The COP21 ‘Paris Agreement’ was hailed as “The world’s greatest diplomatic success,” involving all 196 nations.

That success, in December 2015, was built up from ‘bottom up’ pledges (Intended Nationally Determined Contributions) – in diametric contrast to the perceived failure of the COP15 Copenhagen summit in 2009, when the bold ambition of a legally binding global agreement to govern greenhouse gas emissions for decades had descended into political grandstanding, and the relative deflation of a “political declaration” enshrining emissions targets up to only 2020.

Pedalling from Plymouth to Paris in late November 2015 – to deliver reports on over 3,000 tonnes of carbon saved by the people of Cornwall, in the six years since 2009 (via Climate Vision’s ten ‘Carbon Logic’ pledges) – felt in tune with the times.

I reported back, on my return from Paris, that…

“The hard work starts here… world Governments have agree ‘the what’ (keeping global average temperature rises “well below” two degrees Celsius, while aiming for 1.5 degrees). They now need to work out ‘the how’…”

I observed that for us to stand any chance, ‘the how’ must encompass three great reforms…

1. Macro-economic – introducing redistributive carbon taxes;
2. Our way of doing business – broadening ‘fiduciary duty’;
3. Democratic – extending our representation, and participation.

These remain a work in progress…

COP21 in Paris had begun under the cloud of terrorist attacks outside the Stade de France, in the Bataclan theatre, and thoughout the surrounding streets. In 2016, Britain reeled from the shock of the ‘Brexit’ “Leave” vote, and then the USA from the election of Donald Trump as President. All of these events seemingly distract our focus from building the bridges (not walls) that we need to face the global challenge of climate change together.

While our supposed national ‘leaders’ only seem to lead us into turmoil, we see hope through regional and local visions…

• The 383 U.S. Climate Mayors, representing 68 million Americans, commit to “working together to strengthen local efforts for reducing greenhouse gas emissions”, regardless of Donald Trump.
• The EU Committee of the Regions is taking proposals to COP23 in Bonn for ‘Regionally and Locally Determined Contributions’ to count towards national carbon reduction plans – smoothly flowing around Westminster Brexit-blindness.
• The architect of the Paris Agreement, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), Christiana Figueres, says… “Paris is everyone’s deal. It belongs to cities, businesses, NGOs and all of global civil society as much as it belongs to nation-states.”
• The resilient Truro Climate Vision, where we can all make our contributions, resonates beyond Paris…

… I pedalled “On2Bonn” to continue to bear witness to those negotiating on all of our behalves – but just as much to continue to build bridges that connect beyond our British island… Along the way, we have met fellow climate cyclists from across Europe (and await the arrival of Inka & Fabi from New Zealand!)

The turmoil in Paris ahead of COP21 was redefined by the image of 10,000 pairs of empty shoes. I love Bonn’s vision in hosting COP23 for Fiji’s Presidency – and hope that we can all help our own small island state to rediscover broader horizons soon…

[This is an edited, and updated, version of the address that I gave in Truro Cathedral ahead of our departure last Saturday]