UN Climate Dialogues: Climate action continues amidst COVID-19
The United Nations is organising the “Climate Dialogues” from 23 November to 4 December 2020. These key online virtual events aim at making progress towards achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, particularly at this crucial time for the submission of the second NDCs.
The Climate Dialogues will provide Parties to the UNFCCC and other stakeholders the opportunity to continue exchanging views and sharing information to advance work and maintain momentum in the intergovernmental climate change process. The Dialogues are also a key platform for participants to showcase how climate action is progressing under the challenging circumstances caused by COVID-19.
The Climate Dialogues follow on from the successful series of virtual events organized under the June Momentum for Climate Change held earlier this year. These dialogues are being launched by the Chairs of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body of Implementation (SBI), in collaboration with the COP 25 Presidency and incoming COP 26 Presidency and with the support of the UNFCCC secretariat. The organisation of the dialogues is a clear response to the strong call and commitment from governments and other stakeholders around the world, that while Covid-19 rightfully takes most of the attention now, work on climate change remains urgent and the greatest long-term challenge.
Despite the postponement of COP 26 and its related subsidiary body sessions to 2021 due to the current pandemic, work in 2020 remains critical for making progress towards achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
The Climate Dialogues will showcase progress made in 2020, including technical work under the UNFCCC constituted bodies. They will also provide a platform to enable progress in implementation of other activities under the Convention mandated for 2020, including on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to the effects of climate change, science, finance, technology, capacity-building, transparency, gender, Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), and the preparation and submission of updated national climate action plans known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that are due to be submitted by the end of this year.
The dialogues will also identify any further action that the SB Chairs could take to help Parties prepare their effective engagement in the work of the subsidiary bodies at the sessions in 2021, thereby paving the way for a successful COP 26 in Glasgow. The June Momentum had hinted at the potential in this regard. At its closing event on 12 June 2020, the SBSTA Chair, Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, from Democratic Republic of Congo, reassured the global climate community that, “while the future months are still full of uncertainty, our responsibilities in the new reality have not gone away”.
The format of events will range from mandated events for 2020, to meetings of and/or events by the constituted bodies, informal consultations by the Presiding Officers with Parties, as well as a series of technical workshops and/or information events on matters related to the work of the governing and subsidiary bodies. These events will culminate in the celebration of the Paris Agreement on 12 December that will highlight ambition.
Date: from 23 November to 4 December 2020
For further information on the Climate Dialogues online events 2020, please click here
For the global list of all planned events and day-by-day programme, please check here
Update on 2nd NDC with a focus on the members of OACPS
Parties to the UNFCCC were in principle required to submit their 2nd NDCs in 2020. However, in view of the postponement of COP-26 to 1 – 12 November- 2021, this deadline has been extended and Parties are now expected to submit their NDCs at least 9-12 months(1) prior to the Conference. Therefore, there is still time to make progress to confirm submission intentions or to raise ambitions.
- To date, out of the 188 Parties to the Paris Agreement, only 15 have submitted their second NDCs. Of these Parties, 5 are from ACP States: Cuba, Jamaica, Marshall Islands, Rwanda and Suriname. 33 countries have expressed their intention to update their NDC by 2020, including Kenya and Lesotho. 103 countries have stated their intention to enhance ambition or action by 2020. Of these, 67 states (2) are from ACP countries, representing 64% of the total count. Out of the 67 ACP States, 48 are Small Island States or LDCs. These ACP States, which have committed to enhance their NDC by 2020, represent a very small share of global GHG emissions, but are among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The ACP NDC Online Tool: get started now!
It is to be recalled that the ACP NDC Tool was especially designed to assist African, Caribbean and Pacific States to explore broadly all opportunities to raise the level of ambition needed for low-carbon and climate-resilient growth over the long term, in line with their commitments to the Paris Agreement. The online tool is secured and provides the flexibility to Member States to address all relevant issues that arise in the context of the preparation of NDCs revision/submission and in coordination with the various sectors of activities as per their commitments under the Paris Agreement. Accordingly, it ensures that all information required by the UNFCCC is clearly spelt out in the form of an exhaustive checklist so that they are appropriately addressed by Member States. The tool also provides for inclusion of additional information on Adaptation, Gender, Capacity Building and financial needs. Last but not least, it is also available in all the languages of the OACPS: French, English, Spanish and Portuguese.
- Should you be interested to start using the ACP NDC Tool for NDC submissions, please send a request by email to riccardo.magini@acp.int, CC: pendo.maro@acp.int.
(1) https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/notification_on_ndc_synthesis_2020_ec_2020_306.pdf
(2) Source : Calculated from NDC Tracker : https://www.climatewatchdata.org/2020-ndc-tracker