The Road to the UAE COP 28

The Sustainability Pavilion - COP 28

Introduction. After COP 27, we provided Parties with the following questions to focus the discussion: 

• In your assessment, what are the three most impactful outcomes from COP 27? What additional work is needed this year to ensure implementation of those outcomes?

• What are, in your view, the three most important deliverables for COP 28? Are there any challenges to their successful delivery at COP 28? If yes, what is needed in 2023 to overcome these challenges? How can the Presidency, the incoming Presidency or the Chairs of the Subsidiary Bodies help? 

We were very encouraged by many constructive views and reflections in response to these questions. This signals that Parties are keen to work towards ambitious outcomes at COP 28 which would respond to the urgency of climate action required in this critical decade and move forward towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, including by keeping 1.5oC within reach. We were also very heartened to hear sentiments of support and confidence in the current and incoming Presidencies as well as in the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies to guide the work this year. Reflecting on COP 27 Parties noted that in spite of the challenging geo-political context, COP 27 marked the shift to implementation of the Paris Agreement and resulted in several important outcomes supporting this new phase. Many Parties highlighted the major breakthrough of the establishment of funding arrangements and a fund to address loss and damage, and an agreement on the associated Transitional Committee, as a significant outcome. Many Parties urged the constituencies that had not already submitted their nominations to the Committee to do so as soon as possible to allow the Committee to start its very important work. Parties also noted a number of other key outcomes of COP 27 including: the establishment of institutional arrangements for the Santiago network on loss and damage to enable its full operationalization, the launch of the mitigation work programme, the establishment of a work programme on just transition, and the agreement on a dialogue on Article 2.1.c of the Paris Agreement. Some interventions highlighted also the call for climate-sensitive reform by MDBs and IFIs, and the new Sharm el-Sheikh joint work on implementation of climate action on agriculture and food security. 

The COP27 Presidency thanked the Ministers and delegations for their continuous and constructive engagement on the road to Sharm El Sheikh and during COP27 in a manner that allowed the Parties to agree on the Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan and other key outcomes despite the difficult global situation during 2022. 2 Looking ahead to COP 28 Parties emphasized the importance of strong leadership and political engagement for COP 28 to deliver the ambitious outcomes required to achieve the goals and objectives of the Convention and the Paris Agreement, and expressed their full confidence in the Incoming COP 28 Presidency to lead the process, building on the solid foundation laid by previous Presidencies including most recently the COP 27 Presidency. 

Parties also reiterated the importance of ensuring a transparent and inclusive process, guided by the principles and provisions of the Convention and its Paris Agreement, in particular the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, and commended the convening of this early consultation. Parties encouraged us to continue convening such informal engagements throughout the year to provide a space to exchange views and promote common understanding on critical issues ahead of COP 28. Some Parties noted that implementing existing commitments and pledges would help to strengthen trust and confidence in the process which would pave the way towards ambitious outcomes at COP 28. The Incoming Presidency reassured Parties of their commitment to delivering an inclusive COP that catalyzes action and delivers solutions which put the global community on a pathway to 2030 that aligns with the Paris Agreement goals, including the pursuit to keep the 1.5oC within reach. 

In sharing their views on the work needed in 2023 to deliver ambitious outcomes at COP 28, Parties highlighted the following: The global stocktake: Parties emphasized that the global stocktake (GST) should result in a robust outcome, fully endorsed by all Parties, that catalyzes and enables greater ambition across all elements of the Paris Agreement. The outcome should be balanced across all areas of climate action and support and create momentum towards achieving the Paris temperature goal and keep the 1.5Cwithin reach, through aligned nationally determined contributions (NDCs) at the highest political level. Some Parties highlighted the need for the GST to take into account pre-2020 gaps, while other Parties recognized the GST as an opportunity to focus the work on the effort needed in this decade and beyond. Parties called for a party-driven, transparent and inclusive process based on CBDR, equity and the best available science. 

