Climate Foreign Policy - Speech and Q&A with Jennifer Morgan

The SOAS Centre for Energy and Climate Policy and the SOAS Centre for Sustainable Finance in cooperation with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Kingdom are hosting a speech and Q&A with Jennifer Morgan, State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action in the German Federal Foreign Office. Through this discussion, which is taking place during London Climate Action Week, Jennifer Morgan will lay out negotiation priorities ahead of COP28 and outline methods for a more effective climate diplomacy. 

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. 

About Jennifer Morgan

Jennifer Morgan has been State Secretary and Special Envoy for International Climate Action in the German Federal Foreign Office since March 2022. Born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, she studied Political Science and International Relations at Indiana University Bloomington and received her Master’s Degree in International Affairs at The American University in Washington, D.C.

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 taking up office in the Federal Foreign Office, from 2016 to 2022 she was Managing Director of Greenpeace International (GPI). Jennifer Morgan lives in Berlin.