As the world comes to terms with what is widely considered a weak outcome of COP23, ACT Alliance has called for a recommitment to the need for ambitious action and solidarity with climate vulnerable people.
Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance’s General Secretary
“COP23 has fallen short of the main expectations we had: we had hoped that the cry of people of the Pacific and other vulnerable parts of the world would be heard and translated into urgent and ambitious action,“ said Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance’s General Secretary.
COP23 is ended on Friday, November 17, 2017 after two weeks of tough negotiations. While the adoption of the Gender Action Plan which aims to enhance gender equality throughout all processes and bodies of the UNFCCC may be one of the most significant milestones to be remembered from COP23, other important agenda items have not had particularly successful outcomes.
According to the ACT, the COP has shown that it is the needs of the vulnerable countries who need support that continue to fall into the line of fire, instead of the shortcomings of the big emitters of the world.
“As a global community we need to figure out quickly how to address the weak and slow responsiveness of our policy making systems. The UNFCCC cannot continue to deliver painstakingly small steps forward, when the world needs decisive action. We must act now to ensure that no one is left behind,” Bueno de Faria continued.
Loss and damage is an issue that lies close to the hearts and realities of the least developed countries and small island states who are at this moment threatened by rising sea levels and other climate-influenced disasters. Despite a Fijian presidency at COP23, the support for Loss and Damage in Bonn did not deliver on the ambition required to truly stand in solidarity with climate vulnerable communities.
“We applaud the commitment and continued push of the most vulnerable countries, who never fail to raise the voices and the concerns of the populations already affected by climate change, and who match their vision for a better world with higher ambition than their developed country counterparts,” said Martin Vogel, Climate Policy Adviser to the Church of Sweden and co-chair of the ACT Alliance Climate Change Group.
“ACT Alliance will continue to fight for the needs of the most vulnerable communities. We shall increase our voice, action and solidarity as we respond to humanitarian crises, in our development programmes and in our advocacy at all levels,” Bueno de Faria concluded.
As the “Pacific COP” – as the 23rd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is popularly referred to – was rounded up on Friday, November 17, 2017, forward-looking delegates stress that countries must come to COP24 in 2018 in Poland with a clear signal that they will step up and enhance their climate targets by 2020
Deliberations at the Bula Zone during COP23. Photo credit: BMUB/Nils Klinger
As countries wrapped up discussions at the COP23 UN climate change conference in Bonn, Germany, one fact remains undisputed: climate change is happening, and climate action cannot wait. In a year marked by devastating losses from climate impacts, and with 2017 seeing a rise in global emissions, this Pacific COP brought home the message that climate change continues to threaten the survival of far too many people.
The COP highlighted that there is appetite for faster and stronger climate action in the near term. A decision to formally anchor pre-2020 discussions in the next climate talks puts immediate pressure on developed countries to do more on increasing ambition in the run up to 2020 and thereafter.
The Talanoa dialogue switches on the ambition ratchet mechanism of the Paris Agreement and sets into motion the plan that governments promised to abide by two years ago to keep warming below 1.5°C.
With renewed political will, countries must now collectively assess progress on their national climate plans and come to COP24 in Poland to prepare to step up ambition by 2020 in order to transition to a renewable energy future.
The extraordinary swell of support for climate action by cities, businesses, local leaders and indigenous groups further turns the heat on national governments to do more, and to do it much faster.
These climate talks, presided by a country that is no stranger to dangerous impacts, focused the world’s attention on issues close to those at the forefront of climate change.
However, the disappointing outcomes on loss and damage and finance, make it clear there is a brutal disconnect between the support developed countries are willing to commit to and the reality of climate impacts developing countries face.
While the COP reignited important discussions, developed countries failed to take the opportunity to make good on a strong support package and align their promises with clear actions.
The launch of the Gender Action Plan and the indigenous people’s platform are an integral part of the legacy of the Fiji Presidency.
Looking ahead, the Polish Presidency must take forward the progress made on the implementation guidelines and sustain the strengthened international cooperation on climate action. This can happen if countries such as Canada, Norway, France, UK, Germany and New Zealand step in to offer leadership domestically and internationally.
Krishneil Narayan, Coordinator, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN), Fiji, said: “The Pacific islands region is one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Fiji’s Presidency of COP23 provided an opportunity to emphasise the need for higher ambition in implementing the Paris Agreement to reach the 1.5oC goal. The Bula spirit has been infused and the course set for the Talanoa Dialogue in the coming year. The work done here to operationalise the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform and adopting the Gender Action Plan is much welcomed. However, a lot more was expected on the outcome of Loss and Damage outcome from this “Pacific COP”. We hope that countries would make full use of the expert dialogue in 2018 to further advance the work on Loss and Damage.”
Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary General and CEO of CARE International, said:
“At COP23, political agreements did not sufficiently address the harsh climate reality that millions of poor and vulnerable people already face. CARE welcomes the negotiation progress in areas such as gender and agriculture as well as the attention to climate impacts. However, as global emissions continue to increase, we need countries to significantly step up their efforts in 2018 to shift away from this dangerous trajectory and to keep the within the 1.5oC limit.”
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, head of WWF’s global climate and energy programme, and COP20 President, said: “In a year marked by extreme weather disasters and potentially the first increase in carbon emissions in four years, the paradox between what we are doing and need to be delivering is clear: countries must act with greater climate ambition, and soon, to put us on a path to a 1.5°C future.
“It is time to show bolder vision, innovation and urgent action - in global efforts and domestically - building on the clear momentum we are seeing in our societies and economies already. The Talanoa dialogue is the opportunity for that and it should deliver concrete outcomes. COP23 has made significant progress on pre-2020 action and support as well as the role of gender, local communities and indigenous peoples but the months leading up to COP24 will be critical to achieve the ambition we need to secure a just transition and sustainable future beyond 2020.”
Josianne Gauthier, CIDSE Secretary General: “Climate change is a matter of urgency and decided action. As this year’s climate conference comes to an end CIDSE welcomes the progress made but strongly urges governments to continue moving towards collective action throughout 2018 and beyond, taking concrete steps towards a just transition where no one is left behind. As the Pope reminds us, this should be accompanied by a personal spiritual conversion, questioning our priorities and the impact they have on our common home.”
Nick Mabey, CEO and Co-founding Director E3G: “COP23 achieved what it had to but not what it needed to. Countries and their leaders must work together to raise ambition and make the goals of the Paris Agreement a reality. Through the Talanoa Dialogue they must inspire everyone to do more: to identify bold new practical ways to reduce pollution and protect people for a changing climate.
Tracy Carty, head of Oxfam’s delegation at COP 23: “This year hurricanes ravaged the Caribbean, floods destroyed thousands of homes and schools in South Asia, and drought brought devastation to millions in East Africa. We’re no longer talking about the future; the world’s poorest countries and communities are already fighting for their lives against disasters intensified by climate change. Yet for the most part, rich countries showed up to Bonn empty-handed, and blocked progress on finance for ‘loss and damage’ for those facing the worst impacts of climate change.
“The brutal disconnect between what developed countries are willing to provide and the reality of climate impacts developing countries face must be urgently addressed. President Macron’s international climate summit next month in Paris will offer another opportunity for countries to unveil new financial pledges.”
Jens Mattias Clausen, head of Greenpeace’s political delegation at COP23:
“Leaders must now go home and do the right thing, prove that they have listened to the voices of the Pacific, with all their hurt and hope, and understand the urgency of our time. Talk is not good enough and we still lack the action we need.
“We call on France, Germany, China and others to step up and display the leadership they claim to stake. Clinging to coal or nuclear power and parading as climate champions while failing to accelerate the clean energy transition is nothing but bad faith.
“We welcome the focus on enhanced ambition and the inclusion of pre-2020 climate action in the design of next year’s stocktake, the Talanoa Dialogue. This will form part of Fiji’s legacy and it is imperative that the dialogue will not just be a discussion but actually lead to countries ramping up their climate targets.
“Bonn still leaves a daunting task of concluding the Paris rulebook next year. Countries need to rediscover the political courage they had in Paris to complete the rulebook on time.”
Alden Meyer, director of strategy and policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists: “At this year’s climate talks, the Fijian presidency helped us build the vessels needed to carry us towards a clean energy future. Now it’s up to ministers and heads of state to fill these vessels with increased ambition on climate action, so as to close the substantial gap between the commitments countries have put forward to reduce their emissions and the much higher level of ambition needed to meet the temperature limitation goals established in the Paris Agreement.
“Progress was made on developing the Paris Agreement implementation rules, but the pace of negotiations must pick up significantly if the rulebook is to be finalised at the climate summit in Katowice, Poland next December. Little progress was made on the critical issue of ramping up financial and capacity-building support to help developing countries deploy clean energy and other climate solutions, and to adapt to the mounting impacts of climate change; this must be a much higher priority going forward. Fortunately, heads of state and ministers will have numerous opportunities over the next year to demonstrate real climate leadership.”
Sierra Club Executive Director, Michael Brune: “Even in the face of the climate-denying Trump administration, it is the unstoppable power of the people across the United States and the world that has continued to drive progress beyond coal – from retiring half of the U.S. coal fleet to pushing governments to form the new Powering Past Coal Alliance. Coal and other fossil fuels have no place in our future, and the world will continue to move toward a clean and just energy economy. The Sierra Club is committed to doing our part to drive that progress and ensure this transition to clean energy leaves no one behind until the goal is met.
