SIS, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to the US, is proud to host Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action in the German Federal Foreign office for a keynote and conversation with SIS professor Simon Nicholson.

Through this discussion, taking place ahead of the Climate Leaders’ Summit and New York Climate Week, State Secretary Morgan will lay out Germany’s approach to climate foreign policy and to building new partnerships in a world confronted with multipolarity and multiple crises. She'll also lay out priorities ahead of the upcoming UN climate conference COP28.

Why Climate Foreign Policy?

Rising sea levels, dramatic species loss, sustained drought, record wildfires and temperatures – the climate crisis is making itself felt worldwide. Today, more than three billion people live in regions directly impacted or threatened by climate change. The destruction of the environment and of natural resources increasingly endangers human and international stability. Climate change exacerbates conflicts over ever scarcer resources such as water and food, forcing millions of people to flee their homes and undermines the pathways to achieving sustainable development goals.

The science is clear: there is not much time left if we are to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. To do so, global greenhouse gas emissions need to be drastically reduced in this critical decade. No state or region can achieve this alone – we need international cooperation and effective climate diplomacy.

Bios:

Jennifer Morgan SIS/MA '92, has been State Secretary and Special Representative for International Climate Policy at the Federal Foreign Office since March 2022. In her professional career, Jennifer Morgan held various leadership positions, including Director of the Global Climate Campaign of WWF International and Director of the Climate Program of the think tank World Resources Institute (WRI). She was also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Council for Sustainable Development of the Federal Government. Before her assignment to the Federal Foreign Office, from 2016 to 2022 she was Managing Director of the environmental organization Greenpeace International. Jennifer Morgan lives in Berlin and has the German citizenship.

Simon Nicholson is Associate Professor of International Relations. His work focuses on global environmental governance, global food politics, and the politics of emerging technologies, including climate engineering and carbon removal technologies. He is co-founder of the Forum for Climate Engineering Assessment and the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy, two scholarly initiatives of the School of International Service.

Climate Foreign Policy in a Time of Multipolarity and Multiple Crises