It’s World Environment Week around the world, culminating in World Environment Day on June 5. Monday also marked the beginning of the sixth month of 2020, which brings a time to reflect on how the year has unfolded as a whole. With this in mind, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has initiated a series of consultations and meetings, many of which are open, on the continuation of climate ambition negotiations. The “June Momentum“[or June Push, in free translation] is an opportunity for continued information sharing to keep climate action moving forward.
At the opening session held this morning (Brazilian time), some recommendations were made so that actors, whether state-owned or not, can support each other, join efforts during and after the pandemic and, most importantly, not postpone the necessary actions in this crisis. The President of COP 25, Carolina Schmidt, emphasized the tone in the first panel by calling on all governments for a sustainable transition that includes social impact in climate ambition. Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, appealed to everyone that we need to create not a “new normal” but a “better normal” that meets the aspirations of all peoples of the world. Patricia recalled the importance of continuing efforts: “the pandemic has changed the way we are working, but not the need to work [for the climate]”.
The deadline for governments to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) has not changed and is expected by the UNFCCC by the end of the year. All countries must contribute to increasingly ambitious targets to make a healthier future possible. Submitting the new NDCs remains urgent and comes with a series of issues that must not be interrupted: a) continuing negotiations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement Rulebook, b) creating opportunities for adaptation financing, c) seeking greater transparency in reporting, d) expanding negotiations to non-state actors, and e) creating creative ways for uninterrupted work at the global level. The President-designate for COP 26, Alok Sharma, also advocated for the continuity of climate action, with the pursuit of a transition to a green economy, work on adaptation and resilience, and the promotion of nature-based solutions.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Climate, Selwin Hart, said that climate ambition must be inclusive and bring long-term resilience. To this end, he recalled the 6 Principles for a Resilient Recovery and suggested the following actions:
- Invest in green jobs;
- If it is necessary to support the automobile market, invest in electric cars;
- End all fossil fuel subsidies;
- Include climate risks in the investment and financing decision-making process;
- “Leaving no one behind”, that is, considering the most vulnerable populations, especially in developing countries; and
- All countries must contribute to a joint recovery.
A common conclusion was that the capacity for collaboration and coordination must continue even with the difficulties imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. A recovery plan needs to be created in an ecosystem of mutual support, especially for countries that have little political and financial capacity. In addition, the shared future we need must have the support of different actors, stakeholders that come from the government, but also from the industrial and business sectors and civil society as a whole.
