Civil society calls on climate negotiators in Bonn to respond to the climate emergency

17 June 2019

Bonn, 17 June 2019: On the first day of the Bonn climate meeting, SB50, Climate Action Network (CAN) members said negotiators must advance discussions on loss and damage, finance and climate ambition to adequately respond to the climate emergency that is affecting people.

To respond effectively to increasing climate impacts, this Bonn session must set strong terms of reference for the review of the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) due to happen later this year. The WIM was established in 2013 to address loss and damage incurred from climate impacts.

Negotiators must also deliver a finance package to help countries adapt to the fast-changing climate, deal with loss and damage caused by mounting impacts and provide support for developing countries to enhance their national targets by 2020.

Quotes:

Harjeet Singh, Global Climate Change Lead from ActionAid International said:

 “While developing countries are working towards climate proofing their economies or exploring new sectors that climate change opens for them, for developing countries and poor people it’s a fight for their survival and that’s why we are here.”

“Mozambique that was battered by two cyclones one after the other saw hundreds of people dying, millions of people rendered homeless and as we speak Mozambique is struggling to raise money, their need is around 3.2 billion USD, they are organizing pledging conferences but they are not getting enough support.”

“Coming from Delhi, it’s 48 degrees, Rajasthan state crossed 50 degrees. In the last 24 hours, 45 people have lost their lives to heatwaves. That’s the reality we are facing and it’s just 1 degree of warming causing this kind of havoc.”

On the WIM, Singh said it was mandated to generate finance for communities who are facing harsh realities so that they can be provided relief after facing impacts and helped to rebuild their lives:

“The fact is in the last six years, no system has been set to deliver support…Here in 2019 the institution (WIM) is up for review and in this session the terms of reference for this review need to be finalized.”

“We have now an opportunity to make sure that this institution is fit for purpose, it responds to realities people are facing on the ground…. The terms of reference need to be robust, comprehensive and forward-looking and that finance remains central.”

Eddy Perez, International Policy Analyst, Climate Action Network, Canada said:

“Climate finance is an obligation, we know that currently there are very big gaps concerning adaptation finance and how this finance is actually helping vulnerable countries respond to climate change.”

“There will not be implementation of NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) if there is no support because developing countries need that support to prepare and implement climate plans domestically.”

“At this moment where climate breakdown is more and more felt in every region, we need to see what outcomes will be delivered at these UNFCCC processes that will channel and mobilize sufficient funds for developing countries.”

“We need to make sure that finance remains at the top of the political agenda and not just a technical discussion within these rooms for that we need to look at this as a finance package.”

“We are one year away from the 2020 deadline where developed countries must say how they were able to mobilize USD 100 billion for adaptation and mitigation resources in a way that it respects the principles of the Paris Agreement.”

“At this SB50, we want to see contributor countries to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) say how they intend to scale up and provide resources to the GCF so by this fall in the replenishment summit we see an increase of funds to continue helping developing countries implement their NDCs”

“We have seen some signs from Germany and Norway to double their contribution, it’s time for other countries to step up and say how they intend to go beyond doubling their contribution to the Green Climate Fund.”

Yamide Dagnet, Director, UNFCCC, Climate Program World Resources Institute said:

“In such a context of climate emergency and ecological crisis, as our youth around the world keep reminding us every Friday, as my 10-year-old son reminds me every time I tell him goodbye to spend two weeks in climate negotiations, we need ambition, ambition, ambition.”

“The UN Secretary-General told heads of states from all countries to come prepared with concrete actions and plans to do much better than they ever did so far not incrementally but transformationally at scale, to scale up actions to reduce the temperature gap to avoid the losses and damages of a world of 2 or 3 degrees Celsius, to strengthen our current fragile resilience and align support to do this.”

“I wanted to highlight the notion of leaving no one behind, because for the first time this session is providing space to discuss how to make those efforts more just, taking into account human rights, the role of indigenous people, and how to make climate action more gender responsive… these can make things more transformational.”

Written by Hala Kilani, Senior Communications Coordinator, CAN