Delegates at the Bonn Climate Change Conference wrapped up the last meeting of the technical dialogue of the first global stocktake this week – laying the ground for more ambitious climate action.
“This is a critical year for climate action,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell in an address to the dialogue. “The global stocktake at COP28 must be the turning point where we get on track to limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.”
The global stocktake is a biennial meeting that allows countries and stakeholders to assess the extent of collective progress in achieving the objectives outlined in the Paris Climate Change Agreement, as well as identify areas where progress has been lacking.
This comprehensive evaluation encompasses all aspects of global climate action and support, aiming to identify existing gaps and collaboratively devise more effective strategies to expedite climate action. By analyzing the current state of affairs, the global stocktake enables collective efforts to chart an improved trajectory towards accelerating climate action.
“The global stocktake is one of the most consequential processes that we are collectively engaged in this year,” said Nabeel Munir, Chair of the UNFCCC’s Subsidiary Body for Implementation. “The third and final meeting of the technical dialogue marks the end of the technical assessment phase of the first global stocktake. What you have been doing collectively is not only groundbreaking but also path-setting.”
During the Bonn Climate Conference, government delegates, observers, and experts actively engaged in the concluding phase of the global stocktake through a series of roundtables and events held over a span of six days.
The participants focused their discussions on devising strategies to expedite collective advancements in various areas, including mitigation efforts, response measures, adaptation strategies encompassing loss and damage, as well as means of implementation such as climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building. Additionally, they presented practical instances of climate action taking place within their respective countries or organizations, serving as real-world examples to inspire and inform others.
“This technical dialogue has provided us with an important opportunity to bring forward options and tangible ways on how we can enhance our commitments and accelerate implementation at all levels,” said Harry Vreuls, Chair of the UNFCCC’s Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice.
Numerous attendees emphasized the imperative for heightened ambition and highlighted the urgency of implementing climate actions, considering both equity and the most up-to-date scientific knowledge. Additionally, participants stressed the pressing requirement for rapid and extensive measures in adaptation actions and the allocation of financial resources for adaptation. While acknowledging the progress made and the substantial ongoing domestic investments aimed at bolstering resilience, they underscored the critical need for scalability and swiftness in these adaptation efforts.
“It is clear that we already have a deep and broad technical understanding of what it will take to course correct, and to rise to the challenges that are standing in the way of addressing the ambition and implementation gaps before us – across all topics,” said Farhan Akhtar, co-facilitator of the technical dialogue of the first global stocktake.
Despite progress in recent years, the world is not on track to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.
As per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations, there is a requirement to reduce global emissions by approximately half by the year 2030 in order to constrain the rise in global temperatures to 1.5°C. Furthermore, it is crucial to implement transformative adaptation measures to assist communities and ecosystems in managing the existing and projected intensification of climate impacts.
In March this year, the IPCC published its latest Synthesis Report, which summarizes all the scientific reports it has published during its sixth assessment cycle. The report highlighted just how far off-track the world is.
Speaking at the stocktake’s meeting in Bonn last week, IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee said it’s important to note that the report also contains a message of hope.
“The report stresses that urgent climate action can secure a livable future for all,” said Lee. “The report points to multiple, feasible and effective options across all sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human caused climate change. And those options for change are already available.”
What happens next?
The co-facilitators of the technical dialogue will produce a summary report for the final technical dialogue, to be released in August. They will also publish a synthesis report in early September, highlighting the main findings from all three dialogue meetings. This report will provide technical information, good practices, and lessons learned to guide Parties and non-Party stakeholders in aligning their actions and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
The first stocktake will culminate at COP28, where the results of the technical assessment will be presented and discussed. Throughout the first week of COP28, the High-Level Committee of the stocktake will organize a series of high-level events. The committee will then summarize these events in a set of key political messages and recommendations. These messages and recommendations will inform Parties as they develop a decision on the outcomes of the global stocktake.
