Rulebook finalised for countries to pursue climate change deal

UN CLIMATE negotiations drew to a close at the weekend, with parties adopting a set of guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Conservation International Climate Change Lead Shyla Raghav said one of the biggest developments at this year’s talks was the realisation that parties have to move beyond action on energy, industry and transport to include the land sector, where business also has a big role to play.

“We’ve heard about how we need to scale up action in the forests, food, and land sectors, and on how restoring ecosystems is an economic way of taking CO² out of the atmosphere. How do we finance the transition on energy and ecosystems? We will be talking about this for a long time to come, but finalising the rulebook is an important step forward,” Raghav said.

World Resources Institute research analyst Andrew Wu said countries cannot overlook land use, a sector which accounts for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. “There is now a common framework, supported by COP, to help countries measure land use emissions. All countries must adopt this and incorporate natural climate solutions in their NDCs, to keep global warming below 2ºC.”

Least Developed Countries Group chair Gebru Jember Endalew said parts of the package could and should have been stronger, but the implementation guidelines adopted provide a strong basis. “The next step is for countries to take urgent, ambitious action to fulfil their Paris Agreement commitments.

“This year it has been made very clear that no country is immune to the impacts of climate change, but it is the nearly 1 billion people living in the 47 least developed countries who are often hit the hardest, suffer the most, and have the least capacity to cope.”

Parties need to revise and enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions before 2020. Current pledges will not be nearly enough to limit warming to 1.5°C, Endalew said.

To achieve the visions and the goals of the Paris Agreement, countries must commit to greater levels of climate action and support, and follow through on those commitments.

“It was beyond disappointing that all countries were not able to welcome the IPCC report on 1.5°C here in Katowice. We cannot ignore its findings, and we absolutely must not ignore its recommendations. We must – and, importantly, we can – limit warming to 1.5°C, and that means making transformative changes across all aspects of society. The world’s 47 Least Developed Countries wholeheartedly and unequivocally welcome the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C.”

To avert the devastating loss and damage of 1.5°C warming, all countries, particularly those most responsible for causing this crisis and have the greatest capacity to respond, must urgently cut emissions and provide the climate finance needed to poor countries that are still developing, he said. “This is a matter of survival. “Levels of climate finance must meet the actual costs for our countries to adapt and address the impacts of climate change, to protect people and our communities. Our countries also have ambitious plans to tackle climate change and develop sustainably, but we currently lack the resources.

“In 2019, it will be critical that parties carry forward the momentum from the Talanoa Dialogue. The climate summit in 2019 will be an important platform for countries to commit to stronger, fairer, faster action.”

The nearly 1 billion people in the 47 least developed countries are often hit hardest and suffer most

Gebru Jember Endalew

Least Developed Countries Group chair