Talanoa Dialogue outcome must inform a COP decision on ambition setting a clear direction towards updated NDCs by 2020
Submitted by DParthasarathy on December 11, 2018 - 10:56am
pr_dec11_cop24.pdf
Katowice, 11 December 2018: Today's high-level Talanoa Dialogue needs to make clear how governments will actually commit to increased national climate pledges that fall in line with 1.5C pathways. Wendel Trio, Director, CAN Europe called on the EU to show leadership on ambition by increasing their 2030 targets.
"What we want to see coming out of this COP at the end of the week: That we have a strong decision of the COP, where governments recognize the importance of the 1.5 report, where parties recognize the importance of next year's UN Secretary General Summit . . . and where parties commit to enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2030, in order to bridge the gap" said Trio.
Without a fully operational rulebook we will not be able to strengthen ambition. Unfortunately, parties are watering down the rulebook to the lowest common denominator, said Mohamed Adow, International Climate Lead, Christian Aid. He called on the developed world to provide financial support to the developing countries. $100 billion is a pittance considering the projected costs of adaptation and mitigation. Further, Adow spoke on the COP outcome and noted that "No outcome here in Katowice will be acceptable without countries agreeing to review and ratchet their ambition". He also described how the US, Saudi Arabia, and Russia are effectively working together in order to suppress the findings of the IPCC 1.5C report and the science on climate change.
One of the primary concerns in the developing world is that even high-level discussions on ambition may not lead to implemented changes on the ground. The consistently increasing climate change impacts require immediate action on the ground even in the pre-2020 timeframe. The developing world is racking up climate-change debt that is currently unaccounted for and needs to be addressed. Additionally, Vitumbiko Chinoko, Partnerships and Advocacy Coordinator, CARE Southern Africa, illustrated how much of what we are seeing labelled as 'climate finance' is highly inflated and creating a false narrative of large existing financial streams. He said the Talanoa Dialogue must go beyond just words and the world is waiting for clear commitments on support and ambition.
Catherine Abreu, Executive Director, CAN Canada, also reiterated that the Talanoa dialogue cannot just be a talk-show without a substantive outcome. The Talanoa Dialogue is an essential mechanism that needs to cement the global stocktake into the rulebook in order to compel countries to ratchet up their ambition. The Paris NDCs are nowhere near sufficient in reaching the 1.5C threshold, so the outcome of today's Talanoa will be a defining factor in the levels of ambition we will see from all nations moving forward.
Abreu highlighted that France, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Sweden, Spain, Norway, and now Canada have made statements on ambition earlier in 2018, and we are expecting them to step up and lead as climate champions for a strong COP outcome. Furthermore, she noted the successes of the 48 Climate Vulnerable Forum nations in committing to enhanced NDCs by 2020, which Fiji and the Marshall Islands have already submitted. "We need to hold countries to the highest standards of ambition if we are to see climate change addressed properly."
The negotiations need to "deliver a strong COP decision that articulated countries' commitments to ambition building on the declarations that have already been made. That COP decision needs to accept the reports emerging from the good work of the Talanoa dialogue this year, welcome with great concern the special report on 1.5C from the IPCC, acknowledge the conversations that have happened in the ministerial on pre-2020 action and finance this week, and also indicate party responsibility to respond to the Paris Agreement's invitation to communicate updated NDCs by 2020" said Abreu.
When asked with regards to a scenario in 2020 if the emission gap is not bridged and climate momentum is lost, Trio emphasized that citizens will not take it. Climate marches are popping up all over the world, and citizens are taking their governments to court over negligence and inaction to the effects of climate change.
About Climate Action Network:
Climate Action Network (CAN) is a global network of over 1200 NGOs working to promote government and individual action to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels. www.climatenetwork.org . For more information, contact Dharini Parthasarathy, Senior Communications Coordinator, CAN International; email: dparthasarathy@climatenetwork.org, or whatsapp/call on +918826107830