Summary The Paris Agreement (PA) to address climate change internationally entered into force on November 4, 2016.
On June 1, 2017, President Donald J. Trump announced his intent to withdraw the United States from the agreement and that his Administration would seek to reopen negotiations on the PA or on a new “transaction.” Following the provisions of the PA, U.S. withdrawal could take effect as early as November 2020.
The United States is the second largest emitter of GHG globally after China.
The PA is subsidiary to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which the United States ratified in 1992 with the advice and consent of the Senate and which entered into force in 1994.
The PA requires that nations submit pledges to abate their GHG emissions, set goals to adapt to climate change, and cooperate toward these ends, including mobilization of financial and other support.
 Accountability framework.
The PA also requires “as appropriate” that Parties prepare and communicate their plans to adapt to climate change.
The PA reiterates the collective obligation in the UNFCCC for developed country Parties to provide financial resources—public and private—to assist developing country Parties with mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Additionally, numerous issues may attract congressional oversight, such as:  foreign policy, technological, and economic implications of withdrawal;  possible objectives and provisions of renegotiation of the PA or of a new “transaction” for cooperation internationally; Questions Abut Next Steps for the United States President Trump’s announcement on June 1, 2017, of his intent to withdraw the United States from the PA raises several issues regarding next steps under the PA,106 including:  What procedure might the United States follow to withdraw from the PA?107  Might the United States request that the PA Parties allow it an early exit from the agreement, following customary international law, rather than the four-year withdrawal process under PA Article 28?
 Will the United States continue to participate in meetings and decisions of the PA until withdrawal occurs, pursuant to the President’s statement that “as of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris Accord….

The New York State Comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, is helping direct stockholders’ resolutions to fight climate change using tools built by a nonprofit organization.
They track sustainable resolutions and provide resources about sustainable supply chains to shareholders who may be interested.
“More and more companies recognize that by taking steps to buy palm oil or soy from suppliers that do not contribute to deforestation, they are promoting better environmental practices and protecting their shareholder value.” This year, shareholder resolutions have become the new behind-the-scenes advocacy movement, with DiNapoli leading the charge.
He started with oil companies: 62 percent of Exxon shareholders voted to demand disclosure of risks to the climate.
Inside Climate News reports, The number of climate-related resolutions filed with food and beverage companies is up from 12 in 2011 to 131 this year.
The group released a guide last week for food company investors that illustrates the climate-related risks that each of eight commodities represents to supply chains and businesses.
The guide also looks at issues beyond but related to climate change, including water use and pollution, as well as social impacts, including land rights and working conditions.
“The risks are mounting—whether it’s climate change or water scarcity or human rights abuses—and investors need a one-stop shop.” Financial firms such as BlackRock, Vanguard, and Fidelity have put climate disclosure language in their mix of investments.
Food industry votes have not yet achieved the success that shareholders in the giant oil companies have had, but it is only the beginning.
A 2015 survey by CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, found that 90 percent of 97 food, beverage and tobacco companies—representing 822 institutional investors and more than a third of the world’s invested capital—said their businesses were vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The New York State Comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, is helping direct stockholders’ resolutions to fight climate change using tools built by a nonprofit organization.
They track sustainable resolutions and provide resources about sustainable supply chains to shareholders who may be interested.
“More and more companies recognize that by taking steps to buy palm oil or soy from suppliers that do not contribute to deforestation, they are promoting better environmental practices and protecting their shareholder value.” This year, shareholder resolutions have become the new behind-the-scenes advocacy movement, with DiNapoli leading the charge.
He started with oil companies: 62 percent of Exxon shareholders voted to demand disclosure of risks to the climate.
Inside Climate News reports, The number of climate-related resolutions filed with food and beverage companies is up from 12 in 2011 to 131 this year.
The group released a guide last week for food company investors that illustrates the climate-related risks that each of eight commodities represents to supply chains and businesses.
The guide also looks at issues beyond but related to climate change, including water use and pollution, as well as social impacts, including land rights and working conditions.
“The risks are mounting—whether it’s climate change or water scarcity or human rights abuses—and investors need a one-stop shop.” Financial firms such as BlackRock, Vanguard, and Fidelity have put climate disclosure language in their mix of investments.
Food industry votes have not yet achieved the success that shareholders in the giant oil companies have had, but it is only the beginning.
A 2015 survey by CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, found that 90 percent of 97 food, beverage and tobacco companies—representing 822 institutional investors and more than a third of the world’s invested capital—said their businesses were vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

