By UN Rep Stacey Kimmig, AIWC Cologne
The June interim climate discussions have ended, but it is difficult to say just how much progress they brought to the ongoing climate discussions. At the opening plenary, a speaker was raising concerns about the ability to hold effective online discussions, as many countries do not have reliable internet connections. She then disappeared from the screen, inadvertently proving her own point. Indeed, I also found it difficult to stay focused at 3 am for a two hour meeting, where technical issues slowed down discussions or statements and distractions such as other family members appearing in pyjamas, or roosters crowing added to the excitement. Or in the third week, where the gender constituency held their planning meeting at 4 am, ahead of the first official meeting of the day. This really brought home the point that online negotiations cannot be effective over so many time zones and technical capabilities. So, it is imperative that the Glasgow COP26 (Conference of the Parties) takes place in person, and members of the Glasgow planning group are, I am sure, scrambling behind the scenes to try and make that happen.
If you are interested in seeing some of the official discussions which took place, recordings can be found here on the UNFCCC website.
FAWCO as a member of the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC, a group of NGOs which pushes for gender just climate solutions), expressed concerns over the idea of holding a hybrid meeting in November, which would most likely mean that parties would attend meetings in Glasgow, and observers would have to try and push their positions through their computer screens, eliminating our ability to approach negotiators in the hallways to discuss our key asks for ensuring gender just wording in the agreed outcomes. Our colleague Pratima, speaking on behalf of the WGC, said in the closing plenary on Friday:
“We are deeply concerned that — in spite of continuous efforts made by both the Secretariat and Co-Chairs of the SBs to ensure inclusive participation as well as by ourselves — we find many important voices, in particular of grassroots activists, including women who are at the frontlines of resisting the structural drivers of the climate crisis, as well as communities hardest hit by climate change not being equally represented the past weeks in this virtual format. We cannot accept an approach for COP26 being 'as-inclusive-as possible' when these voices are excluded, most importantly, the knowledge and experience of Indigenous Peoples, particularly grassroots and Indigenous women, to shape and advance equitable and feminist solutions. Our communities in the Global South are battling between life and death while Parties fail to prioritise actions protecting human rights, gender justice and the environment.”
We will be carefully watching to see how they solve the issue of online or in-person meetings. As the process of climate negotiations has been stalled now for 18 months due to COVID-19, the parties must meet in November. I am afraid that observers may be on the sidelines, watching from home.
Overall, these meetings served as a discussion to help countries find common ground on contentious issues before the COP. At the closing session, Portugal, speaking on behalf of the EU, summed up the next steps which must occur before Glasgow:
“Colleagues, the constructive engagement and cooperation of all Parties in this respect is crucial to our success. We take hope from the fact that nearly every delegation on every issue that was discussed in these past weeks calls for decisions that will promote greater ambition, on mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation, and recognized the role that a completed rulebook can play in driving the transition needed to achieve the Paris goals. And as we complete the rulebook, expectations remain high for the coming months that Parties that haven’t done so will submit or enhance their NDCs and Long-Term Strategies, submit or strengthen their adaptation communications and scale up their pledges of financial support. More ambition is needed if we are to arrive in Glasgow with global commitments keeping 1.5°C within sight. The incoming UK COP Presidency has the EU’s full support.”
You can read all statements made by parties and constituencies at the closing plenary here.
I hope that FAWCO and other civil society actors will be able to participate in Glasgow’s Conference of the Parties 26 in person, and that ambitious agreements will be reached by the Parties, so that we can get back on track with an effective, coordinated worldwide climate effort.