The formation of the Scotia Group

The group was founded in 2021, in the run up to COP26, by Professor Malik Dahlan, an international lawyer and professor, as well as a member of the Council of Advisors at RAND Europe. By gathering former heads of state, political leaders, renowned academics and internationally recognised climate and governance experts, the Group was formed with the ambition to bring together ideas that can inform and enhance the inter-governmental COP process.

The Scotia Group

Following the disappointing outcomes of COP26 and COP27, the Scotia Group remains focused on the goal of net zero carbon emissions, acknowledging the significant financial needs of developing countries and emerging markets in the energy transition.

The goals of the Scotia Group

Since 2021, the Scotia Group has convened a series of Climate Majlis Dialogue sessions where a diverse range of global experts have explored a variety of subjects relating to decarbonization development and acceleration.

The Scotia Group has partnered with Friends to convene each of these Majlis dialogues, including Alan Turing Institute, the Transatlantic Leadership Network, MIT, University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of St. Andrews, and the International Bar Association.

The aim of these discussions is to champion key areas relating to the rule of law, which policy experts believe could be harnessed to positively ‘move the dial’ and help avoid a 1.5°C rise in global temperatures by 2030. It also aims to look at the process challenges and institutional complexities of climate action to help catalyse action.

The methods of the Scotia Group

As COP28 is approaching, Scotia Group members have come together in a series of online Climate Majlis Dialogues to continue to deliberate the climate challenge and find innovative ideas.

These discussions, hosted in partnership with the RAND Corporation, aim to spur the radical change necessary to meet the urgency of the climate emergency, while remaining realistic and not threatening existing consensus.

Scotia Group members have worked on a refined mandate, which has a narrower focus, and have identified the need for continued exploration of alternative power generation strategies and financing mechanisms. The goal is that the Group continues to help facilitate the sustainable global energy transition over the next 10-30 years.