Negotiations on a rulebook for the Agreement lurch toward their final act despite developed countries refusing to engage on key issues like climate finance

Nearly 2 ½ years after opening, negotiations on the rulebook for the Paris Agreement enter their final stage as countries agreed a process to condense a 300-page draft into text that can be negotiated later this year in Katowice, Poland.

“We have fortunately avoided scuppering the ship,” said Mohamed Adow, Christian Aid’s International Climate Lead. “Governments have empowered the Co-Chairs to turn the progress made so far into a more solid basis for negotiations in Poland. It is now vital for the Co-Chairs to change the course of the negotiations away from diplomatic doldrums towards a win-win approach and craft middle ground options that the whole world can get on board with at COP24.”

The Co-Chairs will have to remain transparent in their process, ensure an even-handed treatment of the options on the table, and refrain from inserting new language in order to avoid a mutiny later this year. However, larger concerns remain over the role of one country – and one man in particular – in frustrating progress.

“Under Trump the U.S. has set about renegotiating the Paris Agreement to escape its historical responsibility and get better deal for the Big Polluters it serves” saidCorporate Accountability’s media director, Jesse Bragg. “Led by the U.S., developed countries are trying to strip equity from Paris and force false solutions into the heart of the Agreement. But this type of obstruction is nothing new – the U.S. has long watered-down multilateral agreements before walking away all together. If we’re to get what the world needs from Paris, we cannot allow Trump to hold this Agreement hostage.”

Particularly frustrating for developing countries and civil society alike was an apparent refusal by developed countries, led by the U.S., to engage constructively on key discussions about finance issues such as their communication of up-front information, the process to establish a new long-term finance goal, and the replenishment of the Green Climate Fund.

Lidy Nacpil, Coordinator at the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development, warned, “the U.S.’ cancellation of $2 billion of its $3 billion pledge to the Green Climate Fund and obstruction of the Fund’s replenishment – these acts are not only denial of its responsibility for the climate crisis. These acts will bring further harm to our people and communities.”

“The U.S. has announced its withdrawal from the Paris Agreement but still negotiates as if it is a Party, weakening international cooperation by not contributing to finance and technology transfer to developing countries,” said Meena Raman, legal advisor at Third World Network.

“After contributing the most to cause the climate crisis, the U.S. now expects developing countries to clean up the mess with no help whatsoever. This Just Do It Yourself attitude risks infecting the entire process and will hinder the much-needed implementation of the Paris Agreement.”

Harjeet Singh, ActionAid’s Global Lead on Climate Change added, “The Paris Agreement is on the brink. Developed countries are going back on their word and refusing to agree clear rules governing climate finance. If they remain stuck in their positions and fail to loosen their purses, this treaty may collapse.

“We have a mountain to climb before the next climate summit this December. Finance ministers must now step in and deliver on the promises made in Paris.”

“The U.S.’ siren call appears to be working, big polluting countries are falling in behind.” said Rachel Kennerley, International Climate Campaigner at Friends of the Earth England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. “Now Australia is openly talking of scrapping its already weak climate plan and withdrawing from the Paris Agreement. And other low-ambition countries including the U.K. are hiding in the U.S.’ shadow even while claiming to be climate leaders.”

“To be a real climate leader the U.K. and other developed countries need to provide real climate finance and phase out fossil fuels as soon as possible.”

The Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), an NGO, has called on aspirants vying for political offices to include issues of climate change in their manifestoes.

The Executive Director of GIFSEP, Mr David Michael, made the call at the Abuja Climate Summit Walk in Abuja on Saturday, September 8, 2018.

GIFSEP, in partnership with 350 Africa, Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and other relevant NGOs, organised the walk to sensitise Nigerians on the need to protect the planet.

Michael said that his organisation had observed that many aspirants were yet to include the issues of climate change in their programmes.

‘‘This is something that affects our health and the food we are eating, as well as our existence as human beings.

‘‘That is why we are walking to sensitise Nigerians to know that climate change is a real threat to us and the future generations.

‘‘It is a problem that affects all of us without discrimination, although some people and places are more vulnerable to climate change than others.

‘‘That is why people need to drive actions against climate change and send a clear message to the government for it to respond to the will of the people,’’ he said.

Mrs Ibironke Olubamise, the National Coordinator, Global Environmental Facility Small Grant Programme (GEF-SGP), urged Nigerians to support ongoing efforts to address effects of climate change.

Olubamise, who said individual efforts were imperative in this regard, urged the people not to abuse food and water consumption.

“If you waste and throw away food, you are contributing to the climate change, and if you are wasting water endlessly, you are contributing to climate change because all these have negative effects on the climate,’’ she said.

By Deji Abdulwahab

Hundreds of thousands of people are demonstrating over the weekend against political inaction on climate change even as negotiations carry on laying the groundwork for COP24

With a day to go until the Bangkok climate talks wrap up on Sunday, September 9, 2018, the glaring void of finance is staring the world in the face and threatens to erode trust in the negotiations. Some progress has been made on efforts to trim down the bulky rulebook text into a clear outline with options, but progress has been uneven.

The weekend more than 820 actions, involving hundreds and thousands of demonstrators, have been planned in 91 countries under the Rise for Climate movement even as discussions carry on in the negotiating rooms to lay the groundwork for COP24.

Committing to predictable, transparent and sustainable finance with real money for real action underpins trust in the Paris regime and is critical for averting a crisis in the months ahead. The European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Canada and Japan must step out from the shadow of the United States and match actions with words. Support to fully implement conditional aspects of the nationally determined contributions is an integral part of the Paris Agreement and the solution to strengthen overall ambition from all countries.

Discussions on the Global Stocktake, compliance and transparency made promising headways but developed countries must realise that without movement on finance success at COP24 will be at stake. Negotiators must feel the heat to untangle the technical issues in the next two days and provide clarity of options, so ministers can’t hide behind technical complexities when they arrive in Poland for final discussions. They must feel the pressure to come good on supporting common sense rules and processes that enable predictable, transparent and impactful finance.

Brandon Wu, ActionAid USA Director of Policy & Campaigns, said: “So far in Bangkok, it looks like rich countries are making a concerted effort to avoid any conversations that would ensure they live up to their existing obligations for providing climate finance. Of course, the US is setting a bad example, but what’s especially troubling is that other governments from the EU and Norway are hiding behind the US rather than providing any real leadership. Developed countries do not seem to be negotiating in good faith, which is jeopardizing the negotiations as a whole. This not only puts a huge question mark over the possibility of achieving the goal of the Paris Agreement, but also puts the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities around the world at risk.”

“There are two things needed for the Paris Agreement to prove effective, one is a robust rulebook to translate the accord’s pledges into action, the other is finance to help poor countries deliver their national emission reduction plans and adapt to a changed climate.  In Bangkok rich countries like the UK and Canada are trying to avoid the finance element which is in danger of paralysing negotiations. It’s vital that these nations stop dancing to the tune of Donald Trump which will only result in damage to the negotiations and tragedy for the world’s poorest people,” Mohamed Adow, Christian Aid’s International Climate Lead, said.

Civil society organisations have called on Polish Presidency to lead diplomatic efforts ahead of Katowice and work towards a comprehensive COP24 package that includes a strong rulebook and a meaningful outcome on the Talanoa Dialogue with stronger climate targets by 2020 that is informed by the IPCC 1.5C Report. The report, which is due in a month, will be a klaxon on the growing urgency of the climate crisis.