The conference which closes on 12th December has entered its crucial stage of negotiations as ministers meet in a couple of days.
One of Uganda’s Climate negotiators, Margaret Athieno
Mwebesa says the Climate Change Conference has had some gains as it enters its
final stages.
The conference which closes on 12th December
has entered its crucial stage of negotiations as ministers meet in the next couple of days.
Margaret
Atheino Mwebesa, Climate Change. National Focal Point to the UN Framework Convention
(NFCC) said there has been some progress in moving the world’s first
global
stocktake closer to a conclusion.
The global
stocktake aims at increasing ambition and accelerating action on climate change
by informing the next round of climate action plans due in 2025.
Atheino, who has been
part of a series explained that Uganda said the global stocktake will help Uganda
to develop its next climate plans. Uganda like other countries is expected its Nationally
Determined Contribution (NDC)
as per Article 4 of the Paris Agreement.
///Cue IN “It will
help us…
Cue Out….. with negotiation”
///
During the conference’s first week, world leaders shared their views and
expectations for the global stocktake’s outcome during a series of roundtable meetings.
A total of 29 Heads
of State and Government, 21 ministers, 10 high-level officials, three United
Nations organizations, and eight non-governmental organizations spoke at the
events.
Governments will decide on the global stocktake at COP28, which can be
leveraged to raise ambition and action in this decade.
The global stocktake is a process for countries and stakeholders to see where
they’re collectively making progress towards meeting the goals of the Paris
Climate Change Agreement – and where they’re not.
The science from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
indicates that greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and
decline 43% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Crossing the 1.5°C
threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate change impacts, the IPCC
warns.
There have been three high-level global stocktake events on mitigation,
adaptation, and means of implementation.
Adaptation
Leaders recognized the significant adaptation implementation and finance gaps. The finance gap is estimated between USD
194-366 billion per year as per the latest UNEP
Adaptation Gap Report and stressed the need for all
countries to urgently enhance actions to strengthen adaptation and
significantly increase the capacity and resources of developing countries, with
a focus on those that are particularly vulnerable.
Leaders acknowledged the adaptation efforts of developing countries, which have
contributed to building resilience and reducing the vulnerability of the
population.
They also recognized
that natural ecosystems play a key role in adaptation, including through
ecosystem-based solutions, with particular emphasis on water and mountains.
Mwebesa said there
are still many areas that need a lot of work as the ministers converge for the ministerial
negotiations. The Ugandan is a delegation led by Prime Minister Robina Nabanja.Other Ministers
that URN has confirmed are in Dubai include Water and Environment Minister, Sam
Cheptoris, his state Minister, Beatrice Anywar, Health Minister, Ruth Aceng,
Henry Okello Oryem from Foreign Affairs, Ruth Nankabirwa and Judith Nabakooba
from Lands among others.
Uganda continues to
push for a Just Energy Transition as the world pushes for a phase-out of oil
and gas or generally fossil fuel. Uganda has insisted that a just transition should
allow it to exploit oil and gas resources to help it move to a greener economy.
Mwebesa told URN
that the issue about the energy transition remains sticky yet is part of the
issues Uganda is pushing for at COP28.
/// Cue In “ We need
a just transition……
Cue Out…. Fair to
all parties”///
Leaders at COP 28 also
agreed on the need to rapidly scale up support for adaptation —beyond meeting
the target of doubling adaptation finance— and loss and damage; and welcomed
the pledges to the new loss and damage funding arrangements and fund. Uganda is
excited that the issue of climate financing was fairly dealt with during the
week.
////Cue IN “We have
the issue of climate …..
Cue Out …….through
the World Bank through the next two years”////
Leaders acknowledged that global climate finance flows have increased since the
Paris Agreement, but they underlined that finance and means of implementation
are not commensurate with the required investments, needs, and priorities
to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, especially those of developing
countries.
They also recognized that capacity building, technology development, and
transfer are critical, including for innovation.
Increased momentum on finance at COP28 and from the global stocktake outcome is
expected to signal a collective way forward to the outside world.
