Nearly 200 organisations sign open letter demanding urgent action on mitigation ambition and climate finance ahead of COP27

Letter to the Heads of Delegation 

Deliver Urgent Mitigation Ambition and Climate Finance 

Background: To  ensure successful outcomes in Sharm el-Sheikh, the incoming COP 27 Presidency is convening an informal Heads of Delegation meeting from 13-15 October 2022 in Egypt focusing on Mitigation and Finance. 

We as, Climate Action Network and allies, ask for political leadership in this climate emergency to deliver urgent mitigation ambition and climate finance. This means a rapid and equitable phase out of all fossil fuels, drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this decade to stay below 1.5C, and implementing policies and shifting finance towards a just and sustainable transition for a climate-safe future.    

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To the Attention of Heads of Delegations negotiating on behalf of their governments and constituted groups,

Time is up. The IPCC 6th Assessment Reports have shown that the window of opportunity to stay within the temperature target of 1.5°C is rapidly closing with disastrous effects.

At the recent UNGA, the Secretary General identified the root cause of the climate crisis as our addiction to fossil fuels. This must stop immediately. The windfall profits of fossil fuel companies, who are profiting off the people, must be redirected to address loss and damage and to alleviate the suffering of people facing compounding food and energy crises. The protection of biodiverse and carbon-rich ecosystems like wetlands and tropical forests are crucial for reducing CO2 emissions and storing carbon towards a 1.5°C pathway in line with phasing out fossil fuels.

We remind you, at COP26 the Glasgow Climate Pact expressed alarm and utmost concern that human activities have caused around 1.2°C of global warming to date and stressed the urgency of enhancing ambition and action. The most recent WMO report – United in Science – shows yet again an alarming ambition and implementation gap between Parties’ pledges and what is needed to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement and to secure a climate safe future for all. 

We see climate tipping points being crossed every year and human suffering is mounting. Without urgency of action today, children growing up today will inherit a world where droughts, floods, crop failures and other extreme weather events will become commonplace. In response to the ambition gap and the sense of urgency, COP26 decided to establish a ‘work programme to urgently scale up mitigation ambition and implementation’ (MWP) in this critical decade, and requested its delivery by COP27 complementing the Global Stocktake. The MWP is an opportunity to give countries tools and enhance cooperation to support the implementation and increase ambition of their National Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The tasks on mitigation are:

1. Define and deliver an ambitious, equitable Mitigation Work Programme by COP27 with the  objective to urgently enhance the ambition and implementation of Parties’ efforts to deliver global aggregate emissions reductions, in order to be in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.  

• The MWP is complementary to the GST, and must be based on equity and fair shares and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC).
• The MWP should create a check-in and accountability process of Parties’ sectoral pledges and commitments. We stress that voluntary sectoral pledges and commitments must be linked to NDCs and Long Term Strategies (LTS) and provide a readily available opportunity to enhance ambition.
• The MWP must follow up on the Glasgow Pact provisions on energy by developing a timeline for the phaseout of all fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas, as well as fossil fuel subsidies with developed countries taking the lead. 
• The MWP must reflect the need that to achieve the Paris goals, all countries will need to cease new oil, gas, and coal exploration and development immediately and set targets for significant reductions in global fossil fuel production and export by 2030, with  wealthy countries moving first and fastest to phase out extraction while  supporting just transition in developing countries.
• The MWP must ensure that countries’ NDC implementation promotes an equitable and just  transition that respects human rights, children’s rights and results in access to clean, reliable and affordable energy for their populations. It must be supported through international cooperation and governance measures.
• Ministerial roundtables should be informed by the technical work of the MWP, allowing a political check-in on strengthening and revisiting NDCs and implementation.
• The role of Non–Party Stakeholders (NPS) towards raising 2030 ambition and implementation should be enhanced, by strengthening the link between their  contributions and efforts by Parties, and by enabling  the contributions of NPSs to the Work Programme through reporting frameworks.

2. Deliver a COP27 decision which reminds Parties successive NDCs should represent a progression, should reflect its highest possible ambition, can be updated at any time, and that Parties should verify that current NDCs are in line with the IPCC’s latest scientific recommendations.

