2018 will be the year of the Talanoa dialogue. ECO is encouraged to see the design of the dialogue take shape and thinks the presidencies’ design is fit for purpose. But ECO also wants to emphasize a few important points.
Parties made good progress in finding a solution to the question of how to deal with pre-2020 by adding a pre-2020 stocktake to COP24 and COP25. However, they must be mindful of achieving appropriate balance between this proposed new pre-2020 stocktake and the political phase of the Talanoa dialogue process at COP24.
Increased NDC ambition and stronger pre-2020 action and support are needed to fulfill the Paris promise. Pre-2020 is important, especially in the context of “Where are we?” and to make the best of the short time available. But we also need the Talanoa Dialogue to provide relevant forward-looking information and political momentum towards preparing the NDCs that Parties will communicate by 2020 (per paragraphs 23 and 24 of 1/CP.21), in other words those for the 2026 to 2030 period. Those NDCs must be more ambitious/bold than what’s currently on the table, lest 1.5°C slips out of our hands.
ECO likes the idea to have both Fijian and Polish presidencies preside over the Talanoa process from start to finish – this is a great way of ensuring consistency and to allow the process to start early.
Perhaps even as early as today? “As you can perhaps tell, dear reader, ECO is quite eager for the Dialogue to begin and not only to hear about the gap we are still facing — and why it exists – but ECO is also pretty eager to hear ideas and experiences that can help us to answer “Where do we want to go,” and especially «How do we get there?» Of course, the input of non-party stakeholders is a particularly rich trove of material to draw from for that.
For today, we are looking forward to seeing a strong COP decision endorsing the presidencies’ report on the design of the Talanoa dialogue and a renewed mandate from the COP for the Fijian and Polish presidencies to jointly proceed on that basis. The outcome of the Dialogue at COP24 must send a strong signal, through a COP decision, that countries must update and improve their NDCs with commitments that eliminate the emissions gap and get us on track to keeping warming below 1.5°C.
After that starting signal, let’s get on and start Talanoa. Bula! To the Talanoa Dialogue!