“The Sierra Club applauds the government of Fiji for their leadership during these negotiations, and we challenge all governments to continue to step up to meet the ever-growing challenge of tackling the climate crisis. Following a year of devastating hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and storms, it’s never been more evident that the world needs to make serious and swift strides to curb carbon emissions for the sake of families, communities, and the planet. Now is the time to act.”
Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe: “The roadmap agreed today should help countries to bridge the gap between what they have committed to do and what is needed to keep temperature rise to safe levels. The EU needs to step up to the mark and make the most use of this opportunity by getting everything set for raising its 2030 climate target. The immediate next step is to put forward a higher climate target through the development of the new 2050 zero-carbon strategy. We need to go much further and faster, as the current snail’s pace of the talks does not match the urgency of climate action nor the speed of the renewable energy transition on the ground.”
Jamie Henn, 350.org Strategy and Communications Director: “There’s one word that needs to define the year ahead: ambition. Year 2018 will be all about accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy for all. Movements will do our part by stopping new fossil fuel projects, ending dirty finance, and getting as many towns, cities, and regions as possible to commit to 100% renewable energy for all.”
Christoph Bals, Policy Director, Germanwatch: “This COP sends a powerful message to the German coalition negotiations: We expect that Germany implements its climate targets for 2020 and 2030. Key issues are a socially acceptable phase out of coal, a transformation of the transportation and agricultural sector. This COP stressed that in the coming three years, rich countries need to do more to meet their existing commitments. Countries also need to step up next year and develop strategies to increase their ambition up to 2030.
“Those are clear tasks for the next German government. We are disappointed in the limited progress this conference has made to address the need for finance to help the most vulnerable people cope with the impacts of climate change that are already unavoidable. Rich countries need also step up to support the poorest and most vulnerable people. The next opportunity is the summit hosted by President Emmanuel Macron of France on 12 December.”
Sanjeev Kumar, Founder, Change Partnership: “Politics didn’t match adequacy at COP23. However, the Talanoa Dialogue is the means by which governments can put science-based commitments alongside their rhetoric on climate change to ensure mutual prosperity and save lives.”
Urszula Stefanowicz, expert at the Polish Climate Coalition: “The Polish Presidency, hosting the next UN climate summit in 2018, has to work in partnership with the current Fijian Presidency to make sure it ends in success and results in all countries committing to higher climate targets. As the host of the next year’s COP24 climate summit, the Polish government cannot allow short-termism and vested interest to guide its stance in the negotiations.”
Eamon O’Hara, Executive Director, ECOLISE: “There are many thousands of grassroots, community-led initiatives on climate action, in Europe and globally, but they feel disconnected from the formal processes and are operating in a kind of policy vacuum. Governments and policy makers need to engage with and support this bottom-up action in order to help inject pace into the entire process.”
Mauro Albrizio, European Affairs Director, Legambiente: “Now it’s time for Europe to walk the talk and start immediately implementing the roadmap. The 2030 climate and energy package is the first opportunity for Europe to show real leadership adopting more ambitious targets for renewables and energy efficiency in coherence with the Paris Agreement. We welcome the Italian proposal to host COP26. It’s a good opportunity to prove with concrete action that Italy and Europe are prepared to lead by example scaling up their ambition at home.”
Giulia Bondi, Climate Justice and Energy Officer, CIDSE: “What we need to solve the current climate crisis is a real transformational change, only achievable through a strong political commitment, including from the EU. Two years after the Paris Agreement, some good progress has been made here at COP23 in advancing in the work programme and with the set-up of the Talanoa Dialogue to design a pathway towards increased ambition. Nonetheless, important questions such as climate finance and loss and damage are still being sidelined and this is alarming as people who are vulnerable to climate change urgently need actions: their very future is at stake.”
Francisco Ferreira, President, ZERO: “The consequences of climate change are dramatic worldwide including Europe, where more vulnerable countries like Portugal are suffering from large forest fires and severe drought. More ambition is required from Europe towards a fast decarbonisation to fulfil the Paris Agreement goals.”
David Howell, SEO/BirdLife: “We knew it already, but COP23 has reconfirmed it: rapid transformational changes in the world economy, especially the economies of the wealthy and developing nations, must begin in the next few years, with commitments and action under way when COP24 begins. With these parties doing more, especially on pre2020 decarbonisation and finance, a clearer path will emerge which will create greater confidence amongst UNFCCC parties. Spain must do its part, and SEO/BirdLife calls on President Rajoy, his Ministers and autonomous governments to go beyond existing 2020 commitments to reduce emissions across the economy, and to achieve this quickly.”
Safa’ Al Jayoussi, Executive Director/ IndyACT: “Concrete steps were taken in this year’s COP23, now we need to move this into action toward pre-2020 ambition on the local and subregional level, especially from the Arab Region were the extreme weather events are hitting very hard with highest temperature has been recorded in multiple locations this year, our region is the most vulnerable yet have the most renewable energy opportunities that are barely tackled yet.”
