ECO 1, SB62

Sabotaging Climate Justice is not an option

We are living through unprecedented times. Geopolitical instability, conflicts and wars are spiraling out of control, and most sharply epitomised by the ongoing genocide of more than 600 days in Palestine. Civic space, freedom of expression and human rights are also being undermined.. Meanwhile, as the climate crisis relentlessly devastates vulnerable populations and frontline communities, any hope of a collective, just and equitable response, sufficient to protect health, nature, and economies, dims with each passing day.

Make no mistake, this is a direct consequence of the attitude by governments, especially those in developed countries, which delay, distract, derail and deflect any attempt to ensure a just response to the climate crisis. The finance goal debacle at the Baku COP last year has undeniably weakened the pathway to the Paris Agreement goal and jeopardised the future of climate cooperation. The results are already visible. The latest round of NDCs has been underwhelming, to say the least. The 30-odd NDCs submitted thus far do not paint a picture of ambition, despite the alarming urgency of the climate crisis.

Thirty-three years after the UNFCCC came into existence, we return to the birthplace of the Convention at the end of this year. Through a series of open letters, the Brazilian Presidency has identified the monumental challenge of retaining the relevance of the Convention through both the agenda of the COP and the need for reforms that make the process more effective and accountable. This SB session is a litmus test of this resolve.

The task for negotiators is clear. Act in the interests and well-being of the billions of people who seek protection against the climate crisis instead of allowing the influence of vested interests and profit motives determine the pace and scale of ambition.

There are still clear opportunities to restore trust in this process. The establishment of a Just Transition Mechanism will be critical in making sure that the interests and security of working people, vulnerable communities and Indigenous Peoples’ are incorporated inthe  design and implementation of the transformation needed to address the climate crisis. The Baku to Belém Roadmap and negotiations on Article 2.1c must prioritise the critical role of public finance in funding climate action, address the need for fair, equitable and additional finance and that does not add to the debt burden of  developing countries. A new goal on adaptation finance and agreement on a list of indicators, that covers means of implementation and responds to the needs of people, is critical. 

We are living through extremely uncertain and dangerous times. ECO fears that the disdain and distrust people have in multilateralism and its ability to deliver climate justice is reaching a critical mass.

There is no better time for a course correction than now, and no better place than here, in Bonn.

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Just Transition rising!

ECO can sense that public faith in the UN’s climate regime is fading in the face of a multitude of monumental challenges to humanity. Thus, we won’t shy away from asking the question that is on many minds: how can this process regain relevance for the millions and millions of people, who, together with worrying about climate change, are constantly stretched to make ends meet?

Beyond slogans to “leave no one behind,” real world answers must be sought in the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP), and fast.

A few weeks ago, in Panama, ECO was pleased to note how much Parties have broadened and deepened their understanding of Just Transition in the past two years. We were especially excited to hear about the momentum growing for a concrete, ambitious and actionable COP30 decision.

Ideas are flowing to make this process relevant and impactful for working people, for communities, for their countries, and the opportunity must not be missed. 

ECO heard that the following proposals may be on the table as soon as the negotiation kicks off today:

• Launch of a Belém Action Mechanism (BAM) to accelerate and support country efforts for a Global Just Transition
• Agree on guiding principles that protect the core values of Just Transition (which include rights and participation; addressing, not deepening, inequalities; Means of Implementation through international cooperation; and legal commitments under the Convention and its Paris Agreement, based on equity and the principle of CBDR-RC)
• Recognise that Just Transition policies are also applicable for climate finance, as they play a critical role in enabling higher ambition.
• Integrate Just Transition into NDCs, NAPs and LT-LEDS 
• Create and strengthen national institutions guaranteeing meaningful participation  
• Chart future work on JT in key sectors (fossil fuels, renewables, critical minerals, agriculture/food systems, industry, transport, caring sector among others)

However, ECO is experienced enough to know that delegates are better at talking the talk than walking the talk. Nevertheless, we would love to be proven wrong, and witness Parties arriving faster at a draft text negotiation.

ECO and friends will keep a close eye on the JTWP during SB62, and the pressure up on Parties to not waste this opportunity.

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Countdown to GGA100: Delivering on the Global Goal on Adaptation

Since COP28, a significant amount of time, resources, effort, and intellect have been invested by technical experts and Parties working collectively to identify indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). But this is not just a technical exercise. Behind every metric lies a community facing climate impacts, deep systemic failures and a future put at risk by woefully inadequate adaptation action. With Belém on the horizon, the work ahead is not just to refine technical details, but to make sure that GGA delivers for people and the planet, and in time. A carefully considered set of indicator options have emerged – highly detailed but not yet perfected. Nonetheless, it is a giant step towards making the GGA operational. With 6 months to go for Belém, ECO still waits for a response to the key question: will the indicators help people and ecosystems adapt? 

Earlier this year, the expert groups started the work to reduce a table of 10,000 indicators to the 490 short list presented three weeks ago. This list is comprehensive, with indicators mapped across all GGA targets, organised to show both immediate data readiness and longer-term potential. However, important questions still remain, as we begin today: How will this long list be streamlined to a final list of 100? What criteria will be used to finalise the list? How will data be disaggregated to avoid concealing inequalities? Will the indicators reflect human rights? How will experts be supported to complete their vital work? How will the indicators reflect/assess gender equality and social inclusion?

But  perhaps the most critical question is: what is the plan for Means of Implementation (MOI)? MoI will ultimately define whether adaptation action is possible. Approximately, 1 in 4 proposed indicators are currently classified as relating to MoI, but must now be meaningfully strengthened, to ensure they explicitly track finance, technology transfer and capacity building, while also improving their quality in line with the principles of the Paris Agreement and the Convention. MoIs should not be conflated with ‘enablers’ such as political will, stakeholder participation, vertical integration or legal frameworks. Neither should it be based on enabling conditions, creating a cause-and-effect scenario. Outcome-based indicators and those that address adaptive capacity are vital, but they are no proxy for tracking means of implementation. 

This exercise is one of the few processes under the UNFCCC where a comprehensive approach to tracking MoIs is being attempted. Weakening it now has implications that extend far beyond technicalities: hindering rebuilding trust between Parties, undermining the integrity of the Global Goal on Adaptation, eroding aspirations of progress in implementing National Adaptation Plans, and a missed rare opportunity to define an accountability framework for enabling real-world adaptation action. Without it, we will let down millions of vulnerable communities facing escalating climate impacts.

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Download the ECO issue here: https://climatenetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/ECO-16-June-2025.pdf