By BENEDICT TEMBO
United Nations Franework Cinvention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Stiell says the world has a clear ambition to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and deliver a resilient sustainable future for all.
“We must make progress against all areas. This will set the frame for COP28,” Mr Stiell said
At the Opening Plenary of the 58th session of the UNFCCC in Bonn, Germany, on Tuesday, Mr Stiell said The Global Stocktake is an opportunity to review where the world is and get a view of where it needs to get to, in order to meet the Paris Commitments.
“An articulation of the gap and how to close it.Ambition is nothing without action. Sufficient means of implementation are essential for us to deliver on our commitments. Let us come out of these discussions with clear signs from the Technical Expert Dialogue, and the 9.5 Workshop, ” he said
On loss and damage, Mr Stiell said the agreement in Sharm El Sheik was the first step.
“The Transitional Committee’s second meeting has pushed us forward but there is still some way to go. Progress in this session on the Glasgow Dialogue and further decisions regarding operationalisation of the Santiago Network will bring us closer,” he said
“Every discussion on mitigation unlocks further innovation which we must use to revise and strengthen our Nationally Determined Commitments and long-term strategies,” Mr Stiell said.
He said a strong agreement on a just transition can be a powerful tool to enable ambitious climate action and can build trust to drive transformational development.
“So, let us aim for a close-to-final draft text to take to COP. The Global Goal on Adaptation will identify where the world needs to get to in order to be resilient,” Mr Stiell said.
He added:”It will also enable us to assess progress towards achieving the adaptation goal, at any point in time. Finally, the budget for the next biennium is on this session’s agenda, and its adoption will ensure that the secretariat can best support the important work being done by parties.”
Mr Stiell reminded delegates that the best available science doesn’t arbitrate on who needs to do what or who is responsible for what.
“The science tells us where we are and highlights the scale of response which is required. I believe we are at a tipping point. We know that rapid change often follows a long gestation period. Goodness knows that the gestation period for climate action has been long enough. We need to bring that tipping point forward,” he said
Mr Stiell said this is an opportunity for parties to demonstrate their joint commitment to fully implementing all aspects of the Paris Agreement and show the world that the era of implementation is well underway.
“So, spend time building stronger relationships across groups and regions that will build trust and facilitate substantive progress to COP28.
The UN Climate Secretariat and I will do whatever it takes to assist you,” he assured
