A Call on developed countries to free energies of their negotiators

NOT READY TO NEGOTIATE: A Call on developed countries to free energies of their negotiators

SB58 Exit  statement by the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA)

Bonn, Germany:   13/6/2023  

Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), priding itself as the de facto voice of the downtrodden spearheads actions that point to the political direction that Africa should pursue in repositioning in the conundrum of climate talks.

We issued a statement, in our first press briefing that amplified our key messages to SB58 as :  i. Pursue a overhaul of l climate finance architecture ii. Ensuring the Global goal on adaptation receiving attention it diserves  iii. Work towards scaling up funding for needs based funding for adaptation iv. Poluters to increase the mitigaton ambition and v. the need to avoid delaying tactics in SB58.

PACJA is disturbed by the amount of time wasted in negotiation rooms as negotiators from develped countries lack the compass necessary to move the conversations to the next level. The negotiators were ill equiped to deal with commitment elements on the means of implementation making SBs to be all about dialogues – an “entertaining movie” with nothing serious to show for it. PACJA has drawn a number of pertinent observations, relevant to the next steps in negotiations:

A. Global Stock Take (GST):

Whereas parties to the Paris agreement have no choice but to embark on the GST process this year, we are however, alarmed by the casual nature of conversation on GST. While GST process must take place, attention must be drawn to the parties of the existing data from IPCC reports that we are off target in achieving the temperature goal and that we need a wooping 43% reduction in green house gases by 2030 if we are to go back to the track. We believe that the GST decision’s outline should ensure comprehensive and balanced content and comprise all thematic issues in light of equity and must also include the pre-2020 gaps and have forward looking elements to address the gaps. Whereas data is clear on the actual financial implications of adaptation measures, the developed countries are insisting on mitigation centric approaches of taking stock. To this end we assert:

1. While the temperature goal under Article 2 is very key, the GST process must put more emphasis on parameters of assessment that are most important to Africa and in regard to adaptation, loss and damage, response measures and most importantly means of implementation
2. The GST process should not be a decoy for delaying action as credible evidence from IPCC is already with us and so we call upon developed countries parties to be more decisive on emission reduction, characterised by clear plans of action that are specific and time bound.
3. Parties from developed cointries must remain accountable through the GST process by ensuring there appropriate indicators of measuring progress on the financing goal, which is what Africa needs most.
4. We emphasis for a people driven, people centred GST process with scope and parameters of assessment being determined in a inclusive manner and with peoples’ voices. Parties must fast- track the discussions on the scope and parameters that are useful in delivering a meaninful GST

B. Adaptation:

A window of opportunity was created at COP26 -Glasgow -Sharm El Sheikh  two year Work programme on the GGA. However, the actualization of the Global Goal on Adaptation is long overdue (since 2015) as developed countries apply delaying tactics. As African Civil society, we have always stood for a draft conclusion with a comprehensive structure of the framework as well as inclusion of targets and indicators. Unfortunately,  and as this window comes to a close we are alarmed that no much progress has been achieved in this agenda item. On National Adaptation Plans, we are yet again dissappointed to learn that not much progress has been made on this agenda item which hasalready been referred to SB59 (COP28). It is important to remind parties that National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) are vehicles for delivering on adaptation action in vulnerable countries and it is critical that they are given the attention and urgency they deserve. To this end we call:

1. On the parties to make this a standing agenda item but also insist that means of implementation are central to this conversation.
2. Parties must also consider linking the adaptation goal to the temperature goal because rising temperatures has a huge implications on the adaptation needs in the continent.
3. Adaptation is a broad agenda and the GGA must be all inclusive taking into account clear priorities and indicators of progress on sectors like health, water and agriculture.
4. Call for enhanced, flexible, easily accessible and grant-based adaptation finance to accelerate the formulation and full implementation of NAPs by developing countries
5. We must move from the business as usual approach of topics and worshop to have a firm on ground implementation framework on 4 year Sharma-El- Sheik Joint work on Implementation of Climate Action on Agriculture on Food Security because agriculture for our people is a source of livelihood

C. On loss and damage:

We are disturbed by the direction that conversation around this agenda is taking in SB58. The introduction of language on philantrophies technically shifts responsibility for response from northern governments to non-state actors and is a departure from the Paris Agreement. Conversations within the negotiation rooms continue to give prominence to business type models such as insuarance as a response mechanism for loss and damage, which are inappropriate for Africa. We are alarmed by attempts by developed countries parties to fragment the continent on basis of vulnerability in respect to adminstration of the Loss and Damage Fund. To this end:

1. We strongly assert that all funding related to losses and damages must be delivered within UNFCCC framework for accountability
2. As African stakeholders we stand against attempts to balkanize the continent on the basis of differentiated economic capacities as it weakens the common position for the continent which experience climate impacts that are homogenious and therefore similar needs.
3. Decision to put the fund in COP27 was a progressive one, but there are clear indications that without significant political push, this fund may take much longer than it was the case for the adaptation fund and may not be operational by COP29.
4. Any entity hosting the secretariat of the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage SNLD must therefore have a strong regional representation in order to serve all the countries. AS PACJA, we are therefore opposed to SN secretariat being hosted by a regional banking institution which does not have adequate regional representation.
5. We call on the countries that have already made financial pledges to the SNLD to immediately make the funds available and we reiterate the need for additional and scaled up finance necessary for the operationalization of the SNLD. Negotions should not only lay premiums on the hosting arrangements for the Santiago Network, which unfortunately seems to be the focus in this SB
6. The Transitional Committee on Loss and Damage of the UNFCCC must resist pressure to close on space for non-party stakeholder participation in its processes.

D. Climate Finance:

Climate finance forms the largest component of the means of implementation, yet it is the weakest link in all the streams of conversations. While appreciating the efforts of negotiators in SB processes, we take into congnsant their limitations in making finance and related commitments in absence of political leadership. To this end:

1. We call on political leadership from developed countries to be decisive in delivering decisive financial commitments that will unlock all streams of negotiations.
2. Our call on overhauling climate finance architecture remain lounder than before, noting the growing corportization of the means of implementation and inertia among developed countries.