Christie Kneteman |
Law student Christie Kneteman dreams of working for the UN one day. And for the next two weeks, she's getting a taste of what it's like to work on the global stage at the
COP15, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Kneteman is the only Canadian law student assisting a non-governmental organization called Islands First to have their concerns heard and addressed at the meetings.
This network of island heads of state and representatives from around the world, such as Tivalu and Palau, fears its islands will be completely submerged in the future, due to rising sea levels from increasing temperatures.
Kneteman wants to be part of the process to assuage those fears.
"As a lawyer, I bring a different perspective to the talks," says Kneteman. She has conducted research into carbon markets and is interested in the international law principle of "common but differentiated responsibility." The third-year law student has been published in The Law and Development Review, among other leading journals.
She's hoping to use her expertise and credibility to influence change, not just to stop climate change, but to stop it at the lowest costs overall. "I'm interested in emissions trading," she says.
The Islands First delegation has access to the plenary and main negotiating sessions, but the sheer numbers in attendance have forced organizers to limit participation for non-governmental organizations, as Kneteman bluntly found out on her first day of the conference and tweeted for UTLaw on Dec. 7 (see her tweets here: http://twitter.com/UTLaw).
She will continue to provide daily updates for the law school on Twitter, as she networks and meets with people - whether in the halls or hallways - as passionate as she is to effect change.
Her dedication and determination meant working three jobs to fund her trip to Copenhagen and pre-writing essays in lieu of her December exams to attend COP15. It also means she remains matter-of-fact that action on climate change is coming.
"It's an inevitability. Canada is just delaying its tactics and trying to buy time, but it really should be preparing companies on how to adapt," says Kneteman. More importantly, she'd like to see Canada take the lead on a North American emissions scheme, similar to Europe.
Kneteman remains skeptical that COP15 will produce a binding framework, but is still aiming for political agreements on "the most difficult issues, such as mitigation and adaptation. This conference will put the process in place to get there," she says.
"It's worthwhile to get a delayed protocol, and allow countries to work on the details for a better protocol, than to rush into an agreement that is weak," says Kneteman.
