Final Call For Action At COP24

Advocacy

Governments must address climate emergency and strengthen COP24 package with higher ambition in emission cuts, finance, and human rights

KATOWICE, 14 December. On Thursday evening, the COP24 presidency released a package of negotiation texts outlining key elements of the Paris Agreement Rulebook, efforts to increase ambition by cutting emissions, and financial support to developing countries.

“Every country in Katowice needs to take a step back and remember why they are here. Every country after reading the IPCC report on 1.5°C and feeling the impacts must understand that our very humanity is at stake. We call on the most powerful nations to not be short-sighted by self interest and honor the Paris Agreement commitments to protect the most vulnerable.”

Sven Harmeling, Global Policy lead on Climate Change at CARE International

Following on the most recent text at COP24, rich countries must not be deaf to the alarm bells on human rights, finance, ambition, and loss and damage.

We call on Parties on the final day of COP24 to do the following:

1. Ensure countries start preparing more ambitious national climate plans in line with the IPCC 1.5°C report: We have welcomed various declarations on ambition by vulnerable and developed countries. The main overarching negotiation decision must include a clearer call to countries to submit more ambitious national climate plans by 2020 in line with the 1.5°C limit.
2. Reaffirm the promise made in Paris to protect and respect human rights in all climate action: The Polish presidency put a huge emphasis on the need for a just transition: this cannot happen if we do not put people at the center of policies and their implementation.
3. Adopt strong rules on finance: The current financial support provisions in the Paris Rulebook are insufficient and weak to provide developing countries with the certainty that they receive new and additional financial support to tackle the climate crisis. Developed countries should commit to account on grant-equivalents, include finance for loss and damage and agree to a structured process for a new post-2025 finance goal.
4. Ensure loss and damage is part of the Global Stocktake:Addressing loss and damage, which is vital to the survival of developing countries, should be an explicit element in future Global Stocktakes, instead of being pushed to a footnote. The current status of loss and damage is an inadequate way to respond to the concerns of the most vulnerable countries.