The day before international talks on climate came to a close in Bonn (see EUROPE 12013), NGOs gathering within the Climate Action Network (CAN International) hailed the progress made at technical level on the rules for implementation of the Paris climate agreement. Nonetheless, the magnitude of the task that still lies ahead, including climate financing and reaching the objective of average global warming of 1.5 degrees, can explain the expectations held by the COP24 in Katowice (December) for finalising the rules and entering into the political phase of Talanoa dialogue.
Alden Meyer, the strategic director of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) in Bonn, said: “Poland is not in favour of raising the European contribution to the Paris agreement (Ed: a reduction of at least 40% in EU emissions by 2030 compared with 1990), but the role of the presidency is to put its interests aside. The COP24 will be a test for Poland. With the new minister for the environment, there is still hope”.
Nonetheless, Meyer considers The Paris Rulebook cannot be the only ingredient for COP 24 success. The Talanoa dialogue for raising ambition, and the refuelling of the green fund for climate after losing USD$2 billion from American contributions will also be decisive.
“We need some clear political signals and a process going forward from COP24 on ways to enhance the ambition of the nationally determined contributions (NDC) that countries have submitted under Paris. We don’t have to wait for the IPCC special report in October to know that what’s on the table now and being implemented falls far short of what’s needed to stay on track with temperature goals that countries agreed to in Paris”, Meyer said. In addition, NGOs expect “a clear agenda for the next session” to be fixed in Bangkok and a “shared vision for Katowice”.
Innovative funding sources have long been awaited for the USD$100 billion annually pledged to developing countries, said Tracy Carty of Oxfam International, insisting on the importance of reaching an agreement in Katowice on the finance accounting rules to build confidence.
“The Paris Rulebook is a gigantic task. The coming hours will be decisive. We expect Poland and Fiji to give us guidance for the next stage which will be more political. Things are moving forward but, with the approach of COP 24, that will be the moment of truth for political will. It will be the moment when we believe it is possible to have a consolidated text”, said Li Shuo, an expert in climate and energy policy with Greenpeace. In his view, the climate finance and NDCs should benefit from higher level political attention. Transparency, he said, will require more negotiation time. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)