BONN, Germany (PAMACC News) - A popular slogan with climate activists in global climate negotiations is "kick polluters out". But fossil fuel companies are still welcome at the UN climate talks.

The influence of the fossil fuel industry and other polluting industries has become a central topic of concern for governments.

The issue of conflicts of interest and how to best ensure the integrity of the UNFCCC process once again dominated the climate talks in Bonn, Germany as governments launched what is meant to be a formative year for climate policy.

Talks on developing a conflict of interest policy ended with a mandate to talk more next time.

The African Group, Ecuador and Cuba and the Africa group had advocated such a policy which is opposed by the US, EU, Canada, Norway and Australia.

Both sides have agreed to identify opportunities "to further enhance the openness, transparency, inclusiveness of the effective engagement of non-party stakeholders".

"Once again, the United States and its pro-fossil fuel allies are on the wrong side of history, putting Big Polluters before people and the planet. But today's results prove that no amount of obstruction from the U.S. and its Big Polluter allies will ultimately prevent this movement from advancing.

And while Global North obstructionism mired these talks in delays, obstruction and censorship, Global South leaders prevailed in securing a clear path forward for the conflict of interest movement, ensuring the issue will be front and center next year," said Jesse Bragg of Corporate Accountability.

Delivering the Goals of the Paris Agreement

This year 2018 can make it or break it for climate change as the Paris Agreement passes through its first test.

Front-runner countries and civil society representatives have presented a concrete road-map of how they are enhancing climate plans by 2020 in an attempt to push other states to commit to doing the same at the upcoming UN Climate negotiations (COP24) that will be held in Katowice, Poland.

Countries need to send a clear signal in COP24 that they will enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 2020 if the goal to keep warming below 1.5C is to be reached.

"I would say that COP24 in Katowice is probably the most critical meeting since Paris," said Alden Meyer, Director, Strategy and Policy, Union of Concerned Scientists. "The world will be watching to see if countries are serious about implementing and strengthening the Paris Agreement. We have a mandate to adopt a package of rules to implement the Paris agreement across a range of issues".

Civil Society Action

A day to the end of the Bonn talks, major civil society and non-party stakeholder groups demanded that government's follow-up the Paris Agreement with increased urgent action to prevent average global warming from rising 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Groups highlighted that Parties must reinforce this Paris Agreement goal and commit to enhanced action as a matter of survival for vulnerable countries.

"For the world's most vulnerable people keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees is not just a 'nice to have', it is essential to ensure they can maintain and improve their way of life," said Mohamed Adow, International Climate Lead at Christian Aid.

The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) also noted that climate change should no longer be isolated to environmental and scientific issue.

It stated that the issues of poverty, justice, equity, economic, humanitarian, food security and political dimensions of climate change must not be overlooked.

"It has stunted the growth of some economies while big economies fear cutting emissions will affect them," said Olivia Adhiambo, Policy and Advocacy Manager at PACJA.

As the 2020 implementation date of the Paris Agreement draws close, it is expected that big oil and coal interest groups and climate deniers do not succeed in their struggle to undo the progress made in the fight against the climate crisis.

BONN, Germany (PAMACC News) - As the Bonn climate talks came to close on May 10, civil society and non-party stakeholder groups reiterated their call for urgent climate action.

Thegroups demand that governments follow-up the Paris Agreement with increased urgent action to prevent average global warming from rising 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

At an action event at the Bonn climate change talks in advance of the closing session of the Talanoa Dialogue, groups highlighted that Parties must reinforce the Paris Agreement goal and commit to enhanced action as a matter of survival for vulnerable countries.

“Perception on climate change has changed over the years,” said Olivia Adhiambo, Policy and Advocacy Manager at the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance. “Though we may differ on what action to take, the consensus across the world is that the climate has changed, and that someone somewhere has caused the problem. Climate change is no longer an isolated scientific and environmental issue, it has dimensions in all human development indicators.”

Adhiambo says PACJA believes that climate change is a poverty issue because it has exacerbated poverty in the world; an equity issue because it disproportionately affects the poor nd vulnerable countries and sectors of the society, and a justice issue because it was caused by rich people and the poor are mostly affected.

For the last nine days, delegates have been negotiating the various technical issues under the UNFCCC technical and implementation bodies, the Subsidiary Body for implementaion (SBI), and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).

