ECO eagerly awaited the opening plenary of the Talanoa Dialogue yesterday, excited to see which climate champions would emerge. First off the blocks were the LDCs and AOSIS, both groups calling for the Talanoa Dialogue to result in enhanced ambition in the form of updated NDCs. AILAC likewise called for having updated NDCs by 2020, adding the importance of developing long-term strategies by 2020, as well that provide domestic roadmaps for the transformation that is required to fulfill the goals of the Paris Agreement. Props to the European Union for also emphasizing that this is an exercise focused on enhancing ambition and ensuring the relevance of long-term strategies to the ambition picture, and EIG for highlighting the key role the Talanoa Dialogue will play in raising ambition. ECO would love to hear more about what this means for your NDCs though. ECO welcomes that the Umbrella Group recognized that the Talanoa Dialogue is an exercise to inform NDCs, but being a bit more specific would help, don’t you think?
Thanks to South Africa for raising key questions about the outcome and process – how the transition will happen from the technical to the political phase, and what the outcome of the political phase would be. These are important questions because ultimately, dear Parties, the Dialogue is not just a conversation for the fun of it. We agree that the Talanoa Dialogue is a key opportunity to discuss possibilities for raising ambition and identifying gaps. We sincerely look forward to the opportunity to reflect on where we are, including how we got here – but most importantly what the solutions for moving forward together are; including the support needed to deliver higher ambition. But ultimately, the world is watching to see what emerges – both on Sunday and at COP24 later this year. The Talanoa Dialogue is but one step in a collective journey towards ambition – the next step is action.