PARIS, OUR VALUES, OUR FUTURE
Climate Change is an undeniable reality affecting the planet and humankind. It is an existential threat. For over a decade, World Leadership Alliance – Club de Madrid (WLA – CdM) and its more than 100 Members have been vigorously advocating for an ambitious, effective and fair global climate regime. President Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Agreement has left us and many around the world baffled and concerned, not only about the future of global climate and environmental policy, but also about the impact that this decision may have on international relations moving forward.
The 2015 Paris Agreement was a historical, forward looking milestone, in process and responsibility. Intense negotiations brought 195 nations to agree to voluntarily tackle climate change. Relinquishing the U.S. responsibility and role in the new, global climate regime, as well as in the revolutionary clean energy transition resulting from it, is not only likely to affect the attainment of the Paris Agreement goals, it will open up a geopolitical vacuum with unpredictable and possibly regrettable consequence.
We deeply regret the Trump Administration’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement. In spite of the U.S. withdrawal, we shall forcefully and enthusiastically persist with the line of action launched 10 years ago with our Global Leadership for Climate Action Initiative. We shall strengthen and endeavor to mobilize political will in countries, cities, business and among citizens for far-reaching and effective action to meet the Paris commitments to prevent catastrophic climate change.
Climate change is not just an environmental issue. Climate actions are certainly not preventing the US ‘from conducting its internal economic affairs’ or imposing draconian financial and economic burdens’’ or massive future legal liability’ on the US ‘while imposing no meaningful obligations on the world’s leading polluters’. The Paris Agreement, in fact, opens up an opportunity to expand market options for all. Already in 2007, the McKinsey Global Institute highlighted opportunities for efficiency gains, shifts to lower-carbon energy sources, and expanded carbon sinks with initial capital costs completely offset by savings in future energy costs. They noted that “concerted efforts to reduce GHG emissions would…stimulate economic forces and create business opportunities that we cannot foresee today and that may accelerate the rate of abatement…, thereby reducing the overall cost.” Ten years later, there is even greater consensus on this.
As former democratic Presidents and Prime Ministers from around the globe, we call upon each and every other signatory of the Paris Agreement to show greater urgency and commitment in the fight against global warming and bolster their support of the Paris Accord. We welcome the bold and firm determination of many states, cities, counties and companies in the U.S. to pursue ambitious policies to address climate change and support the transition to a cleaner energy system. We encourage other subnational entities to follow suit stand ready to engage with stakeholders in the US to bring light to the real issue at hand. It is time to speak truth to power and to advance on a positive, constructive and saner path in every family, community and nation. Climate change must remain paramount on the global agenda and truth must prevail in the end, for the sake of our planet and the future of mankind.
Likewise, we urge all stakeholders to further and strengthen trust between the North and the South and establish an equitable basis and new modalities for genuine international cooperation in addressing the challenges of energy and climate security.
Climate Change is much more than just facts, figures and degrees. This is about our values and our future. The Paris Agreement must be a commitment that becomes reality for the sake of our planet and that of future generations.
SIGNATORIES
Club de Madrid Full Members
Vaira Vike Freiberga, President of Latvia (1999 – 2007). President of the Club de Madrid
Cassam Uteem, President of Mauritius (1992-2002). Vice President of the Club de Madrid
Carl Bildt, Prime Minister of Sweden (1991 – 1994)
Kjell Magne Bondevik, Prime Minister of Norway (1997-2000; 2001-2005)
Gro Harlem Brundtland, Prime Minister of Norway (1981; 1986-1989; 1990-1996). UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Climate Change.
John Bruton, Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland (1994 -1997)
Felipe Calderon, President of Mexico (2006-2012)
Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of Switzerland (2007 and 2011)
Kim Campbell, Prime Minister of Canada (1993)
Fernando Henrique Cardoso, President of Brazil (1995 – 2003)
Aníbal Cavaco Silva, Prime Minister of Portugal (1985 – 1995; 2006 – 2016)
Laura Chinchilla, President of Costa Rica (2010-2014)
Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1999-2008) and former Head of UNDP
Vicente Fox, President of México (2000-2006)
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, President of Chile (1994 – 2000)
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland (1980 – 1996)
César Gaviria, President of Colombia (1990-1994)
Felipe González, President of Spain (1982 – 1996)
Alfred Gusenbauer, Federal Chancellor of Austria (2007 – 2008)
Tarja Halonen, President of Finland (2000 – 2012)
Osvaldo Hurtado, President of Ecuador (1981-1984)
Wim Kok, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1994 – 2002)
Milan Kucan, President of Slovenia (1991 – 2002)
Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka (1994-2005)
Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of Polond (1995-2005)
Luis Alberto Lacalle, President of Uruguay (1990 – 1995)
Ricardo Lagos, President of Chile (2000-2006). UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Climate Change
Zlatko Lagumdzja, Prime Minister of Bosnia & Herzegovina (2001-2002)
Hong Koo Lee, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1994-1995)
Rexhep Meidani, President of Albania (1997-2002)
Benjamin William Mkapa, Presidente de Tanzania (1995-2005)
Festus Mogae, Presidente de Botswana (1998-2008)
Roza Otunbayeva, President of the Kyrgyz Republic (2011-2012)
Anand Panyarachun, Prime Minister of Thailand (1991-1992)
George Papandreu, Prime Minister of Greece (2009 – 2011)
Andrés Pastrana, President of Colombia, (1998 – 2002)
José Manuel Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste (2007-2012). Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 1996
Óscar Rivas-Reig, Prime Minister of Andorra (1982 – 1984; 1990 – 1994)
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, President of Spain (2004-2011)
Petre Roman, Prime Minister of Romania (1989-1991)
Julio Maria Sanguinetti, President of Uruguay (1985-1990; 1995-2000)
Han Seung-Soo, Prime Minister of Korea (2008-2009). UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Climate Change
Jennifer Mary Shipley, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1997-1999)
Jigmi Y. Thinley, Prime Minister of Bhutan (2008-2013)
Martin Torrijos, President of Panama (2004-2009)
Danilo Turk, President of Slovenia (2007-2012)
Club de Madrid Honorary Members
Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary General (2007-2016)
Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (1999 – 2009)
Representatives of the Club de Madrid Constituent Foundations
Diego Hidalgo, founder of Club de Madrid
Anthony T. Jones, Vice – President and Executive Director of GFNA
José Manuel Romero, Vice-President of FRIDE
María Elena Agüero, Secretariy General of the Club de Madrid
Advisors
Susan Rose Ackerman, Scholar
Rut Diamint, Scholar
Jorge Domínguez, Scholar
Grzegorz Ekiert, Scholar
Jerry Jones, Businessman
Bolivar Lamounier, Scholar
Alexander Likhotal, President of Green Cross International
Jose Maria Maravall, Professor and former Spanish Minister of Education
Lucinio Muñoz, Diplomátic
Jose Antonio Ocampo, Scholar
Teresa Ribera, former Secretary of State for Climate Change, Spain
Andres Rigo, International Expert in Arbitration
Theodore Piccone, Scholar/Author
Tim Phillips, Scholar