Key among the issues discussed include climate finance, a key enabler to the implementation of the Paris Agreement, importance of Agriculture to developing country parties in terms of adaptation, the finalization of the Paris Rule book for implementation, and increasing climate ambition through the Talanoa dialoge regarding emission cuts. This is view of the fact that the current collective pledges made under the Paris Agreement, are not enough to meet the target of limiting global temperature rise to below 1.5 oC.

In fact, according to the analysis, even a full implementation of current unconditional and conditional Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) makes a temperature increase of at least 3oC by 2100 very likely.

“In a world that is already warmer by about 1ºC, people and communities around the world are already facing serious threats to their human rights,” said Sebastien Duyck, Senior Attorney, Center for International Environmental Law, during a climate action event organsied by both the north and south civil society groups.

In line with a human rights approach, Duyck said the survival of the most exposed to the impacts of climate-related natural disasters is already at risk while the growing temperature undermines the rights to food, water and livelihood of millions.

“These human rights impacts will only grow in magnitude with the increase of temperatures - undermining the ability of the most vulnerable States to protect their own people. Keeping the increase of temperatures below 1.5ºC is a necessity to protect human rights,” he added.

The gender face of climate change impacts is not a debatable issue anymore. There is consensus that women are at the frontline of climate change impacts, and Luu Thi Thu Giang, Climate Change Specialist, CARE International, was categorical about this matter.

“Today climate change impacts already hit many poor people in developing countries, like in my own country Vietnam,” she said. “Climate change impacts women and men differently. Often, it is poor and marginalized women and girls who are most affected. However, they are essential agents of change to build resilience against climate change impacts and to achieve the rapid shift to renewable energies necessary for limiting climate disruption to 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming. Gender equality and climate action must go hand in hand.”

According to available climate science data, the impacts of climate change are already being felt, especially in developing countries. One way in which this is happening is through destruction to sensitive ecosystems that support millions of people’s livelihoods. And Sandeep Chamling Rai, Senior Advisor for Global Climate Adaptation Policy, at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) believes the best way to protect against the already suffering millions of people, is to keep global temperature rise as low as possible.

“As the earth’s temperature rises, so does the threat of permanent loss of ecologically sensitive places and species,” he said.“Biodiversity loss at the scale we could be seeing over the coming decades will cause profound changes to the sensitive ecosystems that sustain the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, mainly in vulnerable countries. The best way to protect against this is to keep global temperature rise as low as possible.”

Meanwhile, it os worth noting that the sustainability of urban cities has emerged as an important aspect of the climate discussions considering the role cities play in environmental management and protection. Therefore, the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI)’s Local Governments for Sustainability is leading the adena for susinable cities.

The aim is to help the ICLEI Network of up 1, 500 councils to become sustainable, low-carbon, resilient, ecomobile, biodiverse, resource-efficient and productive, through green economic and smart infrastructure, impacting over 25% of the global urban population.

And Yunus Arikan, Head of Global Policy and Advocacy, ICLEI said: “Failure to meet the 1.5-degree goal will hurt inhabitants in all human settlements, from poles to islands and from coastal zones to drylands, in particular the urban poor. Climate neutrality is the backbone of the success of Paris Agreement, and it cannot be achieved without climate neutral cities and regions.”

In its efforts to promote sustainable cities, through the Talanoa Dialogues in more than 50 cities and regions, ICLEI is working with local, regional and national governments to seize the opportunity of the Urban World to turn the 1.5 degrees celcisusgoal into a reality.

It is without question that the vulnerable people are at the centre of climate talks, mainly because they are suffering for something that they have not caused. And Mohamed Adow, International Climate Lead, Christian Aidbelieves that keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees for the world’s most vulnerable people is not just a ‘nice to have’, but rather essential to ensure they maintain and improve their way of life

“The world warms at different rates and in Africa where I am from, a global average rise of 2 degrees equates to much more extreme temperatures,” he said.“For low-lying island states, a 2-degree rise will mean being wiped from the map as sea level rise threatens to wash them away.   If rich countries are to be believed when it talks about solidarity with the poor then they need make sure we’re on track for a world that these people can live in.”

The message from civil society groups is loud and clear—urgent and ambitious climate action to keep the planet safe. However, while the clear picture of what has been achieve at the Bonn talks is yet to be established, UNFCCC Executive Secretary indicated a positive outlook during a medaai round table on Monday.

“The reports I am getting so far, are positive, including on the Talanoa Dialogue,” Espinosa said. “As you know the discussions about how to capture and derive from the Talanoa dialogue, general conclusions, is only starting now, it’s only a new process, it’s the first phase which happened yesterday, and delegations are starting now to think about what they would like to see as the outcome of the dialogue.”

