Simon Donner

Climate change is a failure of the imagination. For years, people struggled to believe it is real or would impact our lives. Now many struggle to believe we can solve the problem. My TEDx talk is about the path to overcoming doubts and embracing solutions. youtu.be/CZ_MPbjA78I

"I couldn't look at myself in the mirror", says climate scientist @simondonner, who is one of the two climate advisors that quit the federal government's Net-Zero Advisory Body. Full interview: youtu.be/x1JYcA9srH4?si…

Personal update -- I resigned from my role at Co-Chair of Canada's Net-Zero Advisory Body. The job had been a true honour and privilege, one of the highlights of my professional life. If you're interested in more of an explanation, please see my Linked-In page.

It is also giving me deja vu. I'm working on a more detailed analysis of the MOU, and was reminded of writing this for a similar analysis nine years ago:

The MOU with Alberta is deeply disappointing. It sacrifices climate policies, puts too many eggs in the industrial pricing basket, proposes a pipeline deal that would increase emissions, and would have Canada double-down on fossil fuels while the world moves towards clean energy.

5) Global divide: An emerging schism between countries clinging to a colonial + extractive past and those moving to the future. It goes beyond the fossil fuel vs clean energy divide to whether adaptation relies on top-down initiatives vs. local + Indigenous efforts and knowledge.

4) US left behind: The US absence was quickly normalized. Whether out of frustration or conviction, delegates spoke of declining US relevance. As an African govt rep said: “Americans should realize the world is moving on from them... other nations are this as an opportunity.”

UN climate summits are a strange hybrid of diplomatic negotiations and a sprawling climate change bazaar. You can learn the state of climate action from watching the negotiations and the concurrent panels and side events. Here are five themes that emerged frequently at #COP30:

As Canada scrambles to diversify its exports, fossil fuels are an increasingly risky bet, not least with taxpayers’ money. And we should not kid ourselves: it is also a bet on global failure to address #climatechange, says @simondonner @ubcires @ubcgeog nationalobserver.com/2025/11/21/opi…

The Pacific Islands pavillion at #COP30 just had to close due to flooding. Seriously...

As we near the end of the first week of #COP30, this passage from the current version of the global stocktake text (on progress towards the Paris Agreement goals) captures state of the negotiations:

IPCC chair Jim Skea called the IPCC the El Niño of the climate policy world, in that its reports appear around every seven years. Nice line that wouldn't land in most settings. Granted, the key difference between the two is that geopolitics can't delay or alter El Niños

For years, people argued that there's no point in taking climate action without China. I was just at a #COP30 event where Chinese govt officials and renewable industry reps outlined the fast-paced energy transition and long-term carbon neutrality plan. The story has flipped.

For all of the justified critiques of the expanding and often frustrating UN climate summits, there is something beautiful about watching the melange of people in the hallways, with folks in all manner of traditional clothing walking next to western technocrats in business suits.

There's no official American delegation to COP30. There will still be Americans in attendance, as observers from non-govt organizations, universities, etc, but no delegates participating in the actual negotiations. carbonbrief.org/analysis-which…

The key points from my recent gov't testimony on Canada's climate efforts: 1) The 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, while bolder than past plans, was insufficient 2) That plan is not being sufficiently implemented 3) Good climate policy is in Canada's long-term economic interests

"We'll never change. It's too hard" Heard this via answering machine. Then faxes. Really. Next, emails, so many emails Blog comments Facebook posts Tweets, oh the tweets Podcasts Zoom webinar comments AI-transcribed voicemails Now, AI videos Sure, we can't change.

The choices we face are about today vs. tomorrow, not environment vs. economy. In a new article, @NZAB_Canada presents four immediate steps the Canadian government can take to prepare for the future, drawn from new research with @ClimateInstit 🧵(1/6) hilltimes.com/story/2025/09/…