By Yemi Olakitan
A crucial technical assessment on the worldwide stocktake that was released on Friday, September 8, 2023 shows that there are numerous innovative and doable solutions to problems that are ready to be implemented, according to reports.
The Paris Agreement called for the global stocktake to evaluate the world’s response to the climate problem and map out a better course of action. Every five years, a worldwide stocktake is conducted with the goal of informing the 2025 deadline for the next round of nationally decided contributions.
A data collection phase for the global stocktake began in 2021, including a variety of contributions from Parties, international organisations, and non-Party stakeholders. Three meetings in 2022 and 2023 were used to conduct a technical conversation, which was presided over by co-facilitators Farhan Akhtar and Harald Winkler, who were chosen by developed and developing nations, respectively.
The technical debate included a wide range of topics, including loss and damage, mitigation, adaptation, and support, as well as reaction strategies. Ambition and equity, which were all based on the greatest available science, cut across all of these areas.
The latest research from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other knowledge sources were consulted, and a wide range of experts and non-Party Stakeholders from various backgrounds participated in the technical conversations. It became abundantly obvious during the meetings that the Paris Agreement had spurred widespread action that had dramatically lowered predictions of future warming. This worldwide inventory is taking place at a pivotal time to spur additional international action in response to the climate issue, according to Akhtar.
17 important technical conclusions from the sessions are summarised in the technical dialogue’s synthesis report. The study makes it obvious that there has been progress across all topics, but much more needs to be done. Even though there are gaps that are well-known, the technical findings showed both existing and new opportunities as well as inventive ways to close these gaps. In every area, there are recommendations for improving implementation, action, and support.
The report presents a solid scientific and technological foundation for the conclusion of the first global stocktake at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
In total, over 170,000 pages of written submissions from non-Party stakeholders were received. Over the course of the technical dialogue’s three meetings, we held meetings and discussions for more than 252 hours in plenary sessions, roundtable discussions, and world café settings. In order to achieve the long-term objectives of the Paris Agreement, much more is required right away on all fronts and by all actors, as the report’s technical results demonstrate, according to Winkler.
A number of high-level events will be conducted to examine the ramifications of these technical findings during this last phase, which is the consideration of results. These conversations will help to shape a decision and/or declaration that summarises the important political messages, identifies possibilities, best practises, and obstacles to improve climate action and support.
According to COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, “This global stocktake report provides clear direction on how we can meet the expectations of the Paris Agreement by taking decisive action in this critical decade.”
“We must act with ‘ambition and urgency’ to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030 in order to keep 1.5 within reach. To address these issues, the COP28 Presidency has proposed an ambitious action plan that focuses on accelerating a fair and well-managed energy transition that leaves no one behind, correcting climate finance, emphasising the lives and livelihoods of people, and supporting everything with complete inclusivity. In order to get from ambition to action and from rhetoric to actual outcomes, we urgently need to disrupt business as usual. Al Jaber continued, “I believe we can accomplish all of this while generating sustainable economic growth for our people.
“I urge governments to carefully study the report’s findings and ultimately understand what it means for them and the ambitious action they must take next,” said Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change. The same is true for organisations, groups, and other important stakeholders. The global stocktake is a crucial time for greater ambition and quicker action, even though the catalytic function of the Paris Agreement and the multilateral process will remain crucial in the upcoming years.
Al Jaber continued, “I’m urging governmental and business sector leaders to arrive at COP28 with concrete promises to combat climate change. Both the supply side and demand side of the energy system must be rapidly decarbonized at the same time.
“By 2030, we need to triple our use of renewable energy, commercialise alternative low-carbon energy sources like hydrogen, and expand the usage of a fossil fuel-free energy system while reducing the emissions from the current energy sources. We must maintain carbon sinks, improve ecosystems, and change the food systems that are responsible for one-third of emissions. Additionally, the century-old international financial system needs to undergo major overhaul.”