BONN, Germany (PAMACC News) - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa is up-beat about the Talanoa Dialogue approach to climate negotiations.

At a round table with the media, Espinosa said the first phase of the Talanoa dialogue which took place on Sunday, 6th May, 2018, is a positive start towards an inclusive approach to climate negotiations and moving the process forward.

“The discussions about how to capture and derive from the Talanoa dialogue, general conclusions, is only starting now, it’s only a new process, it’s the first phase which happened yesterday, and delegations are starting now to think about what they would like to see as the outcome of the dialogue,” Espinosa said.

She said the secretariat would now wait on the compilation of a report whose content would form the basis for moving the process forward especially, the next round of NDCs depending on how each country decides to do their NDCs.

The Un Climate chief further stated that the report would be crucial for the next phase of the dialogue which is likely to take place at COP 24—the political phase where a high level delegation of Presidents would have to make conclusions on the way forward.

However, Espinosa said, “the good news in my mind is that, the enthusiasm about raising ambition, and working together and uniting efforts is what has transpired from this very first phase of the Talanoa dialogue.”

The “Talanoa Dialogue” is a round table non-confrontation approach to finding solutions to complicated challenges. It allows for stories and interventions covering three key thematic questions—where are we? where do we want to be? Andhow do we get there?

And adding to the Executive Secretary’s optimism, co-chairs also expressed a positive outlook of the progress made in the first week, during theirstock-take.

They said work on the rulebook had progressed but needed to be significantly accelerated in the final week in order to be finalised at COP24.

While it is clear that today’s Talanoa Day is just kicking off a longer process, civil society expressed their hope that the Talanoa Dialogue will lead to all parties raising their climate ambition.

According to Climate action Network, the Talanoa Dialogue is a promising start towards inclusive approach to climate action and must lay the groundwork for a real political outcome.

At a press conference, there was a feeling that the dialogue fostered a sense of good intentions in the room, making clear that vulnerability to climate change binds all actors together, highlighting the urgency of taking more ambitious action.

“This lack of climate action means we are ‘cheating one another and abandoning our children’. People around the world are angry. They want to see more climate action, they want to see it happening faster. That is why they go out on the streets with banners and march. That is why they are taking governments and companies who fail to take action to court,” said Juan Pablo Osornio, Task Force Leader at Greenpeace.

He said the Talanoa Dialogue providethe space in which some of the anger can be channeled as the forum allows for open and honest conversations, where participants ask the hard questions with respect and without pointing fingers.

From the UNFCCC perspective, the Talanoa dialogue is an approach worth pushing forward, by encouraging regional dialogues. “We are looking at the possibility of climate week in Latin America, I am not sure whether we already have a date for Asia, and the Middle East. We have not yet planned, but there are conversations going on to have one of these climate conversations in the Middle East,” said the UN Chief.

One other issue that is of importance to developing country parties especially Africa is Agriculture. And in response to African civil society concerns regarding the alleged push for industrial agriculture being pushed by developed countries, Espinosa said the secretariat was not keen on repeating the past mistakes that had brought the world to this state. “I have been hearing very encouraging reports from the sessions, and I am positive that the discussions are heading in the right direction,” she said.

“I think the emphasis is climate smart and sustainable agriculture to support small farmers particularly to the realities of Africa. We are not talking about repeating the experiences from what has happened in the past, but avoid them, so I think we are heading in the right direction.”

The UN chief is equally positive about the finalization of the Paris rulebook, and the commitment of developed countries to providing finance to developing parties for their climate actions. “I am positive about the progress so far but there are discussions of whether we will have an additional session in Bankok,” she said.

In summary, Espinosa indicated that so far, the negotiations were on track and hopeful that they would serve the purpose of preparing for COP 24 slated for Poland later in December.

BONN, Germany (PAMACC News) - After five days of Bonn Climate Talks, several conversations and issues have emerged, both pleasing and disappointing, depending on interest.

For the Global Climate Action Network, the organisers of the Climate Action Summit (GCAS) taking place later in September in San Francisco, they believe there is strong evidence of how cities, states, regions, businesses and investors are taking climate ambition to the next level, helping to build momentum for a successful outcome at COP 24, later in December.
 
Specifically, 11 new commitments from Mahindra, among India’s largest business houses, push the number of major global companies with science-based targets to over 400.
 
