On 15 October 2025, Sciences Po PSIA and CERI, together with KU Leuven, organised an expert roundtable in Paris. The roundtable focused on the evolution of international climate negotiations ten years after the landmark Paris Agreement. The event brought together four leading voices in climate diplomacy and research:
- Paul Watkinson, an independent expert and former climate negotiator
- Yamina Saheb, lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on climate mitigation and lecturer at PSIA
- Katja Biedenkopf, Professor of Sustainability Politics at KU Leuven and ENSURED researcher
- Christian Dietz, researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) and ENSURED researcher.
Moderated by Carola Klöck, Professor at CERI at Sciences Po, the four panel members shared their insights with a room of almost 100 students and professionals.
The panel discussion focused on the strengths and weaknesses of the current United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process and its Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings. The panellists critically discussed the effectiveness of the COP format as well as the pathways towards Paris Agreement implementation in times of climate emergency. Furthermore, they reflected on the role of the Brazilian Presidency of the COP, including the logistical challenges of organising and navigating mega-COPs as well as the opportunities to enhance the voices of civil society in the COP format. These timely debates spoke to the two major themes in recent ENSURED outputs: how to enhance the effectiveness, democracy, and robustness of climate negotiations and the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The panel discussion was followed by an interactive Q&A with the audience, in which students, academics, and decision-makers asked a variety of questions surrounding the role of cities in climate action, carbon pricing mechanisms, climate litigation, climate justice, citizen participation, Global North-South relations, and much more. To watch the full panel discussion, check out the video recording.
Ahead of the public roundtable, researchers participated in an afternoon workshop bringing together twelve researchers and former practitioners from Belgian, French, Swiss, Polish, and Dutch institutions. Based on six paper presentations, the workshop discussed the changing role and function of UNFCCC COPs and wider challenges in global climate governance (such as reaching climate finance goals). One of the presentations by ENSURED researchers Franziska Petri and Noa Lameire covered the question of how UNFCCC parties use pavilion side-events to contribute to climate negotiations. After the paper discussion, the group reflected on research challenges in times of mega COPs and shared research agendas on future climate negotiations.
For more, check out the latest ENSURED research on climate governance.
A few snapshots from the Paris event:
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