(MENAFN – Emirates News Agency (WAM)) DUBAI, 5th July, 2017 (WAM) — A #UAE delegation, headed by Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, is taking part in the FAO Conference 40th Session, attended by Saqr Nasser Al Raisi, #UAE Ambassador to the Republic of #Italy and #UAE Permanent Representative to the Food and #Agriculture Organisation, FAO.
The purpose of the Conference is to convene the Member Nations at FAO headquarters in Rome to review and vote on the Director-General’s proposed programme of work and budget.
Addressing the plenary session of the conference, Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi said that climate change and its extreme impacts constitute the most important challenge facing agriculture and food production around the world.
He explained that while the world needs to increase agricultural production to meet the rising demand for food due to population growth, we are also required to reduce emissions from the food production sector, which accounts for 21 percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions, in order to achieve the goal of keeping the temperature below two degrees Celsius as compared to the pre-industrial era in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
Dr. Al Zeyoudi added that despite the environmental conditions and constraints, such as limited agricultural land, lack of soil, scarcity of irrigation water and harsh climate, faced by agriculture and food production in the UAE, the country has succeeded in establishing a remarkable agricultural progress based on increasing cultivated large areas of land and supplying water and production rquirements.
The minister explained that the #UAE has adopted flexible and climate-friendly agricultural practices, such as protected, organic and hydroponic agriculture.
The area of hydroponics increased by 124 percent during the period 2013-2016, while organic agriculture increased by more than 368 percent during the same period.
He also highlighted a number of initiatives and projects that the #UAE is working on, such as the Integrated Water and Aquaculture System Initiative, the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium and the Strategic Tunnel Project in Abu Dhabi.
At the end of his speech, the minister extended an invitation to the delegations to participate in the second session of the Climate Change and Food Security Forum, to be held on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in February 2018 in Dubai.
WAM/Nour Salman

Water use innovations crucial to face climate change in Arab countries.
A farmer harvesting water from a well for his goats and sheep.
In the Near East and North Africa region, the per capita renewable water availability is around 600 cubic metres per person per year – only 10 percent of the world average – and drops to just 100 cubic metres in some countries.
The Director-General praised Near East and North African countries’ progress, despite the challenges, in areas such as desalination, water harvesting, drip irrigation and treating wastewater.
"It is fundamental to promote ways for agriculture, and food production in general, to use less water, and use it more efficiently," he said.
Climate change, in particular, poses very serious risks."
"Not only to encourage them to adopt more efficient farming technologies, but also to secure access to drinking water for poor rural households.
"There is a major gap between supply and demand when it comes not only to water but also food in the Arab region.
He also urged better collaboration with countries that are home to rivers that flow into the region, and noted that water levels in the Euphrates and Nile Rivers are decreasing steadily.
FAO in Action In collaboration with the Arab League, FAO launched a Regional Initiative on Water Scarcity in the Near East in 2013 which supports the coordination of a Regional Collaborative Strategy.

Climate Change and Security.
Understanding how climate change will impact the life of every single human being is key when preparing for future security challenges.
Although state and human security challenges vary across regions and individual countries, solutions must be found collectively.
If we stop climate action, how would it change the work of security professionals, be they from the public or private sectors?
Combined with rising populations globally, this is a recipe for a disaster – no matter who causes climate change.
What are our options for the future warmer world?
Such communications strategies should echo SDG 13 on Climate Action: “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.” Be creative –Think out of the box, and adopt an innovative approach to solving shared challenges.
Understanding current and potential security implications of climate change allows decision makers and leaders to better prepare and design more effective security policies for their governments, companies, and organisations.
We will look into possible futures and design creative solutions to address this monumental challenge.
You will gain not only knowledge, but also a network of professionals for future climate action.