Sébastien Duyck, Senior Attorney, Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL): “As another COP closes, Parties find themselves with considerable work ahead of them as they only have thirteen months to deliver on the Paris promises by creating a robust, rights-based Paris Rulebook. When in comes to ensuring that climate policies promotes human rights and justice, COP23 saw two significant successes with the adoption of the first ever UNFCCC Gender Action Plan and the operationalisation of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform. While more can be done, these developments are welcome steps forward in integrating gender equality, recognition of and respect for perspective and knowledge of indigenous peoples into climate policies. In 2018, Parties must build on these advances to ensure that the Implementation Guidelines for the Paris Agreement promote people-centred actions.”
Nathaniel Keohane, Vice President for Global Climate, Environmental Defense Fund: “In the same week that we learned global carbon pollution is on the rise again after three flat years, the Trump administration came to Bonn to sell the world on fossil fuels. The good news is that the world wasn’t buying. The story of these climate talks was that however much Donald Trump wants to take us backward on climate change, the rest of the world – and the rest of the U.S. – is intent on moving forward.”
“Trump doesn’t speak for America on climate change – not for the majority of U.S. citizens who support action on climate change, nor for the 2,500 cities, counties, states, businesses and universities that have pledged their support for the Paris Agreement goals.”
Mohamed Adow, International Climate Lead, Christian Aid: “Everyone knows the Paris Agreement pledges alone are not enough to combat climate change – they only get us to a world of three degrees.
“The ratchet mechanism that made the Paris Agreement not just a static document but a living thing that strengthens itself over time, now has a name: The Talanoa Dialogue. That mechanism has now been switched on.
“The Talanoa Dialogue is what makes the Paris Agreement tick and it’s essential that it features prominently at next year’s important summit in Poland.”
Ben Niblett, Senior Campaigner, Tearfund and Renew Our World: “Fiji has led the way with bold leadership. Our hope was for developed countries – those most responsible for global greenhouse gas emissions – to follow this lead, step into Fiji’s canoe and paddle firmly towards the Paris Agreement commitments.
“We have a lot further to go to keep the Paris Agreement promises and protect the world God made and the people who depend on it, particularly on climate finance, clean energy for developing countries, and reducing emssions faster. But there were some encouraging steps at COP23 towards reducing emissions as a group of countries committed to phase out coal.”
Andrew Deutz, Director of International Government Relations, The Nature Conservancy: “‘The conference gets a grade of “meets expectations.’ The negotiators got down to orderly business working out the rules to implement, assess, and advance the Paris Agreement. The processes did not get overly distracted by the U.S. government’s announced withdrawal from the accord. In fact, Chancellor Merkel and President Macron celebrated the energy generated by the leadership of U.S. governors and mayors. Nevertheless, the absence of national U.S. leadership was evident within the negotiating process this week and for driving more ambitious climate action in the future.
“Two years after adopting the Paris Agreement, the global climate policy process is on cruise-control in the race toward a low-carbon, resilient future. We are still headed in the right direction, but since the U.S. took its foot off the accelerator, the pace of climate action has slowed down. It’s time for someone to jump in the driver’s seat and floor it.”
Moussa Elimane Sall, CAN Arab world board member: “The fight against climate change requires more responsibility and more commitment. Our weak action today is already condemning certain peoples, particularly the island. We are at the threshold of the irreversible and the developed countries add another layer of injustice, poverty and precariousness, ‘touching” the most fragile’ first.”
Sanjay Vashist, Director, Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA): “The 23rd Conference of Parties under Fiji presidency has initiated an important driver of ambition through the Talanoa dialogue and we hope developed countries bring enhanced pre-2020 national climate plans to the 2018 conference in Poland. This is a welcome process and sets the correct course for the negotiations as per the equity principle. However, the efforts of developed countries to sabotage any progress on finance for loss and damage while trying to make business out of distress through insurance for millions affected was disappointing.”
Neil Thorns, Director of Advocacy at the aid agency CAFOD: “No one said implementing the Paris Agreement was going to be easy and whilst making some progress, countries have left themselves with plenty to do at next year’s talks in Poland. It was great to see the momentum build immediately behind the phasing out of coal after the joint UK/Canada announcement yesterday, particularly given US attempts to promote coal at these talks, and more of these positive initiatives will be necessary if we are to increase the ambition of the Paris Agreement.
“Ultimately, to build the trust needed now to deliver the Paris agreement, developing countries need to feel assured that richer nations that have caused the problem are going to stump up the cash they’ve promised to help poorer countries cope with climate change. There’s been a sense this year of developed countries hiding behind negotiations on other issues, such as agricultural policy, to avoid reaching the point where money has to be talked about, but developing countries want to see that richer nations are doing more than just expressing sympathy and empathy and instead are putting their money where their mouth is on climate action.”
