The Platform Center for Sustainable Development (PSDIraq) hosted a session on Thursday, August 31st, attended by a distinguished group of experts and researchers in the field of climate change. During this session, the Iraq Climate Platform was officially launched, and discussions revolved around its content, which encompasses awareness-raising, data provision, and policy alternatives.

The session commenced with opening remarks by Mr. Hashim Al-Rikabi, the founder and President of the center, who spoke about the current and future projects of the center. These projects include the Iraq Policy Program, the Economic Reform Monitoring Program, the Emerging Scholars Network, the Platform’s Magazine, Monthly Issues and Analysis, and most recently, the Iraq Climate Platform. He emphasized that the center has been striving to shift from identity politics towards policy-focused initiatives since its inception. This is because all components of society, regardless of their sub-identities, face common challenges. Therefore, the center aims to build a network of policy-oriented researchers that jointly create fact-based content that enhances awareness and encourages the adoption of realistic and feasible policy alternatives. In this context, the issue of climate change is deemed as a severe threat, given its adverse effects on thousands of families and individuals, pressuring them to leave their areas of origin and fall victim to life-threatening transmittable diseases, among other consequences. However, the problem is that most people are unaware of its existence. Hence, the idea of the Iraq Climate Platform was conceived to raise societal awareness about climate change. Other solutions, such as negotiations with upstream countries to share the burden of climate change, require governmental efforts and cooperation from neighboring and upstream countries.

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