Moroccan Researcher Follows Impact of Climate Change.
After receiving a Ph.D. degree on the proper use of irrigation water in Morocco last year and finishing a training fellowship at NASA two years ago, Kholoud Kahime continues to study the impact of climate change on her country.
“Morocco has a lot of natural resources such as the sun and wind energy,” she said.
At the same time, she continues to work on a NASA project that uses satellite data to monitor water use in irrigation, so that farmers can make the most precise and economical use of water in agriculture.
According to a report by IRES, a Moroccan public policy think tank, the region will be subject to increasing drought and flooding, deterioration of ecosystems, water scarcity, the development of new diseases, and forced population migration.
In 2015, Kahime was the only Arab among ten Ph.D. students from developing countries to receive the Prince Albert of Monaco Scholarship for the study of climate change.
This enabled her to enroll in a training program at the Biosphere Sciences Lab at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, in the United States.
Kahime received an award from Ibn Zohr University for her master’s degree research in 2010.
Kahime now works with five farms in the Marrakesh region to test new irrigation methods based on close monitoring of water use.
The government of Morocco has made a public commitment to supporting techniques and policies that help the country adapt to a changing climate, yet there still needs to be better communication between policy makers and scientists, Kahime says.

EBRD provides a €120 million loan to the Morocco Saïss Water Conservation Project.
The FINANCIAL — The EBRD is providing a €120 million loan to the Saïss Water Conservation Project in Morocco that will help protect the country’s agricultural sector from the impact of climate change.
The EBRD’s financing for the Saïss Water Conservation Project for the construction of irrigation infrastructure is being supported by a co-financing grant of €32 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
In Morocco, extreme water scarcity is being exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, and the unsustainable use of groundwater is leading to a reduction in groundwater reserves, posing a severe threat to agricultural production and rural livelihoods.
It will enable a switch from highly unsustainable groundwater to the use of sustainable surface water resources, as well as improving access to best-practice and efficient irrigation techniques, according to EBRD.
Ms Veilleux-Laborie, said: “This investment is very important for Morocco to strengthen Morocco’s infrastructure and to secure sustainable water resources.
Via this project we will foster greater private sector involvement and we will contribute to the development of Agriculture in the country, a key sector that provides 40 per cent of total employment.” The investment will also bolster community involvement in water governance by scaling up technical skills and institutional capacities and promoting private sector involvement in the adoption of improved, modern irrigation infrastructure and equipment.
This will increase the efficiency of water use and services and promote drip irrigation and modern water demand management methods, strengthening the capacity for climate change adaptation in the Sebou-Saïss basin.
It was established by 194 governments to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries and to help adapt vulnerable societies to the impacts of climate change.
To date, the Bank has invested about €1.2 billion in 30 projects in the country.

Water issue can escalate inter-Korean tension.
By Kim Se-jeong Climate change is creating water scarcity around the world, and Korea is not an exception, especially considering inter-Korean relations.
His field of expertise is trans-boundary water conflict.
In 2009, North Korea released water from a dam on the Imjin River that killed six South Koreans who were camping downstream.
Thursday’s lecture came as Korea is gripped by severe drought.
"It’s not physical scarcity of water where there’s no drinkable water, but Korea imports huge amounts of virtual water," the professor said.
Virtual water refers to water used in industrial and agricultural production.
The amount of virtual water one person uses in Korea is 1,179 cubic meters per year.
But Swain’s classification doesn’t sit well with some scholars and policy makers in Korea.
They claim Korea has enough water.

There is a lot the government can do to assist farmers to cope with climate-induced farming problems Climate change, which for India is predicted to result in higher and more erratic precipitations, will have negative impacts on the productivity of important crops such as rice and wheat.
Beyond general climate change trends, what is more critical is the need to address the impact of climate variability and extreme weather events.
Are there government incentives to smooth out climate and weather shocks and make it easier for farmers to cope with price volatility as well as production and income losses?
The answer is yes.
Fighting climate change in agriculture There are many things farmers can do themselves to cope with climate change.
Practices can range from shifting planting dates in response to changing monsoon onset dates, choosing varieties with different growth duration and adopting zero tillage to cope with climate shocks (Haryana).
There is also a lot the government can do to assist farmers to cope with climate-induced farming problems.
Another important government function is drought monitoring and management, especially critical for areas under water scarcity.
Crop diversification India has a wide range of agro-climatic conditions, allowing for a multitude of crops to be grown, even in smaller areas.
However, since the Green Revolution and the expansion of irrigation capacity, there has been a significant narrowing of the number of crops grown when now only six crops take up the vast majority of land, water and resources, adding to the future vulnerability of the food supply system.