Delegates, it has been three years since we met in Bonn! ECO knows you have been looking forward to a beautiful, picturesque walk by the Rhein and some beer garden visits at what might feel a little like a class reunion.
Yet, ECO is worried: If we want to keep 1.5°C within reach, the world has just about as much time as since your last gathering in Bonn – 3 years! – to return global emissions to below 2020 levels. At the same time, millions of people around the world are already suffering from the impacts of the climate crisis at 1.1°C of global warming. This happens even as all countries promised to strengthen their 2030 targets and agreed to phase-down unabated coal and phase-out fossil fuel subsidies. Yet they keep expanding their dependence on fossil fuels, further worsening climate impacts.
Six months after Glasgow COP26, hardly any country is coming forward with increased targets or new climate finance commitments. COP27 is meant to be the implementation COP. For ECO, this means that ministers MUST fulfill their promises and, frankly, to stop lying. ECO looked for a more diplomatic word but if leaders tell a story of action at COPs and a story of excuses at home we could not come up with one. So at this class reunion it’s time for some sobering honesty. The pre-2030 mitigation work program and COP27 must follow-up on the commitments from Glasgow to actually phase-out fossil fuels.
The IPCC AR6 reports provided very sobering insights about how losses and damages will only increase with further fossil fuel expansion, and how human and natural systems are already reaching adaptation limits as we keep expanding our dependence fossil fuels. As COP27 takes place on the African continent and in the Arab region, both of which are among the most impacted regions, your work at these SBs must center on the needs of those hit hardest by the climate crisis.
Implementation of the Paris Agreement is not possible where human rights are being undermined, communities are unable to adapt, and vulnerable people are left alone to address the overwhelming losses and damages of the climate crisis.
Here in Bonn you can start the ground(breaking) work required to establish a Loss and Damage Finance Facility at COP27. ECO is happy to see the proposal to put the Glasgow Dialogue and Global Goal on Adaptation as mandated events on the actual SB agenda, hopefully leading to meaningful decisions in Sharm el Sheikh.
Rich countries have been in detention already twice for not meeting the US $100bn goal and must do so this year (but not all seem to take it too seriously; see the article on German climate finance in this issue). ECO hopes you all take the commitment to double adaptation finance more seriously and showcase some concrete progress even this year. COP27 may capture a delivery plan for doubling adaptation finance with time bound tracking to make sure the homework is done. We all know rich countries have not exactly been straight “A” students on climate finance, but a bunch of procrastinating, sluggish folk. So, now it’s time to make this Bonn reunion a really productive one, and ECO will stay with you as your private tutor.