POLICY paper: Climate Sustainability and City Diplomacy
Pacific Council on International Policy in partnership with
the Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Los Angeles
written by Kelsey Suemnicht
A CALL TO ACTION
The numerous climate and sustainability crises of the last decade exemplify a clear local-to-global link that calls for strong relationships between major cities and leaders across diverse sectors of business, technology, academia, politics, culture, and communications.
A NEW KIND OF POLICY MEMO
The Pacific Council on International Policy believes that community awareness, civic participation, and cross-sector partnerships improve local leadership on global issues and lead to better policy outcomes. In partnership with the expertise of the Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Los Angeles., the following policy areas have been identified as critical arenas for action to mitigate the consequences of climate change: climate sustainability, water and food security, and disaster preparedness. This policy paper outlines key questions for leaders to ask, case studies, frameworks to consider, opportunities for future collaboration, and local-to-global action ideas for the future of City Diplomacy.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The tools of diplomacy and strategic communications, plus global partnerships and government cooperation on all levels, will be crucial to forging a new, more sustainable future for cities around the world.
Collective and coordinated action is needed across sectors and a strategic plan is more likely to succeed if it involves and galvanizes diverse stakeholders.
Transformational adjustments towards achieving climate sustainability, security, and disaster preparedness will be more effective when paired with efforts that strive to create societal equity.
WHAT IS CITY DIPLOMACY and WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
City Diplomacy is the act of a local entity, often a non-state actor, engaging with global actors via cultural, economic, and political identities in pursuit of collaboration to represent the interests of its citizens. City Diplomacy has shown increasing impact as a method of international relations, particularly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, effective disaster response tactics, and constructive international agreements and initiatives.
CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY
Cities cannot afford to stay isolated from other cities in efforts towards climate sustainability. A key part of any climate sustainability strategy will be identifying new economic opportunities such as increased infrastructure investment, development of new business industries, and improved efficiency of operations. The current climate situation requires a shift in narrative from individual responsibility to shared responsibility. Expo 2020 Dubai and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles offer templates for identifying the economic opportunities of climate change as a tenet of sustainability planning. New technologies and sustainability practices are being implemented, but the time has come to fully embrace them.
WATER & FOOD SECURITY
Global cities must change the way they use water. Policy is not being developed quickly or holistically enough to clearly communicate relevant data and act on proposed solutions to leading water and food security challenges. Sustainable plans for climate resilience must include water and food security goals, utilizing the opportunity for cross-sectoral collaboration as a force for community-building.
PANDEMIC RESPONSE & DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Networks and existing relationships built through diplomacy will be one of the strongest assets in tackling the response to future crises and disaster recovery. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters due to climate change have highlighted the need for ongoing collaborative communication between local communities and government. The United Arab Emirates COVID-19 pandemic recovery provides a template for disaster response and preparedness, emphasizing the importance of transparency, partnerships, and strategic communication.
CHARTING A COURSE FOR A MORE RESILIENT FUTURE
What best practices and strategies have we created that can be shared with other city leaders? Where are we lacking in resources and knowledge and how can we identify partners who can help us fill gaps in management? How are our city and region uniquely capable of tackling a global challenge – culturally, economically, and technologically? For local-to-global action ideas, and to contribute to the future of City Diplomacy, download the Pacific Council’s policy paper here.
WITH GRATITUDE TO THE FOLLOWING LEADERS
for their contributions to the research of this policy paper
Dr. Newsha Ajami
Chief Strategy and Development Officer
Berkeley Lab’s Earth and Environmental Sciences Area
Dr. Saif Al Dhaheri
Spokesperson
National Emergency Crisis and Disasters
Management Authority, Abu Dhabi
Eng. Alya Abdulla Alharmoudi
Director of the Environment Department
Dubai Municipality
Rashed Al Hemeiri
Director, Foreign Assistance Affairs
United Arab Emirates
H.E. Hazza Alkaabi
Consul General
Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates in Los Angeles
H.E. Razan Al Mubarak
President
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Fahad Almuheiri
National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, Abu Dhabi
Dr. Tarifa Al Zaabi
Acting Director General
International Center for Biosaline Agriculture
Dr. Sohaela Amiri
Adjunct Policy Researcher, RAND Corporation
Senior Research Specialist, USC Center for Public Diplomacy
Lauren Nicole Core
Communications Lead
National Alliance for Water Innovation
Nastasha Everheart
Managing Director, Strategy and Operations
Pacific Council on International Policy
Bernice Glenn
Senior Advisor
National Security Technology Accelerator
Dr. Jerrold D. Green
President and Chief Executive Officer
Pacific Council on International Policy
Ambassador Nina Hachigian
Deputy Mayor for International Affairs
City of Los Angeles
Taylor Juleen
Food Policy Fellow
County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works
Dr. Rita Kampalath
Sustainability Program Director
County of Los Angeles
Peter Katona, MD, FACP, FIDSA
Chair, Infection Control Working Group
Clinical Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
Adjunct Professor of Public Health (Epidemiology)
UCLA Schools of Medicine and Public Health
Genevieve Liang
Security Fellow
Truman National Security Project
Carmille Lim
Vice President and Managing Director
Pacific Council on International Policy
Brie Loskota
Executive Director
Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion
University of Chicago
Dr. Omar Najim
Executive Office Director
Department of Health, Abu Dhabi
Dr. Ben Oppenheim
Vice President, Product, Policy and Partnerships
Metabiota
Matt Petersen
President & CEO
Los Angeles CleanTech Incubator (LACI)
Dr. Benjamin Preston
Assistant Director for Climate Services, Adaptation, and Workforce
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Dr. Christine Tran
Executive Director
Los Angeles Food Policy Council
Daniel Weiss
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Angeleno Group
MANY THANKS TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM ON THIS PROJECT
for their work in making this policy paper possible
Dalal Chamas
Media Coordinator
Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates
Marissa Gantman
Former Associate Managing Director
Pacific Council on International Policy
Lauren Kim
Executive Assistant
Pacific Council on International Policy
Kolby Keo
Manager
Finsbury Glover Hering
Moriah Nacionales-Tafoya
Senior Production Associate
Pacific Council on International Policy
Marie-Helene Pitteloud-Turner
Executive Assistant to the Consul General
Consulate General of the United Arab Emirates
Isabelle Radoyce
Executive Assistant
Pacific Council on International Policy
Van Vu
Former Events Assistant
Pacific Council on International Policy