Robert Hall, President, ECOLISE: “Europe must now demonstrate stronger climate leadership and enhanced ambitions to make the necessary contributions to meet the Paris targets to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Only through involvement of people through community-led actions is it possible to meet targets.”
Karim Elgendy, Carboun: Middle East Sustainable Cities, CAN Arab world board member: “COP 23 has witnessed the emergence of the cities and regions as major players in the climate debate. The shift from negotiations towards implementation that followed the Paris Agreement has shifted the attention towards efforts the ground towards implementation. The engagement of states, cities, and organisation from the United States during this COP, after the federal government’s announcement of its intention to withdraw has supported this transition. In the highly urbanised region of the Middle East and North Africa, cities need to lead the transition towards a low carbon development.”
Nithi Nesadurai, CAN Southeast Asia (CANSEA) Regional Coordinator: “COP23 set the momentum to ramp up ambition through the Tanaloa dialogue but the best results can be only achieved if deep and meaningful emission reductions take place before 2020, especially by the major industrialised countries. Echoing the ASEAN statement on COP23, we urged developed countries to commit finance to loss and damage. However, as a region that’s highly vulnerable to climate impacts, we are disappointed to not see this materialise. The way forward is to ensure climate action at home by pushing for greater nationally determined (NDCs), transitioning away from coal to renewable energy and committing to a low-carbon development pathway within the context of just transition.”
Tomás Insua, Executive Director, Global Catholic Climate Movement: “Solutions to the climate crisis are well within our grasp. Pope Francis has sounded an urgent call to protect our most vulnerable sisters and brothers from the worst ravages of climate change. Here in Bonn, we’ve demonstrated that we can do that. Stepping up to 1.5 degrees means nothing less than truly loving and caring for ‘the least of these.”
Ramiro Fernandez, Climate Change Director, Fundación Avina: “COP23 have shown how non-state actors are already making progress on implementation of their commitments, and Latin American countries, like Argentina or Peru, have also shown serious progress on building the institutional frameworks needed for implementation of their NDC’s. In the era of implementation cities, regions and other non-state actors will play a critical role on the implementation of the Paris Agreement.”
With Sweden’s recent ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol that makes the European nation the 20th country to do so, the pact will now enter into force with effect from January 1, 2019.
EU Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete
The Kigali Amendment, which aims to will bring about a global phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), has now been ratified by 20 nations, including EU members Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Sweden and the UK.
It means the necessary threshold for entry into force of the Amendment, agreed to tackle the rapid growth of emissions of HFCs, which are regarded as powerful greenhouse gases, has been reached.
Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, said: “The Kigali Amendment is proof of the global resolve to tackle climate change and shows what we can achieve when we work together. For Europe, implementation of our commitment will not only help us to meet our climate objectives but will also create new opportunities for European manufacturers of air conditioning and refrigerants.”
The Kigali Amendment was agreed in October 2016 by the 197 Parties to the Montreal Protocol, in order to gradually reduce global production and consumption of HFCs. Developed countries will go first, but developing countries also take on firm reduction commitments in the medium term.
Implementation of the agreement is expected to prevent up to 80 billion tonnes CO2equivalent of emissions by 2050, which will make a significant contribution to the Paris Agreement objective to limit the global temperature rise to well below 2°C.
Further benefits may be achieved by exploiting synergies with energy efficiency in the transition to alternative new technologies. The 30-year-old Montreal Protocol has been highly successful in protecting the Earth’s ozone layer, and the Kigali Amendment will allow it to make a wider and important contribution to global efforts to mitigate climate change.
The EU is leading global efforts to limit emissions of HFCs and other fluorinated greenhouse gases. Its 2014 regulation on fluorinated gases will ensure that the EU can meet its obligations under the Kigali Amendment while also driving innovation in the field.
HFCs are synthetic substances which are mainly used mainly in refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, as well as for propellants in foams. Their global warming effect is up to 15,000 times greater than that of carbon dioxide. The use of HFCs use is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, although the EU’s own emissions recently fell for the first time in almost 15 years.
The 23rd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that came to a close on Friday, November 17, 2017 will be remembered for highlighting climate change impacts on vulnerable nations.
Chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group, Gebru Jember Endalew
Hosted by Fiji but held in Bonn, Germany, the first “island COP” was said to have shone a spotlight on the impacts of climate change on island states and particularly vulnerable countries.
Chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group, Gebru Jember Endalew, said, “As an Ethiopian, I know intimately the pain caused by climate change. My country is in the grip of a severe drought that has put 13 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia at risk of increased food insecurity. At the same time, our friends in South Asia have been drenched by extraordinary monsoon flooding, friends in the Caribbean have been battered by devastating hurricanes, and island states in the pacific are watching their homes disappear before their eyes beneath the water.
