12 Years Left

With this afternoon’s plenary, the Talanoa Dialogue will come to a close. After a year of listening to the stories, perspectives and solutions put forward by Parties and non- Parties alike, and absorbing the unsettling implications of the IPCC SR 1.5°C, ECO is convinced that the way forward is now clear.

To have any chance of staying below 1.5°C and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change, Parties must significantly enhance their current nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by 2020. With its decision the COP should provide very clear direction for countries to raise ambition.

Fortunately, as many contributors to the Talanoa Dialogue noted, the necessary actions need not be costly for countries to adopt €”and in fact they can provide substantial economic and development benefits. ECO was thrilled to hear about all the solutions, benefits, and actions that are taken by non-party stakeholders on domestic, regional and international levels.

Since the original NDCs were put on the table in 2015, advances in technology, policy and finance have meant that a significant and growing array of climate solutions are cheaper and more effective than higher-carbon alternatives. These solutions can increase the overall well-being, and advance a countries” development goals, even before climate impacts are considered. Providing the necessary means of implementation for developing countries is obviously an integrated part of the ambition decision.

These kinds of solutions should be prioritized as countries consider how they can step-up the ambition of their NDCs by 2020.

In light of the increasing urgency highlighted by the IPCC SR 1.5°C, the COP decision should reaffirm the Paris Agreement by calling on Parties to decide how they will strengthen their NDCs by 2020, and set the world on a track to meet the 1.5°C target.