UN climate chief: COP28 must deliver bullet train to speed up climate action

06 / 12 / 2023

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• Sustainable Development

United Nations (UN) climate chief Simon Stiell said the 28^th United Nation Climate Change Conference (COP28) must deliver a bullet train to speed up climate action.

Stiell said on Wednesday that COP28 delegates are not in Dubai to “score points” and play at “lowest-denominator politics”; they must take ambitious action on curbing global warming and ending the climate crisis.

He said that the technologies and solutions exist, and the tools are all there on the table.

“It’s time for governments and negotiators to pick them up and put them to work.”

Referring to the early ‘win’ on loss and damage on the opening day of the summit, he acknowledged that long-awaited deal had given this COP a spring in its step.

But “it is just a start,” he cautioned, adding “We would be kidding ourselves if we think it’s a tick in the box for finance and support at this COP. More is required.”

Laying out his vision for the next round of climate talks, the UN climate chief said “only serious progress on finance can deliver frontline results,” which is the “great enabler” for climate action.

According to Stiell, the Global Stocktake is the vehicle to get climate action on track.

In simple words, the stocktake process will review how much progress countries have made – and identify where there are gaps – on reaching the goals set by the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Change agreement, and its outcome will lay the roadmap for an accelerated climate action for the years ahead.

“On the Global Stocktake, we have a starting text on the table… But it’s a grab bag of wish lists and heavy on posturing.”

“The key now is to sort the wheat from the chaff,” he pointed out.

“If we want to save lives now and keep [the] 1.5 goal within reach, the highest ambition COP outcomes must stay front and center.”