Behind the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Agreement are seven years of negotiations, secret meetings and Todd Stern — former Special Envoy for Climate Change with the Department of State.
Stern visited the University of Chicago on December 5 to give a behind-the-scenes look at the lengthy road to the agreement, detailed in his book, “Landing the Paris Climate Agreement: How It Happened, Why It Matters, and What Comes Next.” The book, released in October, gives a first-person account of key moments in international climate negotiations, including the crucial deal between the US and China that paved the way for the 2015 agreement.
Stern dove into his time with the White House and reflected on the future of climate policy with moderator Pete Ogden, Vice President for Climate and Environment at the United Nations Foundation and Stern’s former Chief of Staff. Stern stressed the importance of relationship-building, compromise and cooperation to achieve international climate goals.
The Paris Climate Agreement came together at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference (COP21), held in Paris, France, and set an international goal to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. But for the agreement to be realized, the US and China had to get on the same page — a process that took years of delicate diplomatic maneuvering.
Stern reflected on his time working closely with President Obama, another key character in the 2015 agreement. He recalled a meeting with Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during the Copenhagen Summit (COP15) in 2009, which was on an unproductive path. Before the meeting, Stern said, Obama was frustrated negotiating with a Chinese representative, and sought to speak with the Premier himself. The White House tracked down Wen, and Obama “took off,” surprising him at a meeting with the leaders of several other countries.
Finally, meeting face-to-face, Obama and Wen reached a compromise on transparency of climate targets, prompting a heated reaction from Stern’s counterpart, Chinese climate minister Xie Zhenhua. “Red in the face, jabbing the air, speaking loudly and quickly in Chinese, gesturing alternately at Wen and Obama, Xie stopped the room,” Stern wrote. “When Xie finished, Obama looked at Wen and asked mildly, ‘What’s he saying?’ Wen answered, ‘Not important.’”
Stern used the moment as an example of the importance of political compromise: “at the moment of truth, Wen chose to be a leader and take the deal, even though it required acceptance of provisions that China had clearly intended to avoid and even though improvisation was very much not China’s style.”
Stern made his own compromises, predicated on the relationship he built with his Chinese counterpart, Xie, despite tensions between their two countries. Also in 2009, Xie told Stern that China could not agree to a 50% reduction in emissions by 2050. “Okay, I won’t push you on it,” Stern said, attempting to show an understanding of Chinese interests. For years after, Stern said, Xie used that conversation as an example of their unique relationship.
Later, Stern answered questions from students. One student asked Stern for his thoughts on the future of climate policy during the forthcoming Trump administration. Stern expressed optimism that, though the next administration could negatively impact the course of climate policy, progress made by the Biden administration will not be fully reversed. For example, Stern said, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) would be difficult to fully roll back due to the investments it provided to Americans, including those in red states. He pointed to the 1970 Clean Air Act, signed into law by conservative president Richard Nixon due to wide support for the pollution-reduction measure.
Dozens of students attended the talk, excited to hear from Stern. Before the event, attendees lined up to chat with Stern as he signed fifty free copies of his book. Students said their professors had recommended the book, and several stayed after the event to speak with Stern.
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Todd Stern
