Negotiators entered last week’s Bonn session with a lengthy to-do list. Whilst they struggled to get through it all, they did begin getting their teeth into some tricky issues. Parties begun sketching out the shape of the agreement, working together to address pre-2020 ambition and bringing clarity to an outcome for adaptation and loss & damage. The to-do list hasn’t gone away, there is still a lot to play for but never fear with the next Bonn session scheduled for the 19th of October we’ll be back before you know it.
Teamwork
The co-chairs made it clear from the get-go that only elements supported by multiple parties or blocks could go the distance to Paris. Progress wasn’t uniform and some elements were addressed better than others but there were a few glimmers of teamwork worth noting. The G77 presented a united front on the inclusion of loss & damage in the agreement. The EU began making up for its previous lacking attempts to work with allies in AILAC and vulnerable country groupings through a renewed and proactive focus on pre-2020 ambition and adaptation.
For the complete article, please see E3G.
In some areas of the world, including Central America, rising sea levels and declining agricultural productivity due to climate change are expected to trigger major migratory flows, especially within countries. The role of policy-makers is it to promote local solutions while engaging in regional cooperation for a preventative approach.
What outcomes do the agreements achieved at COP24 hold for cities and regions? Despite the decisive part the so-called non-state actors play in achieving the international climate goals, their role hasn't been formally recognized by the UNFCCC.
The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, concluded in October 2016, has entered into force on January 1st, 2019. Its 65 signatories are now on the fast track to significantly reducing the use of harmful greenhouse gases in the production of cooling devices, representing a major step towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. After a season of unsatisfying climate negotiations, the amendment's implementation marks a time of action and reminds the international community why climate diplomacy ultimately pays off.
In many ongoing armed conflicts, water has been used as a weapon of war, but it can also be a strong instrument of peace.