“As Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama of Fiji put it, we are all in the same canoe. The impacts may vary, but no country can escape the damage of climate change. This is why we came to COP23 with high expectations for a COP of action and support, with substantive outcomes to achieve the goals set by the international community in Paris.
“The LDCs welcome progress that has been made here at COP23, including the adoption of the Gender Action Plan and the Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ Platform. It is essential that we amplify marginalised voices and recognise the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and indigenous communities around the world. This is crucial for achieving global climate justice and for addressing the multi-faceted threat of climate change.
“Progress was also made on the design of the Talanoa Dialogue to be held in 2018. The Dialogue must lead to an increase in ambition by all countries to put us on track to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“A key priority at COP23 was making significant progress on developing the ‘ruleset’ that will govern how countries implement their Paris Agreement commitments. While the LDC group welcomes the progress made, many areas of work are still lagging behind. This jeopardises our ability to complete the Paris ruleset by our agreed deadline at the end of 2018. We must urgently put pen to paper to properly finalise the ruleset in a thoughtful and considered manner, without a last-minute rush.
“We also need to rapidly translate work done in the negotiating rooms into tangible action on the ground. This calls for ambitious climate action by all countries through strengthening and implementing national contributions, managing the decline of fossil fuels, and promoting renewable energy. The LDCs are committed to leading on ambitious climate action in our countries – a key example is the LDC Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Initiative, an LDC-owned and driven initiative to bring universal access to clean energy in the world’s poorest countries.
“Tackling climate change also requires support for adaptation and loss and damage action in poor and particularly vulnerable countries. The LDC Group thanks Germany, Sweden and Belgium for the contributions to the Adaptation Fund and Least Developed Countries Fund. We hope to see other countries following suit and rapidly accelerating their finance pledges to meet the scale of support needed by developing countries to fill the ever-widening finance gap.
“In particular, the need to adapt to, and address the irreversible loss and damage arising from, climate change is a matter of urgency for LDCs. The scale of loss and damage that LDCs are experiencing is already beyond our capacity to respond and it will only get worse, with more lives lost, more destruction to infrastructure and a bigger impact on our economies. We will not be able to raise our people out of poverty if we do not effectively address loss and damage and for that we need support.
“The LDCs call for a global response to climate change that is fair and equitable, that advances the interests and aspirations of poor and vulnerable countries and peoples, and fulfils our Paris vision of limiting warming to below 1.5°C to ensure a safe and prosperous future for all.”
The Adamawa State Government has paid N20 million counterpart fund for the implementation of the FADAMA III Second Additional Financing (AFII) programme to fast-track efforts to restore people’s livelihoods in the state.
Governor Bindo Umaru Jibrilla of Adamawa State
Mr Mohammed Bello, the State Project Coordinator of FADAMA, made this known on Friday in Yola, while presenting a report to the FADAMA mission team led by Dr Ben Herbert.
Bello said that the FADAMA III (AFII) project, also known as North East Security and Livelihood Emergency Support Project, was initiated to respond to the food and livelihood needs of families who were hitherto displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.
He noted that the feats recorded in the project encouraged the state government to pay the counterpart fund.
“The scope and scale up of Fadama III (AFII) project activities in the six northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe is aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the project.
“Adamawa is one of the participating states and it is expected that over 4,000 households in the state would have been supported by the end of the project.
“FADAMA III (AFII) project covers all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
“From the 4,000 supported households, 2,240 persons were returnees and 1,760 persons were from the host communities, while the project also engaged 20 facilitators across the state,’’ he said.
He said that the FADAMA III (AFII) project had built the capacity of the beneficiaries and provided advisory services for them.
“With regard to crop production, 2,331 households were supported under the project, which also supported fisheries.
“The inputs distribution pattern showed that 12,950 kilogrammes of rice varieties like Faro 44 variety were distributed, while 207 hectares of rice farmlands were cultivated.
“Other crops that were distributed include maize, sorghum, groundnut and onion, while fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides, among other inputs, were also dispensed.
“Advisory services were given to 4,000 household beneficiaries across the state, with 2,331 beneficiaries in the crop sub-sector and 1,669 in the livestock sub-sector,’’ he said.
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has decried the poor state of facilities in public health institutions in the country.
National Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr Mike Ogirima
Prof. Mike Ogirima, President of the association, who said this on Friday, November 17, 2017 during a board meeting of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), urged the authorities to as a matter of urgency address the problem.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was hosted by NMA in Abuja.
Ogirima decried a situation whereby health personnel trained in the country migrate to other countries, while the few left to manage the industry at home become overburdened.
According to him, some of the few personnel managing the industry are dying prematurely due to a combination of factors such as fatigue, poor working environment and obsolete equipment among others.
“Very soon, we shall come up with the doctors’ rights in accordance with our new Physicians pledge paragraph 11, which states that a doctor must take care of his welfare before he or she considers extending such care to patients.
