Friends of Talanoa Dialogue Briefing: Considerations for Submission of Inputs to the Talanoa Dialogue, March 2018

Friends of Talanoa Dialogue Briefing: Considerations for Submission of Inputs to the Talanoa Dialogue

This memo was prepared by the Friends of Talanoa Dialogue, a number of civil society organisations and think tanks, including Climate Action Network, World Resources Institute, IDDRI, Mission 2020, ICLEI, Stockholm Environment Institute, Blavatnik School of Government Oxford University, International Institute for Environment and Development and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.
 

A broad range of stakeholders have the opportunity to feed directly into the Talanoa Dialogue through submissions, participating in the May session of the Dialogue (6 May 2018), and convening events in support of the Dialogue. The Talanoa Dialogue focuses on answering three core questions: (1) Where are we? (2) Where do we want to go? and (3) How do we get there?
Submissions from both Parties and non-Party stakeholders can play a key role in highlighting key issues related to the need, gaps and opportunities for action, including the role played by non-Party stakeholders and the potential for strengthened action and increased ambition from countries. Submissions should speak to what the submitting Party can contribute or action they will undertake.
Given the breadth of potential inputs, the information submitted is likely to be substantial and covering a broad range of topics. Therefore, there is value in providing succinct, targeted submissions that respond directly to the three questions and can advance the conversation and contribute to the purpose of the Talanoa Dialogue – enhancing ambition and informing the next round of NDCs in 2020.
Below are suggestions for content and messages that could be highlighted or provided in submissions for each question. Inputs can be in the form of quantitative evidence, stories of specific examples or experiences, or forward-looking proposals that highlight new opportunities to increase action and ambition. In each case, submissions are likely to have a greater impact if they are given a clear message and framing.

Where are we?
• Temperature rise has already reached 1°C and the impacts from climate change are already being felt. Identify climate impacts specific to your sector, country or region. Present also the “human side” of these impacts, as well as economic and infrastructure costs.
• Current NDCs and trajectories of emissions put the world on course for temperature rise greater than 1.5 and 2C (NDCs cover only approximately one third of the emissions reductions needed to be on a least-cost pathway for the goal of staying well below 2°C).
• If the emissions gap is not closed by 2030, it is extremely unlikely that the goal of holding global warming to well below 2°C can still be reached.
• At current rates of emissions, the carbon budget for 2C will be 80% depleted by 2030.
• Peaking emissions by 2020 is urgently needed to keep the window to 1.5C open. Need for emissions to peak by 2020, assessments on peaking of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in specific countries, and what national commitments imply for an emissions peak in the future
• Identify emissions levels and trajectories in key sectors.
• Early progress is being made that can be scaled (also relevant for question #3). Outline progress being made in your sector (e.g. falling costs, new technologies available), country (e.g. expected over achievement of target), subnational jurisdiction (e.g. new economy wide or sectoral targets), or region. Emphasize already achieved emissions reductions, not just ambitious
• Levels of finance and investment needed and available for climate-appropriate action. Evidence
that some financial flows are beginning to shift, but financial support for fossil fuels is still at
significant levels.
• Emphasize “positive” changes we are already seeing in the world (e.g. rapid cost reduction in
renewables, job creation by renewables, co-benefits of adaptation measures i.e., health
impacts, jobs and innovation).

Where do we want to go?
• Describe the emissions reductions and mitigation actions needed, including for specific sectors and sources of emissions, to achieve goals of the Paris Agreement. This can include short-term, medium-term and long-term objectives in the context of achieving the Paris goals.
• Describe the adaptation and resilience actions needed for a safe future. Integrated adaptation and mitigation policies/strategies/actions are also recommendable to highlight here.
• Share a vision of the future you want to see for the sector, constituency or geography you represent and for the world as a whole.
• Describe the transformational change needed in order to achieve the Paris goals, including shifts in finance and investment, sustainable consumption and production, resilience, etc.
• Describe the enabling policies needed from national governments to unlock greater ambition and action at their level as well as from other actors, including business, investors, sub-national governments and private individuals.
• Outline a vision for economic growth, investment, jobs, energy security, health, and quality of life that greater and integrated climate action could bring.
• Outline a vision for a just transition to ensure that no one gets left behind.

How do we get there?
• Strengthened action in enhanced NDCs, along with national-level implementation and non-state action, are needed to move the world toward a trajectory in line with well below 2C and 1.5C.
• Significant opportunities for strengthened action and ambition exist; identify opportunities for specific sectors, sources of emissions, geographies, etc. Specific proposals are helpful, particularly if there are already existing initiatives/programmes that can be scaled up, or that new participants can join. For example, “If 5 more countries joined our initiative, the effect would be…”
• Climate action can provide substantial development and economic benefits; describe evidence of the benefits of climate action in specific sectors and geographies and for specific sources o emissions.
• Identify sectors or sources of emissions that weren’t included in initial NDCs or need strengthening. (e.g. short-lived climate pollutants, oceans and marine ecosystems, urban
planning). Quantify what their inclusion would mean in terms of greenhouse gas emission reduction and other development or economic benefits (e.g. fiscal benefits of fossil fuel subsidy eform).
• Identify specific recent technological and economic shifts and/or breakthroughs (e.g. battery storage, electric vehicles, green infrastructure for adaptation, etc.) that can serve as the basis
for enhanced action. (underlying assumptions have changed since the NDCs were firs developed. Identification of what these are (e.g. falling price of renewables, advancements in
battery storage, new policy options) and how this impacts the models used to develop the targets in current NDCs.
• Identify new initiatives that have been launched to support implementation or provide new avenues for cooperation and enhanced action. Specify how others can join such initiatives and therefore enhance action or ambition.
• Non-Party stakeholders are making ambitious commitments and taking significant action across multiple sectors; these actions can provide bolster and support enhanced national policies and
NDCs.
• National dialogues between governments and non-party stakeholders can unlock new opportunities for action. National governments are receiving new technical tools like ICAT to help them understand and measure how non-party stakeholders are already helping them deliver their current NDCs, and providing a methodology to integrate non-party stakeholder commitments into their next round of NDCs.
• Collaboration among countries through finance, technology and capacity could unlock the potential of those countries, which lead to enhance NDCs. If any, state possible examples. Equity and fairness should be reflected in such processes.
• Describe how enhancing climate action will further the advancement of the SDGs.
• Describe the importance of achieving equity and fairness that leads to reinforcing ambition.

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