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Too Many Gaps = One Gaping Political Hole
11 Dec 2019
Dear Ministers, We, the so-called civil society that observes negotiations, would like to call your attention to the many gaps we need to close to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement on mitigation, adaptation/resilience, and support. ‘Gap’ is amongst the most spoken words in these negotiating halls, maybe no less than ambition. So which […]
Article 6.4: Conservative Baselines or “Off Base”?
11 Dec 2019
Achieving environmental integrity in the implementation of Article 6 requires many things; but where to start? For ECO, environmental integrity is impossible to achieve without conservative baselines, set well below business-as-usual (BAU). And even these are necessary, but not sufficient elements. ECO is encouraged to see that the text forwarded to the COP Presidency included […]
Eeh… You! – What About Your Ambition?
11 Dec 2019
We, the European Youth, want to remind all country delegates that are already comfortable with the current development at COP25: we did not meet in Madrid for a second-class climate conference, but to decide on the crucial remaining subjects of the Rulebook and €“ of course €“ to take the urgently required next steps: increase […]
Knowledge without rights is extraction
11 Dec 2019
ECO is pleased to share our platform with the Indigenous Peoples Caucus to amplify their unique and individual voices. Bushfires have been raging across the illegally occupied lands of Australia for the past few weeks, wiping out homes, displacing communities and threatening wildlife populations to the point of extinction. Lidia Thorpe, Gunnai, Gunditjmara, Djab Wurrung […]
Australia gets a big ZERO on climate policy – is it possible to be that bad?
11 Dec 2019
Last week ECO exposed the Australian Government’s role in pushing for use of carryover units from the Kyoto Protocol to meet a large portion of their already very low Paris NDC for 2030 €“ ECO likened this to a runner wanting to start a race at the half-way point, rather than at the starting line. […]
Multilateral Development Banks Promise Paris Alignment: but won’t say when they’ll stop funding fossils
11 Dec 2019
Multilateral Development Banks Promise Paris Alignment: but won’t say when they’ll stop funding fossils. The nine multilateral development banks (MDBs) — which include the World Bank, the Asian Investment Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank among others — have an outsized influence on the private finance landscape and on countries low carbon development pathways. As […]
Ministers! Save the Second Periodical Review as the Science-Policy Interface of the Convention
11 Dec 2019
Last week the Global Carbon Project side event reminded us again how small the window is to avoid dangerous climate change. The pressure to act and incorporate recent science to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) is rising. ECO is dismayed that Parties have not yet reached an agreement on the scope of the […]
Finance for Loss and Damage = Essential COP25 Outcome
11 Dec 2019
Finance for Loss and Damage = Essential COP25 Outcome We came to COP25 in light of rising seas, heat and water stress, decreasing crop yields and fish stocks, spreading diseases, and increasingly frequent and severe floods, droughts and storms, which threaten the right to life, health, food, water and housing. We came with the expectation […]
Mind the GAP
10 Dec 2019
The Gender Action Plan (GAP) has been a critical driver of progress and action on gender responsive climate change, and there is an urgent need to renew GAP now. Civil society present at COP25 wants to remind governments of their responsibility to deliver a robust GAP to drive just and effective climate solutions. We are […]
Putting People at the Center of Article 6
10 Dec 2019
Over the last week, we”ve heard a lot of talk about Article 6, and a lot of it has been very technical, including critical rules for ensuring global emissions are reduced globally, preventing double-counting, and what share of proceeds should go to the Adaptation Fund, amongst others. And ECO has been pleased to see an […]