UN intersessional negotiations for UN Climate Change Conference concludes / Germany advocates closer links between international and national climate targets
The UN intersessional negotiations (SB64) in Bonn have concluded, marking the start of the decisive phase of preparations for the Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya. Over the past two weeks, the Parties have further developed the technical and scientific foundations for implementation of the Paris Agreement and drafted political decisions for COP31 in November. Topics of discussions included work programmes for implementing the Paris Agreement, national climate targets (NDCs) and adaptation measures, financing adaptation measures and a framework for socially just structural change. COP31 will take place in Antalya in November this year under Türkiye’s Presidency. Australia will be President of Negotiations.
Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider commented: “The negotiations in Bonn showed that the Paris Agreement remains our common standard. Now it is important to significantly step up implementation. Despite geopolitical tensions, countries are still working together to find solutions. This sends an important message. In the run-up to COP31 in Antalya, the priority is to ensure that many more countries submit ambitious new NDCs and accelerate the energy transition worldwide. COP31 can be the summit where decisions become investments, targets become concrete projects and political pledges become measurable progress. The collective experience from the Strait of Hormuz – in other words, how vulnerable most of us are to fossil fuel price shocks – can make the crucial difference. Climate action has long been a deciding factor for economic power, supply security and competitiveness. Well-informed and fact-based public debate about the impacts of climate change is important. This makes the attacks on the scientific foundations of climate sciences, as occurred in Bonn this time, all the more inexplicable. It is encouraging that a large number of countries from the Global South and North joined forces against these attacks.”
The first week of negotiations was dominated by discussions on the Türkiye Presidency’s proposal to increase the global share of electricity in final energy consumption by 2035 from around 20 to 35 percent, sending an important message for the global energy transition. This is part of the COP31 Action Agenda that Türkiye presented in Bonn. It contains 10 priorities including electrification, energy efficiency, circular economy and industrial transformation. The Action Agenda mobilises government and non-government players to drive forward implementation of the negotiated goals.
In Bonn, Germany advocated establishing much closer links between implementation of the outcomes of the Global Stocktake and new NDCs, and achieving progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation. Germany and many other countries also presented their first transparency report under the Paris Agreement and outlined the current developments in climate policy and international climate finance. This met with great interest from many Parties.
Progress was achieved in the formal negotiations, but there were also significant blockades. Regarding the work programme on emissions reduction, Germany and the European Union advocated a greater focus on the ambition and implementation of NDCs and global targets for the energy transition, and an end to deforestation to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target. Unfortunately, a small number of countries once again hindered progress on the work programme on emissions reduction. It focusses on how to accelerate implementation of specific reduction measures in countries and dismantle obstacles to investments.
In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, climate adaptation is the second key pillar of international climate policy. Progress on the Global Goal on Adaptation and implementing adaptation indicators is important to enable countries to better identify risks and facilitate more targeted support. This is important for particularly vulnerable countries and their need for greater access. Also related on that further progress was not achievable.
Regarding additional climate finance, important preparations were carried out for transferring the Adaptation Fund to the Paris Agreement. Countries in the Global South also called for greater clarity on public financing from industrialised countries. Germany remains a committed donor to climate finance and expects the same of other countries.