3. COP27 must reaffirm the need to provide adequate, scaled-up finance that is equitable and in line with climate justice. We remind you that finance is an enabling condition of ambitious climate action. Current climate finance does not respond to the urgency of needs and the level of ambition required. According to the most recent Needs Determination Report from the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF), analysis of just 78 countries’ NDCs, they will require at least USD 5.8 trillion cumulatively to reach their individual commitments for adaptation and mitigation by 2030. However, the financial requirements as assessed by SCF report are significantly lower in particular for clean energy than the analysis by IPCC (Working Group 3, 2022) for the same timeframe to meet a 1.5°C trajectory by 2030.  

The forthcoming Heads of Delegation meeting on Mitigation and Finance in Cairo this October,  is a moment to show political leadership in this climate emergency.  Governments must cooperate and act in solidarity for the people suffering from climate and interconnected crises to ensure that COP27 urgently raises ambition and provides scaled up finance for implementation in line with equity and fair shares to ensure a climate safe world for all.

Yours Sincerely,

International Organisations

1. 350.org
2. Amnesty International
3. CARE International
4. Climate Action Network International
5. Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)
6. Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)
7. Fast For the Climate
8. Global Witness
9. Greenpeace 
10. Health Care Without Harm
11. International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute
12. Plant Based Treaty
13. Stand.Earth
14. The Climate Reality Project
15. War on Want
16. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) International
17. WWF International