“Government must adhere to doctors rights accordingly,’’ Ogirima said.
Speaking on better working conditions for other health professionals in health institutions, the president urged them to always adopt dialogue, instead of radical attack on doctors.
According to him, they should avoid seeking redress from the courts as well as the National Assembly.
He further urged them to make patients the centre of their practice and minimise rivalry, envy and quest for harmonised remunerations.
Ogirima, however, urged government to jointly liaise with all health professionals on issues bothering on remuneration uniformly.
“When there is a gang up of everyone in a particular of a health institution under the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) against the pay of doctors, the patients are most often neglected.
“Litigations are increasing because the patients are now aware of their rights and only the doctors are called as witnesses as to what went wrong with the patient brought to the hospital,” he said.
On the relevance of APBN, Ogirima said the government was yet to harness the enormous potential and immense professional treasures inherent in the association.
A programme on how agroforestry can be part of the solution to climate change has been published in a policy brief by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).
Elsa Galarza, Peru’s Minister of Environment
The programme, launched at a side event at COP23 in Bonn on Wednesday, November 15, 2017 highlights how Agroforestry projects can propel achievement of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of different countries.
Organised by the government of Peru and the World Agroforestry Centre, the event focused on the Peru’s experience in multi-sectoral process to the NDC implementation.
The Peru government is leading a multi-stakeholder process through a multi-sectorial working group, comprising 13 ministries and the Centre of Strategic Planning to meet NDC and sustainable development objectives. Agroforestry is a potential action being explored, says Elsa Galarza, Peru’s Minister of Environment.
“Agroforestry has the potential to help governments better achieve their NDCs like the case of Peru,” Galarza said.
Officials of the World Agroforestry Centre, says the new policy brief, draw from Peru’s experience, seeking to explore the degree to which agroforestry is represented in current NDCs ambitions, how its application is envisaged and contribution enhanced in other countries.
“The programme is geared at better promoting coordinated climate action and helping governments to promote institutional arrangements for implementation of NDCs via Agroforestry projects,” notes Dr Peter Minang, Leader, Landscapes Governance Theme, World Agroforestry Centre.
According to the policy brief, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) have emerged as the main tool for defining, communicating and potentially reporting party contributions to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
“Agroforestry has been identified as a key part of most developing country NDCs, hence it is a potentially important contributor to global climate objectives,” the brief stated.
The NDCs align accordingly with relevant national policies as equal priority is given to balancing environmental integrity and development goals in order to ensure implementation of commitments, while transitioning to low emissions and to building climate resilience.
Parity is then sought between adaptation and mitigation objectives.
It also represents a process of prioritisation in which countries consider options and possible scope for contributing to global climate mitigation objectives and increasingly, adaptation objectives beyond 2020.
NDCs cover most of the possible emission reduction pathways and sectors from energy, transport, industry, through land use and land use changes including agriculture and forestry among others.
Depending on the circumstances, mainly the sources of emissions and opportunities for emission reduction and resources, countries choose and prioritize different sectors Dr Minang says.
The policy brief by ICRAF highlights that, “agroforestry is one of the land uses with most potential to fulfill commitments set out in NDCs and reduce emissions from agriculture”.
Estimates of its potential to sequester vary widely, between 1.1–34.2 Pg C1 globally. Over 85% of the 22 NDCs assessed mentioned agroforestry as a strategy for achieving unconditional NDCs commitments.
Data from the brief shows that by converting 25% of deforested areas to agroforestry, about 80% of the non-annex I countries could achieve their unconditional commitments.
The widespread use of agroforestry (about one billion hectares) and the familiarity of smallholder farmers and local practitioners makes it a potential low-hanging fruit for achieving NDCs commitments, emission reduction in agriculture and resilience.
The policy report however cautions that challenges to the smooth contribution of Agroforestry need to be addressed well in advance.
“However, there are financial, policy and technology challenges that should be addressed including land and tree tenure and carbon rights in some countries, potential impacts of climate change on the growing niches of tree species, and limited sources of quality germplasm,” the report noted.
The Government of Sweden announced on Thursday, November 16, 2017 that it would provide additional funds of kr185 million (Swedish Kroner) each to the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the GEF Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF). Also, Belgium has decided to make available an additional grant of €7 million to the LDCF, while the Wallonia region of southern Belgium announced €3.25 million to the fund.
Global Environment Facility (GEF) CEO and Chairperson, Naoko Ishii, at COP23
On the opening day of COP23, the German government announced €100 million to support developing countries in climate change adaptation, including 50 million each to the LDCF and AF. Italy and Ireland also announced financial contributions to the Adaptation Fund.
Welcoming the new financial support for the most vulnerable countries announced here at the UN Climate Conference in Bonn (COP23), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) CEO and Chairperson, Naoko Ishii, said: “It’s the poorest and most vulnerable countries and communities that suffer the most. I want to thank the governments of Germany, Sweden, Italy, Ireland, Belgium and the region of Wallonia, for their support and commitment to help those most impacted build resilience.”
