June’s climate meetings began in Bonn on Monday amid major global disruption – including a fuel crisis caused by the Iran-US conflict and an approaching El Niño that is expected to worsen weather conditions in many parts of Asia.
The June meetings serve as the midpoint to resolve key climate issues ahead of the annual climate conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey, this November.
One of the key issues on the agenda is how to distribute the first global Stocktake results. After the first global stocktake in Dubai, countries had agreed on three key issues, among others.
The UAE Consensus calls on Parties to triple renewable energy capacity globally and double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030; Accelerating efforts towards phasing out unfettered coal power; Accelerate action in this critical decade to transition energy systems away from fossil fuels in a fair, systematic and equitable manner, to achieve net zero by 2050, taking into account the latest climate science.
The implementation of this agreement is expected to be discussed in the Bonn conference. It is also expected to discuss climate finance to develop an appropriate transition mechanism, assist countries in energy transition and most importantly for adaptation efforts.
According to people familiar with the matter, a delegation from the Union environment ministry, which will represent India, is attending the session virtually. However, according to him, some representatives from other departments are participating individually.
Some of the key issues for India are global targets on adaptation, Belem adaptation indicators and adaptation finance.
UN climate chief Simon Still called on countries to double down on climate action amid the climate crisis and economic instability resulting from conflict.
“Tackling the global climate crisis is the hardest, but most important thing humanity has ever tried to do together. It’s worth doing, because we have no choice. Every economy and population depends on it. Here, all of you have chosen to dedicate yourselves to that task. It’s never easy. It’s sometimes thankless. But together, you have pushed the conversation forward, overcome past failures, found ways for countries that disagree on almost everything to agree on Have found,” he said in his opening remarks.
“As the El Nino effect – supercharged by the climate crisis – promises more pain and inflation shocks. As the war in the Middle East causes enormous human suffering and gives rise to the fossil fuel cost crisis that is strangulating economies everywhere. It is crystal clear: continuing our fossil fuel dependence means continuing inflation and economic instability, while exporting energy security, sovereignty and policy autonomy.” do, leaving economies and communities exposed to climate disasters, taking a wrecking ball to life and prosperity everywhere,” Steele said. Urging countries to fulfill their Paris obligations and plans made under the agreement.
Coinciding with the opening of the Bonn meetings, a new study from the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) says the three major climate negotiating groups – the Umbrella Group, the European Union (EU), and the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG) – made up mostly of developed countries – are collectively projected to fall short of both their 2030 and 2035 climate targets.
“These groups are projected to emit 9% more than the 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target, with emissions projected to increase to 19% in 2035 compared to the 2030 target level,” the study said.
In January, the US, the world’s historically largest polluter, completely withdrew from global climate change mitigation agreements, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
It also means that the US will not contribute its fair share to climate change mitigation or to providing climate finance to developing countries for energy transition, mitigation and adaptation.
In contrast, most of the Basic Group countries, including South Africa, India and China, are more closely aligned with their 2030 commitments, despite less historical responsibility and greater developmental constraints.
It said the analysis is based on countries’ own submissions to the UNFCCC, including biennial transparency reports, common tabular format datasets and common reporting tables.
“Ten years after Paris, the world cannot continue to measure climate leadership by declarations alone. Delivery is the ultimate test. South Asia and the broader Global South are showing that development and climate action can move forward together, but this requires fairness in how ambition is measured and how support is delivered. Rich economies must move faster, both to meet their own targets and for countries that still have enough carbon space to meet basic development needs.” To keep up. The next phase of climate diplomacy must be about accountability…” said Ravi S Prasad, distinguished fellow, CEEW. Chief climate change negotiator for India in a statement.
Climate Action Network, a coalition of civil society organizations, expressed its expectations from Bonn on Monday. Developed countries should signal a commitment to at least triple adaptation finance by 2035, primarily through public grant-based finance, and agree on a delivery plan, he said.
China, on behalf of like-minded developing countries (LMDCs), made it clear that the Bonn meeting and COP31 will be important for developing countries to implement or address climate finance instruments and protectionist policies by some countries. LMDC is a group of developing countries including India that have organized themselves as a block of negotiators in international organizations.
China, on behalf of the LMDC, at the plenary session said, “Our partners lack ambition in terms of means of mitigation and implementation and address the new challenges of unilateralism and protectionism. These create obstacles to our collective effort and international cooperation in the second decade of the Paris Agreement. We have seen signals from our partners regarding means of implementation and highlighted that the finance gap should be urgently closed.”
“Replenishment of the existing Global Environment Facility is the lowest in the last 16 years. We are also hearing about some partners withdrawing from additional contributions to the GCF. We look forward to productive discussions under the climate negotiations,” he said.
China also said the climate finance work program and climate and trade dialogue should be deliberately designed for meaningful engagement and concrete outputs.
“Our main task here is to maintain the momentum of unity, solidarity and cooperation in addressing climate change. In this context, it is important to know the difference between consensus-based processes under the Convention and its Paris Agreement, and initiatives outside this process. Global collective action and international cooperation must be agreed upon through consensus-based negotiations. Ensuring inclusion initiatives outside the Convention process must remain voluntary,” said the official representing the LMDC.
Experts said this could be a reference to the first international conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels (Santa Marta Conference), held from April 24-29 in Colombia.
In addition, work should also begin towards a COP31 decision governing the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM).
“Adaptation is about people’s rights and justice. Despite contributing the least to the crisis, communities facing the harshest climate impacts must have access to the finance and support they need to survive, rebuild lives and live with dignity. They must also have a real role in shaping the decisions affecting their future. Adaptation is no longer a side issue in climate talks. Floods, droughts, heatwaves, hunger and displacement already destroy lives, homes, livelihoods and entire communities. Adaptation cannot just be a political promise on paper, Pooja Dave, adaptation policy coordinator at Climate Action Network, said in a statement.
“Fossil extraction will also be discussed at the Bonn climate talks. For workers, indigenous peoples, and communities living on the front lines of fossil fuel extraction and climate change, moving away from fossil fuels is not an abstract policy debate. It is about jobs, health, energy, and economic survival. In SB64, governments must show how commitments become actions through public finance, international cooperation, and people-centered national transition plans that any worker or community can Don’t leave behind.”