National Organisations and Regional Networks

1. 350 Aotearoa
2. 350.org Japan
3. AbibiNsroma Foundation 
4. Action 24
5. Adarsha Samajik Progoti Sangstha (ASPS)
6. Africa Climate and Health Alliance
7. Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ)
8. African Coalition on Green Growth
9. Afrolinks International Frontiers Ltd 
10. Aid Organization
11. Al-Maghazi municipality
12. An Organization for Socio-Economic Development (AOSED)
13. Arjon Foundation
14. Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development
15. Association for Climate Action Network Eastern Africa (ACANEA)
16. Association Isaaf Jerada Solidarité et développement 
17. Association NAKHLA
18. Bank Information Center
19. Below2C
20. Canadian Interfaith Fast For the Climate
21. Caritas Uganda
22. Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
23. Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD)
24. Centre for Citizens Conserving Environment & Management 
25. Centre for Rural Technology, Nepal
26. Centro de Desarrollo Humano (CDH)
27. Christian Aid UK
28. Church of Norway International Council
29. CIDSE
30. CIMA ONG Ambiental
31. Citizens Alliance for Saving the Atmosphere and the Earth (CASA)
32. Climate Action for Lifelong Learners (CALL)
33. Climate Action Network Africa
34. Climate Action Network Arab World
35. Climate Action Network Australia
36. Climate Action Network Canada
37. Climate Action Network EECCA
38. Climate Action Network Europe
39. Climate Action Network France
40. Climate Action Network Japan
41. Climate Action Network Japan
42. Climate Action Network Latin America
43. Climate Action Network South Africa
44. Climate Action Network South Asia 
45. Climate Action Network Southeast Asia
46. Climate Action Network Tanzania 
47. Climate Action Network Uganda
48. Climate Action Network UK 
49. Climate Action Network West Africa 
50. Climate Action Network Zimbabwe 
51. Climate Action Parry Sound
52. Climate Emergency Institute
53. Climate Observatory
54. ClimateFast
55. CNCD-11.11.11
56. Community Action for Healing Poverty Organization 
57. Community Initiatives for Development in Pakistan (CIDP)
58. Community Restoration Initiative Project 
59. Connected Advocacy for Empowerment and Youth Development Initiative 
60. Coordination Office of the Austrian Bishop’s Conference for International Development and Mission (KOO)
61. Destination Zero
62. Diaries of the Ocean 
63. Dibeen For Environmental Development
64. Djibouti Nature Organisation
65. Eco Action Families
66. EcoEquity 
67. EcoHimal Nepal
68. Egyptian Green Party
69. Electric Boating Association of Canada
70. Emmaus International
71. Environment and Conservation Organisations of NZ (ECO)
72. Environmental Alert 
73. Environmental Buddies Zimbabwe Trust
74. Environmental Defence Canada
75. Environmental for life
76. Environmental Management Trust
77. Eurodad
78. Evangelical Lutheran church in Tanzania 
79. Extinction Rebellion Nigeria 
80. Fastenaktion / Swiss Lenten Fund
81. Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal (FECOFUN) 
82. Fiji Youth SRHR Alliance
83. Finnish Development NGOs (Fingo)
84. Foresight  Association for  Environmental Right  and  Climate Justice 
85. Forest & Bird
86. Fossil Free South Africa
87. Framtiden i våre hender
88. Fridays for Future U.S.
89. Fridays for Future Windhoek 
90. Friends of the Earth Germany/ BUND
91. Friends of the Earth Ireland
92. Gallifrey Foundation/SHE Changes Climate
93. GenderCC- Southern Africa
94. Global Initiative For Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP)
95. Grand(m)others Act to Save the Planet (GASP)
96. Green Mind Lebanon
97. GreenFaith
98. GreenHacks
99. Hawaii Institute for Human Rights
100. Heinrich Böll Stiftung Washington, DC
101. Human Environmental Association for Development 
102. Improve your society organization (IYSO) 
103. Indian Youth Water Network
104. Indigenous Environmental Network
105. Initiatives for New Ecological Community Concerns (INECC) 
106. Institute for circular economy
107. International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
108. IRADO
109. Joint Effort to Save the Environment (JESE)
110. Kenya Environmental action network (KEAN)
111. Klimadelegation e.V.
112. League of Women Voters of Colorado
113. League of Women Voters of idaho
114. League of Women Voters of the United States
115. Legambiente
116. Methane Action
117. Mount Kenya University
118. National Integrated Development Association (NIDA-Pakistan)
119. Natural Capitalism Solutions
120. New Brunswick Anti-Shale Gas Alliance, Inc.
121. New Zealand Climate Action Network
122. No Room For Racism Ōtautahi 
123. North American Climate, Conservation and Environment (NACCE)
124. Northern Beaches Climate Action Network
125. Norwegian Forum for Development and Environment
126. Our Fish
127. Pacific Islands Climate Action Network
128. Parents for Future Tirol
129. Parents for Future UK
130. Parliament of the World’s Religions Climate Action Task Force
131. Participatory Research & Action Network (PRAAN)
132. Peace Movement Aotearoa
133. pivot point
134. Power Shift Africa
135. Practical Action
136. Protect Our Winters NZ
137. Pueblo Action Alliance
138. Push Sverige/Sweden
139. R.E.D. Pro Consultants Greece 
140. Regenerate Africa
141. Réseau Association Khnifiss
142. Réseau Étudiant pour une Société Écologique et Solidaire (RESES) 
143. Royal Scientific Society (RSS)
144. Ruya Foundation for Training and Development 
145. Save the Children International
146. Scientific Society for Energy Studies and Research 
147. Seas At Risk
148. Social Economic Development Society (SEDS)
149. Social Innovators Design Group
150. Sociedad Amigos del Viento
151. Spire
152. Stamp Out Poverty
153. Stand.earth
154. Sustain CreatiK
155. Talanoa Institute
156. Tamdeen Youth Foundation
157. Tensift Regional Centre for Development Marrakesh
158. The Climate Center
159. The Global Sunrise Project
160. The Greens Movement of Georgia / Friends of the Earth Georgia
161. Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G)
162. Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development
163. Vanuatu Climate Action Network (VCAN)
164. Voice of South Bangladesh.
165. WildEarth Guardians
166. WILPF UK
167. Women’s Voice
168. Womxn from the Mountain 
169. Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines
170. Youth Salmon Protectors
171. ZERO – Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável
172. Zimbabwe Climate Change Coalition
173. جمعية الخير
174. شبكة خليج الداخلةللمناخ والتنمية المستدامة