COP28 Annual Policy Document: Toward Systems Transformation for a Just and Equitable Future

Access the full report here — read the summary below:

The world reached 1.43°C of warming this November compared to pre-industrial temperatures over the average of the last ten months since January 2023. This year will “certainly” be the warmest on record, since probably 125,000 years. It has been recently suggested that the remaining carbon budget, the allowable global carbon dioxide (CO2) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to stay on a 1.5°C pathway, could be exhausted in five or six years at the current rate of emissions. This is earlier than anticipated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) . 

The recent UN Production Gap Report shows that governments’ production plans and projections would lead to 460% more coal 29% more oil 82% more gas in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. 

To limit global warming to 1.5°C, global emissions must immediately reach their peak and then be cut in half at least by 2030 for a 1.5°C trajectory to remain in reach. This must be achieved via equitable, justice, and rights-based systems; sector-wide transformation to sustainable futures; and the restoration and protection of ecosystems, which must be supported by a significant scale-up of finance. Many climate solutions bear the potential of massive sustainable development benefits if designed, implemented, and funded well.

Meanwhile, climate impacts are exacerbating vulnerabilities, and inequities and robbing people of a life with dignity and devastating ecosystems. 

Communities in the Global South who have done little to cause the problem of climate change are on the frontlines with the least resources to cope, because of insufficient action by rich historical polluters for several decades now. We need a course correction. COP28 presents an opportunity for this course correction through the Global Stocktake (GST). 

We know that the world is falling far short of what is required to close the gaps needed in emissions reduction, adapting to climate change, and addressing loss and damage.  Between 1990 and 2015, the richest 1% of the world’s population between 1990 and 2015 (representing about 60 million people), were responsible for more than twice as much carbon pollution as the poorest half of humanity (3.1 billion people) during the same period. Developed countries must pay their fair share of climate finance and lead on phasing out fossil fuels based on the principles of Common but Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR). These principles of equity are cornerstones of the UN Climate Convention and Paris Agreement and must be at the core of all outcomes and implementation. 

There is still dire poverty and development needs in many developing countries and differentiated responsibilities indicate that everyone must undertake climate change action, but that the ambition of the climate action individual countries choose depends on  a number of different factors such as their circumstances, capacities and support received for climate action. 

Furthermore, today’s global financial system is failing the people and the planet: Under the status quo, there is no realistic expectation that climate finance will be delivered at the scale or at the urgency required by climate systems or communities on the frontline of this crisis. We cannot continue the business-as-usual approach in global finance and expect to get different results, be it on mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, nor other social injustices and sustainable development goals. In a context of failed finance commitments and an unjust economic system, calls have been made in recent years to transform the financial system. However, we must urge caution against accepting ‘quick wins’ and ‘half measures’; these are false solutions in that they are unequal to the rapid wholesale transformations required for people, nature, and climate, in addition to being counter to longer-term equity.

At the same time, it is important to point out that the world’s militaries contribute at least 5.5% of global emissions and reporting is voluntary and mostly lacking. We ask leaders to reduce and re-allocate military spending to reduce emissions and to provide adequate, scaled-up finance as this is a critical enabler of ambitious climate action

Protecting human rights is at the heart of our fight for climate justice. The growing disregard for human rights and civil liberties amidst the rise of authoritarianism across the world is deeply concerning. Upholding the freedom to non-violent protest, to assembly and to dissent are fundamental to the democratic rights of citizens to hold their leaders accountable on climate change and on social justice. 

At COP28 we expect Parties to deliver substantial progress – on a plan for a just and equitable phase out of fossil forms, scaling up sustainable renewables, delivering finance for a Just Transition and for adaptation and to address Loss and Damage.

There must be decisions on: the equitable phase out of all fossil fuels; a transition that is just and human rights-based; an ambitious framework that enables and measures progress on Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) objectives as agreed in the Paris Agreement; an effective and human rights-based operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund with substantial pledges of new and additional finance from developed countries to ensure it is resourced at scale; substantial progress on new, additional and predictable climate finance, including the delivery of $100 billion per year by 2020 commitment of developed countries and both substantive and procedural progress on the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance (NCQG); and a Global Stocktake (GST) that delivers an outcome that is balanced, based on equity and best available science, and ensures the world is on course to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. 

We demand real solutions and reject false solutions. Outcomes that consider fossil gas as a transitional fuel are dangerous and delay a transition. Mitigation efforts cannot rely on carbon capture and storage; nuclear power and geoengineering; and resources from offsets considered climate finance. These dangerous distractions will only delay efforts to limit global temperature rise below 1.5°C.

In this context, CAN present’s set of demands on the various issues under negotiation.