Final decision at 25th round of climate negotiations to stress on urgency of climate action

MADRID, SPAIN: The urgency of action, the need for enhanced ambition to reduce emissions, adapt to climate change and provide the means to step up climate action, and the need to address the gaps in achieving targets set for 2020 are expected to find expression in the final outcome of the 25th round of UN-sponsored climate negotiations.
Ahead of the ministerial level negotiations, beginning on Tuesday, conference chair Chile, in consultation with countries, has put together list of issues or elements that need to be addressed in the final outcome of the current round of talks that countries want addressed. Following discussions over the weekend, Chile released a document detailing the “possible elements” that are likely to be addressed in the final outcome late Sunday evening.

The “possible elements” refers to issues and concerns that countries or country groupings consider as essential to taking forward the global collaborative efforts to address climate change. These elements are considered by parties to be essential to arriving at consensus. On Monday afternoon, the Chilean presidency is expected to undertake further consultations to further finesse the elements before the ministerial round. Over the next few days ministers and negotiators will work under the guidance of the Chilean chair to find common ground and compromises among countries on these issues that have been identified.

The final decision is expected to stress on the urgency of climate action focusing on the gap between emission reductions required to meet the Paris Agreement goals and the aggregate of emission reduction effected through the climate actions that countries have pledged. Though increasing ambition is not on the agenda of the current round of talks, the final decision is expected to call for “enhanced implementation and ambition” in reducing emissions, adapting to climate change and the provision of finance and technology to undertake climate action. On the ambition question, there is specific mention of calling countries to upgrade or revise their national determined contribution or domestic climate action.

Addressing in particular the demand by vulnerable countries, the decision will stress on the need for a global goal on adaptation.

Demand from developing countries, particularly the emerging economies, to address the failure of rich industrialised countries to meet their pre-2020 targets of emission reduction and provision of finance is reflected in this list of possible elements.

It specifically calls for a work programme that will “identify the progress and gaps” on mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology development and transfer, and capacity building of the pre-2020 commitments by developed countries. And calls on creating an arrangement to “close the gaps”.

The possible elements include the recognition of the scientific inputs provided by the IPCC has also been included. However, it does not mention any report specifically. This could be an accommodation to Saudi Arabia, which is the leading voice against the inclusion of reference to scientific reports.

Other issues that are being considered for inclusion in the outcome document are the linkage between oceans and climate change and the role of non-government entities such as business.