“We are now heading for about 2.7 degrees. This is still ruinously high, and There is a long, steep road ahead to reach our shared goal of 1.5 (degrees) this century (…)”, said Stiell during the opening of the 60th meeting of the subsidiary bodies of the Bonn Climate Conference. The conference, which is attended by some 6,000 participants including national representatives, NGOs and civil society activists, has The objective is to promote progress on key issues until the next day 13 and prepare decisions for approval at the next COP29., which will be held in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, next November. Stiell stressed that to put all the components of the Paris Agreement at full capacity, serious progress must be made in financing, “the great facilitator of climate action.” “I urge you to move from the draft to real options for a new quantified collective goal on climate finance,” he said, because “we cannot afford to arrive in Baku with too much work still to do.”
Innovative financing
He stated that the provision of new subsidies and forms of financing on more favorable terms for developing countries must be accompanied by global financial reforms to provide debt relief and affordable financing, and the search for new and innovative sources of financing. Stiell also considered that we must move towards better carbon markets, as this would unlock more financing for national climate plans and adaptation. He stressed that The new round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) plans that countries must present in 2025 “will be one of the most important political documents prepared so far this century“.
“These plans must be bolder, more ambitious, and build on what has already been advanced. They should be broader, covering entire economies and all greenhouse gases. And its benefits must reach everyone, including women, indigenous peoples, young people and those most vulnerable to the climate impacts that are hitting right now,” Stiell insisted. The high-ranking UN official also urged all countries to present a National Plan for Adaptation to climate change that covers all sectors of the economy and works in all its societies.
More adaptation plans
He remembered that To date only 57 Parties have developed a plan. “By the time we meet again in Baku, this number should have increased considerably. We need all countries to have a plan by 2025 and to move forward with its implementation by 2030,” he said. In his opinion, the time has come to rethink the National Adaptation Plans and think about how to improve them. “One way is to design them with the clear intention of unlocking much more funding and support for adaptation,” he said. Stiell also considered that the benefits of climate action must be shared equitably and therefore the role of civil society is essential, as is gender equality. “There are many obstacles to overcome. It can be tempting to feel discouraged some days” in the fight against climate change, he said, but he stressed that much has been achieved in the last three decades through this process convened by the UN in Bonn.
“Without international cooperation called by the UN, we would be doomed to global warming of up to 5 degrees (…)”, he said. “It is clear that the second half of humanity’s climate journey will be even more difficult, and climate action will have to move at a faster pace. So we cannot afford stops or detours (…)”, urged the UN Executive Secretary for Climate Change. As soon as he finished his speech, the conference presidency temporarily suspended the plenary due to an unauthorized protest in the podium – without interrupting Stiell – of two people with a Palestinian flag and a sign who refused to leave the room escorted by UN security personnel despite the organization’s call
