Though Musk’s net worth has already grown, higher tariffs and fewer federal incentives could slow demand for his electric vehicles company, Chatham House’s Patrick Schröder writes.
FP Live
Geopolitical Risk in a Trump 2.0 World
Nov. 15 | 1:30 p.m. EST
Between conflicts, the climate crisis, and trade wars, the world was already in a state of turmoil. How will a second Trump term change the status quo? What countries and industries are in for the greatest shake-up? Join FP’s Ravi Agrawal in conversation with geopolitical risk expert Ian Bremmer, the founder and president of Eurasia Group. Register now and join FP to submit your questions.
How to Navigate Trump’s Foreign Policy
On Demand
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is a relatively known quantity when it comes to policymaking—but with immense potential for variance in a second term. Kori Schake is a conservative foreign-policy and defense scholar who has been a fierce critic of both the Trump and Biden administrations. She joined FP’s Ravi Agrawal for a discussion about what to expect from a second Trump term. Watch on demand.
How History Will View Trump’s Return
On Demand
What was supposed to be one of the closest elections in history ended early Wednesday morning with a decisive victory for former U.S. President Donald Trump. The election took place against a backdrop of a particularly divided and polarized electorate. Does history have any precedents or lessons for the current moment? Under what conditions will Trump begin his next term? FP’s Ravi Agrawal is joined in conversation with historian Julian E. Zelizer and Joanne Freeman. Watch on demand or read the edited transcript.
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FP Newsletters on the Election
Foreign Policy’s newsletters unpacked the results of the U.S. presidential election last week—and will continue to analyze the impact of the next administration around the globe. Read on for a look at what Trump’s win means for different regions:
China Brief: “In general, Chinese media tends to downplay U.S. elections, portraying them as chaotic or farcical events and simply targeting the administration in power. Beijing has an obvious interest in discrediting the idea of democracy and emphasizing the divisiveness of multiparty systems.” Read more, and sign up for China Brief with one click.
Latin America Brief: “The biggest and most immediate foreign-policy effects of Trump’s second presidency will likely be felt in Mexico. Through his last rally this week, he piled on new pledges to punish the country for allegedly using its manufacturing sector to take U.S. jobs and sending fentanyl, crime, and other ills northward via migrants.” Read more, and sign up for Latin America Brief with one click.
South Asia Brief: “Trump may also be more willing than Biden to engage with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, despite its abhorrent human rights record. Trump’s hard-line positions on tariffs could affect trade with South Asia, which looks to the United States as a top export destination.” Read more, and sign up for South Asia Brief with one click.
Situation Report: “Trump has repeatedly spoken about using the U.S. military on domestic soil for a host of law enforcement purposes, including securing the southern border with Mexico, policing civil unrest, and even cracking down on crime in cities such as Chicago. He has also spoken about deploying the National Guard or federal troops against his political opponents.” Read more, and sign up for Situation Report with one click.
Exercise Your Mind
South Africa closed its main border with which nation late last week due to ongoing civil unrest there?
A. Namibia
B. Botswana
C. Mozambique
D. Zimbabwe
You can find the answer to this question and learn more at the end of this email.
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Answer: Protests erupted in Mozambique after the long-ruling Frelimo party’s presidential candidate declared victory in an election that opponents argue was marred by irregularities, FP’s Nosmot Gbadamosi writes in Africa Brief. Test your knowledge of world news last week with more quiz questions.
Veteran
1moThe USA?