The energy and buzz of UAE’s 52nd Union Day was prevalent throughout day 3 of COP28. This is the biggest COP yet, with 103,000 people registered.
Negotiations and informal consultations proceeded on key topics, including the preparation of draft texts for reports on the Global Stocktake (GST), mitigation, ambition and implementation work programme, the Global Goal on Adaptation and finance.
Over 120 countries signed onto the UAE Climate and Health Declaration that urges governments to act to protect communities and prepare health systems for climate impacts, such as extreme heat stress and increased spread of infectious diseases.
During the first Global Stocktake informal consultation sessions, Alison Campbell (UK) and Joseph Teo (Singapore) co-facilitated and invited comments on sections, particularly with a focus on adaptation and related financing. There was a shared sense of the need to improve the overall narrative to reflect efforts undertaken, relate key ideas underpinning adaptation such as integrated solutions, and elaborate on other aspects of the way forward.
There were calls to strengthen and include references to human rights, Indigenous rights, gender, and youth from several countries. There was also support for references to locally-led adaptation, but some developing countries added national- and transnational-level action. There was some agreement on the need for inclusive adaptation processes.
During the High-level Ministerial on the GST Findings on Means of Implementation, there largely was consensus among increasing finance and financial mechanisms needed, as well as a call out on developed countries to meet their climate finance commitments to avoid an inflation of the finance gap.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Ireland, noted those with the greatest climate risk are also experiencing the most significant barriers to accessing finance.
There has also been a focus on mountains and climate change. During the High-Level Roundtable on Mountains and Climate Change, there were calls for the GST and Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) as priority areas to include mountains, as well as making the L&D fund accessible for the most vulnerable mountain regions.
The day ended on a high-note with the Global Climate Action High-Level Event and strong calls to acting on pledges from the youth delegate, Anisa Bek Derna.
Reference: IISD ENB
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