Loss and Damage: Many Parties highlighted the importance of operationalizing the loss and damage funding arrangements and fund at COP 28. While some Parties were of the view that funding for the loss and damage fund needs to be designated as an operating entity under the Financial Mechanism of the Convention that ensures new, additional and predictable public funding, other Parties suggested that the fund should be part of a more comprehensive arrangement that includes funds, institutions and processes within and outside the UNFCCC framework. Parties recognized the need to select the host organization for the Santiago Network, constitute the advisory body and operationalize the secretariat in 2023. 

Adaptation: Parties highlighted the need to finalize a credible, robust and implementable GGA framework at COP 28. Some Parties indicated that the framework should take into account country priorities and needs and should include a strong linkage with the provision of finance and other means of implementation by developed countries to support the formulation and implementation NAPs and other adaptation commitments by developing countries. Some Parties also suggested that 3 the framework could include science-based indicators, targets and metrics and explore synergies between different adaptation-related activities under the Paris Agreement. Several Parties pointed to the direct relevance of tracking and implementing the commitment to double adaptation finance by 2025. 

Finance: Parties highlighted the massively growing gap between the needs of developing country Parties and the current scale, sufficiency and access of climate finance, and reiterated that the provision of finance is an important enabler to increase ambition in action. In this regard, they emphasized the need for developed countries to deliver the USD 100 billion per year and to double adaptation finance by 2025. Developed countries that had not yet submitted their biennial communications under Article 9.5 were encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Parties also highlighted the need to advance on the new collective quantified goal for climate finance and engage in the dialogue on Article 2.1(c). A number of Parties signaled against attempts to shift the burden to developing countries or other actors like private sector, or depart from the principles of the Convention and the Paris Agreement. There was a suggestion to ensure space at COP 28 for sharing best practices on making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low GHG emissions and climate resilient development noting that such as space would support keeping 1.5 alive and climate resilient development. 

Mitigation: Parties reiterated the urgency to keep 1.5 alive by enhancing both mitigation ambition and implementation of NDCs and long-term low-emission development strategies (LTLEDS). In this regard, there was a call for Parties that have not yet revisited and strengthened the 2030 targets in their NDCs to do so as necessary to align the NDCs with the Paris Agreement temperature goal by the end of 2023. Parties expressed the view that the mitigation work programme can provide an opportunity to exchange knowledge, best practices and experiences on broad cross-cutting topics such as technology and innovation and the linkages with adaptation. Parties also noted that the work programme can help identify policies and measures, dismantle barriers and catalyze ambition. Some noted that enhanced mitigation ambition by developing countries is dependent on the availability of adequate means of implementation. Parties reiterated that mitigation must be discussed in light of the means of implementation required and the need to reinforce the imperative basis for just transition. Parties encouraged the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies to appoint the co-chairs of the MWP as soon as possible. Parties noted the need for political leadership leading up to and at COP 28 to keep 1.5oC alive and highlighted the importance of the high-level ministerial round table on pre-2030 ambition to be convened at COP 28. Some Parties encouraged the Incoming Presidency to take early action to follow-up to the call to phase down unabated coal and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies. A number of Parties underlined the importance of peaking by 2025 and the phase out of all fossil fuels The just transition work programme: Parties noted that the work programme should be inclusive and allow for the sharing of experiences and best practices that recognize different transition pathways. Parties also noted the importance of providing adequate means of implementation to allow developing countries to undertake the transition taking into account different national circumstances. There was a suggestion to request submissions to help Parties to shape the work programme and to define its scope and modalities. 

Article 6: Parties acknowledged the importance of advancing on the large amount of technical work which remains to be done to fully operationalize the Article 6 instruments. There was also a suggestion for a round table at COP 28 to support the non-market-based approaches led by countries through the UNFCCC web-based platform. Engaging stakeholders: Parties highlighted the importance of broad stakeholder engagement in the climate process and we have noted the suggestion to make delivery of concrete action, implementation and investment through the action agenda a key focus for COP 28 building on the rich action agenda at COP 27.