Least developed countries (LDCs) are the most vulnerable to climate change, yet the least able to adapt. In many cases, they lack the technical, financial and institutional capacity to identify the best ways to build resilience. That’s why the UNFCCC decided to establish the LDCF in 2001. To date, the LDCF has supported more than 250 projects in 51 countries.
Naoko Ishii was speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Adaptation Fund being celebrated in Bonn on Thursday.
Since it was established, the Adaptation Fund has grown to commit $462 million to 70 concrete, localised projects that help the most vulnerable communities in developing countries adapt to climate change, while serving nearly 5.5 million direct beneficiaries around the world.
On Monday, the GEF announced $1 million in support of a first of its kind climate resilience investment fund. The fund will boost adaptation efforts in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries. And, for the first time, private investors will have the opportunity to get their return by investing in a fund that exclusively focuses on resilience-related companies
As negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn and the exploratory talks in Berlin on forming a new government are being concluded, Ottmar Edenhofer, Chief Economist of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research (PIK) and Director of the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC), emphasises that the world must get out of coal, and reform emissions trading and energy taxes
Ottmar Edenhofer, Chief Economist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
The world is in a coal trap – and the UN Climate Change Conference has not changed that. The coal trap looks like this: from one side we are being pressurised by the sheer mass of available coal which is cheap in price, but the world will have to pay for it dearly in terms of climate risks, health threats and damages to our economies. Because from the other side, the emissions of this dirtiest of all fuels are pushing onto us. Humankind must free itself from this coal trap if it wants to limit the costs of climate change.
Three things can help: first, the dialogue process launched at the conference and referred to as Talanoa in Fiji must not only aim to improve greenhouse gas reduction targets, but bring forward tangible policies to achieve these targets. Secondly, we need effective pricing of CO2 worldwide; pioneers such as the EU must start with a minimum price in 2018. Thirdly, Germany should change its energy taxation in a socially responsible manner during this parliamentary term of the Bundestag. Currently, clean electricity and gas which is at least not that climate-damaging are being taxed at a higher rate than dirty lignite, which is absurd from the perspective of economic research.
The results of coalition talks must be measured against this – we simply have to get out of coal, we need to reform emissions trading and energy taxes. In the end, this is what serves our economy best. Rebuilding our energy system offers enormous opportunities for modernisation. From power generation from sun and wind, to smarter power grids and storage, to households, it’s all about the digitalisation that has been called for by so many.
An event showcasing initiatives to support measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) and the transparency of action and support was held on Monday, November 13, 2017, during the 23rd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn, Germany.
COP23 High Level Segment family photo
The expert panel – the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the UNDP/UN Environment Global Support Programme (GSP), and the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT-UNEP-DTU) – presented support initiatives focused on the enhancement of developing countries’ national capacity to effectively participate in the existing MRV arrangements under the Convention, as well as their preparations to implement the modalities, procedures and guidelines of the transparency framework under the Paris Agreement. A representative from the National Council for Climate Change and the Clean Development Mechanism of the Dominican Republic also provided their experience and lessons learned in mobilising and accessing necessary support in a timely manner.
The event was moderated by the UNFCCC secretariat. It was well-attended and generated interest and views from the audience during an interactive Question and Answer session.
Overall, the panel discussion reinforced the idea that effective participation in the current MRV arrangements under the Convention and transparency framework under the Paris Agreement requires long-term efforts for capacity-building support in developing countries and a systemic approach to build robust and sustainable national MRV systems. The panelists highlighted the need to ensure that the information prepared and submitted in national reports is relevant to national development process by informing relevant policies, plans and thus gaining political buy-in at national level. The degree to which support opportunities are effectively utilised can be enhanced by a high degree of political commitment from policy-makers and government officials.
The representatives of support providers outlined their initiatives available to developing countries to strengthen or establish national MRV systems. The financial, technical and capacity-building support has been provided in areas of, inter alia, developing legal frameworks and instruments; enhancing or consolidating existing institutional arrangements; improving data collection and management; and producing high quality national communications and biennial update reports (also known as BURs).
The Dominican Republic shared their experience and lessons learned in conducting a technical, institutional and legal analysis to examine the current situation and identify the gaps in regards to the main elements that make up a national MRV/Transparency System that is compatible with national data management practices as well as with reporting requirements to the UNFCCC. Their aim is to produce a mapping of existing relevant institutions that will play a role in the institutional arrangement to implement the MRV system; and to create a road map detailing the activities that need to be implemented for obtaining reliable and regular information on GHG emissions and reductions.
The interactive discussion with the audience led to an emphasis on the need for developing countries to encapsulate the knowledge and experience gained from the MRV process, as well as showcase their efforts and progress made.
