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Climate change is one of the most complex challenges of our time and there is no answer yet in sight for solving the global commons dilemma before it is too late, now with the critique that the formal international negotiation process reached a grid lock, a new approach is sought at the next Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris in December 2015. This approach allows states to submit their intended Nationally Determined Contributions rather than negotiating targets and timelines. Unfortunately, it is already foreseen that the agreement will not produce a safe climate world from the intended Nationally Determined Contributions made by state-actors. As time is running out, the presentation shows that progress and a chance to reform states' positions for finding a cooperative path to safe climate world is feasible through introducing alternative pathways - the groundswell of climate actions, clubs and coalitions. This presentation proscribes that a secretariat function could usher the alternative pathways into a formal process as a mechanism to unlock global cooperation and what is currently being done.

Todd Edwards is the program officer for climate change at the Stanley Foundation, where he focuses on improving all levels of global climate change governance, from enhancing greater state-level ambition to building momentum for climate change action from states, regions, cities, businesses, and civil society. He has a background in energy, sustainability, and strategy consulting. Todd has a Ph.D. in political sciences from Vrije Universiteit Brussel with a focus on global climate change governance. Todd enjoys supporting farmers' markets and local food cooperatives. For more information on the Foreign Relations Council visit their website.