Developing countries, led by the G-77 and the Like-minded Group of Countries, argued why the outcome of the global stocktake process should be based on equity and common but differentiated responsibilities
Photo: UN Climate Change The first-ever Global Stocktake (GST) to assess the progress made in achieving climate goals outlined in the Paris climate agreement is now entering its final phase, also known as the political phase. The stocktake follows the third meeting of the technical dialogue at the mid-year climate conference in Bonn this week.
The Global Stocktake, which began in 2021, serves as a report card of the Paris Agreement and guides further implementation and the establishment of more ambitious goals. GST will be a consequential agenda item this year.
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The roundtables held during the third technical dialogue covered the four thematic areas of GST discussion — mitigation, adaptation, means of implementation and support.
The third technical dialogue began with an opening plenary last week. The event was followed by a World Cafe event and four roundtable discussions over the subsequent days. It was concluded on June 13, 2023, with closing statements from both party and non-party stakeholders. Cross-cutting agendas were in the spotlight throughout the technical dialogue.
Developing countries, led by the G-77 and the Like-minded Group of Countries (LMDCs), argued why the outcome of the global stocktake process should be based on equity and common but differentiated responsibilities.
Countries made factual arguments to stress the differentiated responsibilities. For instance, China argued during one of the roundtables that it takes developed countries about 70 years to reach net zero from peak emissions. At the same time, developing countries have a very narrow timeline to do the same, topped with challenges like poverty eradication.
In a roundtable and the closing plenary, Australia argued that non-annex 1 countries (mostly low-income developing countries) are responsible for 57 per cent of the CO2 emissions since 1992, the year of the start of the multilateral process.
Also read: High road to Dubai COP28: Here is how Global Stocktake talks fared in week 1 at Bonn
Developing countries want the global stocktake to consider historical emissions and the actions taken by developed countries to reduce emissions. However, developed countries wish for the pre-2020 gaps to be excluded from the first global stocktake. In the GST mitigation roundtable, the US criticised the summary report from the second technical dialogue for its focus on gaps ‘instead of the progress made since the Paris Agreement.’
Another point of discussion was the means of implementation and finance. Developed countries have been using Article 2.1 (c) of the Paris Agreement as a discussion point in several finance-based discussions.
On the other hand, developing countries have voiced concerns over the excessive focus on Article 2.1(c) in the context of finance. Developing countries see this as an attempt to shift the burden of finance onto them. India highlighted the failure of the existing finance mechanism at the closing plenary, citing it as a significant barrier to implementation.
Least Developed countries and countries from the African Group stressed on Loss and Damage Fund and the importance of treating it as a separate agenda from adaptation. Some countries noted existing gaps in adaptation, finance and technology transfer.
Non-party stakeholders, represented by civil society organisations and business groups, appreciated the innovative process of the technical dialogues with roundtables and the World Cafe event that helped them have more relevance in the process.
Co-facilitators of the dialogue produced a draft decision on the first global stocktake to be adopted later this year at COP28, Dubai. The last phase will consider the outputs of the process, incorporating the technical dialogue’s findings and assessing their implications.
A summary report on the third meeting of the technical dialogue will be prepared by August. This report will provide a concise overview of the key discussions held during the third and final dialogue.
A synthesis report, building on the discussions across all the meetings of the technical phase, will be prepared by early September. This report will offer recommendations based on the collective dialogue. With the completion of the technical exercise, it will be the responsibility of the political platform to interpret the outcomes of the process and inform the decision to be taken at COP28 in Dubai later this year.
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