Speaking to delegates and journalists at the ongoing talks in Bonn, Anirban Ghosh, Chief Sustainability Officer of the Mahindra Group announced that business had taken an important step forward, saying that in total, 13 of its companies have now committed to cut their emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals by signing-up to a science-based target.

Anand Mahindra, Mahindra Group Chairman said, “There is remarkable congruity between the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Indian Government, and businesses like the Mahindra Group. India, like the Agreement, is driven by a strong belief at the highest political level that pursuing environmental stability is the only way forward.”
 
And welcoming this development, Summit Co-Chair and top UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa said, “At COP24 in Katowice, the world has much to accomplish to ensure that the Paris Agreement delivers the desired result, which is to keep climate change within manageable limits. Thankfully, the revolutionary progress underway in the ‘real world’ economy, which will descend on California in September, will be instrumental to helping make Poland a success.”
 
The briefing heard that, to date, over 700 leading businesses around the world have made strategic climate commitments through the “We Mean Business coalition’s Take Action campaign,” collectively representing 2.62 gigatons of emissions, which is equivalent to the total annual emissions of India.
 
Mahindra’s commitment falls under the second of the five challenges – Inclusive Economic Growth – and means that so far 400 companies have positively reacted to this particular “call to action,” which aims to sign on 500 companies by the conclusion of the summit in September.
 
In addition to adding critical momentum to the COP24 negotiations in Poland this December – when governments of the world will meet to signal their readiness to enhance ambition – the September summit in San Francisco will build momentum for a strong outcome at the Climate Summit convened by UN Secretary-General AntónioGuterres in 2019 and to elevate climate action plans – Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – by 2020.
 
Nick Nuttall, Global Climate Action Summit Communications Director said 2018 is crucial for global leaders to step up climate action, and set the stage for the fast and full implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The Global Climate Summit will be hosted by the Governor of California, Jerry Brown; the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Action, Michael Bloomberg; the Chairman of the Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra; and the Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, Patricia Espinosa.

It is set to bring together state and local governments, business, and citizens from around the world to showcase climate action taking place, thereby demonstrating how the tide has turned in the race against climate change and inspiring deeper national commitments in support of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
 
The Summit’s five headline challenge areas are Healthy Energy Systems; Inclusive Economic Growth; Sustainable Communities; Land Stewardship and Transformative Climate Investments
 
However, while businesses are showcasing what they believe is the positive momentum for change, civil society under the ACT Alliance are still not satisfied with delayed action, and calling for urgent action to address climate change and its impacts.

“The international community must now take bold action to address climate change and to adequately respond to its impacts. We cannot afford any delays or to waste any time,” said Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance’s General Secretary.

At the top of the agenda for the Bonn Session is the Talanoa Dialogue that will encourage sharing between parties and stakeholders on progress made towards their climate commitments, the Paris Rulebook that will outline the modalities, procedures and guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and the Suva Expert Dialogue on support for climate induced loss and damage.

“There is now every indication that we have just a few years before surpassing the 1.5 degree global warming target, which means that our policies and actions towards a more volatile climate must be ambitious and unequivocal,” emphasized Bueno de Faria.

The Suva Expert Dialogue on loss and damage support is expected to advance the discussions on climate finance and other means necessary to respond to the adverse impacts of climate change that go beyond the ability of communities to adapt.
On the modalities of the implementation, ACT Alliance expressed concern about the slow progress of the Paris Rulebook, which they have demanded should be ready by the end of this year, with a strong inclusion of transparency and accountability at all levels.

Meanwhile, some groups feel the fossil fuel industry is influencing delayed climate action through their lobbyists sitting at the negotiations table.

According to a study, titled “Revolving doors and the fossil fuel industry,” carried out by a coalition of CSOs in 13 European countries, and supported by the European Parliament, found that failure to deal with conflict of interest by the EU is due to cosy relationships built up with the fossil fuel sector over the years.
“There is a revolving door between politics and the fossil fuel lobby all across Europe,” said Max Andersson, Member of the European Parliament, at the Bonn Climate Talks. “It’s not just a handful of cases—it is systematic. The fossil fuel industry has an enormous economic interest in delaying climate action and the revolving door between politics and the fossils fuel lobby is a serious cause for alarm.”
According to Andersson, to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and keep global warming to as close as 1.5 degrees as possible, there is need to clamp down on conflict of interest to stop coal, gas and oil from leaving “their dirty fingerprints over our climate policy.”