Climate Week in New York City, which happened alongside the annual United Nations meeting, seemed (viewed from the U.S. at least) to highlight a partisan divide in American politics.

President Donald Trump re-upped his assertion that virtually any climate action is part of a “great green scam.” He spent his speech raging against all of the countries at the UN General Assembly. It wasn’t a presentation designed to foster cooperation.

Elsewhere, leadership from the Clinton Foundation and other left-wing groups used their platforms to ring alarm bells about the great climate crisis, but offered few, if any, workable solutions. In short, we had people talking past each other, not talking to each other.

What we didn’t see reported was the actual progress made during the sessions (or outside the sessions). An important event quietly brought together the leaders of Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa, along with bipartisan leadership from Congress, and philanthropists representing the Walton Family to the Bezos Earth Fund, all around a central theme of conservation and international cooperation. 

The reception was hosted by the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, and the leaders gathered there launched the Africa Keystone Protected Area Partnership, which will promote conservation in endangered parts of Africa. Under the terms of the agreement, the African leaders will work together to protect 162 of Africa’s most irreplaceable protected areas. It’s an important, and difficult to achieve, goal.

This all goes to show that bipartisanship is possible, in the U.S. and everywhere. Senator Chris Coons (D-Dela.) and Congressman August Pfluger (R-Tex), the head of the Republican Study Committee, handled the introductions at the event. These lawmakers can work together with ICCF, and they can (eventually) work together in the halls of Congress. Africa features dozens of unique and endangered species. It has plenty of natural resources, but those often aren’t used effectively. Conservation is key to protecting the continent and helping its people. 

To deliver the policies that people want and need, however, policymakers will need to find solutions to big problems, including energy issues, climate change, and conservation. That will require building coalitions and working together. ICCF is teaching lawmakers around the globe how to do that.

The ICCF Group has offices in North America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. It has programs in East, Southern, and Central Africa aimed at fostering political will for conservation and supporting the sustainable management of natural resources.

ICCF gets things done by using a caucus model. It teaches lawmakers on every continent how to communicate with their peers who hold differing policy positions. The method helps legislatures find ways to innovate, explore nonpartisan solutions, and achieve consensus.

The goal is to strengthen a country’s legislative framework in a way that will be good for the global environment and for national economies and local communities as well. This tracks with our mission at the Conservative Coalition for Climate Solutions. We focus on promoting clean energy policy solutions that work, regardless of which party proposes the ideas. We work to find ways to support innovation with less regulation, so markets can work their magic.

The ICCF Group’s meetings share the best conservation governance solutions and allow policymakers to experience conservation realities first-hand. That includes direct involvement with leaders in the U.S. Its annual Gala, scheduled for later this month aims to “elevate to new heights the emphasis that the United States of America places on leading the world in habitat and biodiversity conservation and overall good stewardship of natural resources.”

On a donor level, Rob Walton has worked with groups from across the political spectrum, including Conservation International. He has invested heavily to support African Parks and to protect terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. That all makes him a perfect partner for ICCF’s work.

The International Conservation Caucus Foundation has set itself a difficult but crucial mission: Building “A World Where People and Nature Sustain and Nurture One Another.” That means everyone working together to preserve the environment. But the most important part of that is “working together.” It is showing that bipartisanship isn’t a dirty word. It’s the way to get things done. 

African countries have found success through conservation, often by setting aside large stretches as nature preserves. That’s a great start, but conservation should include the economy and ecology as well. Africa’s future is bright, and conservation will be a positive force to make it even better.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of C3.