By Faridat Salifu
The UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, has urged nations to deploy bold actions in the development of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0).
Stiell gave the advise on Monday in Bonn, Germany, while giving his opening remarks at the opening of the 60th Subsidiary Bodies of the UN Climate meetings.
Stiell stressed the importance of closing the implementation gap and building on past achievements to drive meaningful progress in combating climate change.
Speaking on the importance of finance in enabling climate action, Stiell urged for progress in establishing a new collective quantified goal on finance, emphasizing the need for climate finance to be coupled with global financial reforms.
He also highlighted the importance of advancing carbon markets through progress on Article 6.
Stiell underscored the significance of NDCs 3.0 as powerful tools for driving economic and societal advancement while enhancing resilience and addressing climate impacts.
He called for broader coverage of economies, greenhouse gases, and alignment with the 1.5-degree goal, emphasizing the importance of ensuring benefits reach all, especially vulnerable communities.
On transparency, Stiell urged parties to submit their first Biennial Transparency reports, highlighting their role in building an evidence base for ambition and signalling opportunities to donors and investors.
He emphasized the UN’s commitment to providing support and capacity building to improve reporting over time.
Stiell also emphasized the importance of adaptation, stressing the need for every party to have a National Adaptation Plan covering all sectors of the economy and society.
He called for increased efforts to expand the number of countries with adaptation plans by 2025 and to make progress on implementation by 2030.
Highlighting the role of civil society in ensuring inclusiveness and holding parties accountable, Stiell emphasized the need for gender equality to be integrated with climate action for transformative impact.
He urged parties to overcome obstacles and maintain momentum in global climate action, emphasizing the need for trust, respect, and collaboration to address the challenges ahead.