“I gotta feeling,
That this week we will make good progress
That this week we will think of workers
That this week we’ll discuss diversification
Ouh!
I gotta feeling,
That countries will adopt the workplan
And the forum will share best practices
And contribute to more climate ambition!”
Wow, well this morning, ECO feels like singing!
Yesterday, ECO saw countries engage constructively on their first negotiations on the adoption of the six-year work-plan for the forum on the impact of the implementation of response measures. They agreed to streamline a work process that has been delayed by one year. And it’s particularly encouraging that all countries agreed in principle, to allow observers to stay in the room during the two hours of informal negotiations that took place yesterday.
ECO also finds it encouraging when countries decide to address, in the most honest way, issues related to just transition and economic diversification. In a climate-changing world, these are not easy discussions. They can be painful because change means there will be some losers. But for the global community to work together to hold the global temperature rise below 1.5°C, cooperation among and within countries will be essential to ensure that the transition is fair, equitable, inclusive, and responsive to gender, class, and race, and disabled people. The transition must jumpstart new social and economic development while increasing climate ambition.
But you know what, we are just starting. There is still much work to do to detail how countries will, for example, “explore approaches to the development and implementation of NDCs and long-term low greenhouse gas emission strategies that maximize the positive impacts and minimize the negative impacts of response measures”.
You know, ECO echoes the words of a negotiator who said [response measures are] “not an issue for oil-rich countries. This is more than that, and it’s impacting the EU as well”. We are all impacted, particularly as countries prepare new and more ambitious NDCs by 2020.
ECO looks forward to more discussions on how to prepare regional and sector-specific case studies on the impacts of implementation of response measures, on just transition and economic diversification. ECO also looks forward to more dialogue on how to ensure that capacity-building support and shared practices are provided to and with developing countries to improve knowledge on these topics. ECO knows that there is potential behind the creation of robust tools for modelling and assessing the impacts of the implementation of mitigation measures.
Most importantly, ECO is looking forward to a cooperative process of finalizing the six-year work plan to ensure that issues of equity and just transition are considered in tandem with setting new ambitious targets on climate. These cannot be divorced; social and economic justice cannot be ignored when countries are undergoing vast energy and social transitions. It is essential that the forum approves a work plan to kickstart a productive program on response measures.
It’s time to turn things around from seeing response measures as one of the least-loved items of the agenda and come up with tools that will help us accelerate the transition towards a decarbonized world that will be better for all.