UAE DIALOGUE REOPENS AMID DISAGREEMENTS OVER OBJECTIVES AND FINANCE

Among the working groups opened as part of the negotiations on the Global Stocktake, the dialogue with the United Arab Emirates has also resumed here in Bonn. Launched in Dubai at COP28 (1/CMA5 par 97) under the umbrella of climate finance, it focuses on how to translate the results of the first inventory (GST1) into concrete national actions, but it does not yet have a clear objective and the discussion in the room has been very heated in recent days.

Some Parties, led by the European Union, would like to discuss how to implement the dialogue. Others, led by Saudi Arabia as representative of the Like-Minded Developing Countries, would first like to define the purpose of the debate.

What developing countries are asking for

Countries considered to be developing would like to use this space to talk about how to make their NDCs a reality, and above all how to obtain the necessary funds to do so. Many of them do not have sufficient economic capacity to cope with climate change – neither in terms of adaptation, which is what they currently feel is most urgent, nor in terms of mitigation, which is what developed countries would like them to do despite their limited historical responsibility.

• The LMDCs have clearly stated how they envisage the purpose of this dialogue:
• Strengthen financial support for developing countries;
• Identify opportunities to increase financial support for NDCs and NAPs (National Adaptation Plans) in developing countries;
• Transparency and creation of a platform through which developed countries must track their efforts to mobilise financial funds and examine the needs for the implementation of NDCs and NAPs.

Developing countries argue that the New Global Quantitative Target defined at COP29 does not cover Article 9.1 of the Paris Agreement, which provides for financial flows to be mobilised from developed to developing countries, as explained in this article. For this reason, they would like to include the issue in this working group, with the aim of identifying concrete ways to facilitate the increase in financial resources by the next Global Stocktake.

Another source of tension is the European CBAM, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, an issue that has been raised again in this room despite having been included in the agenda of these negotiations as a footnote on just transition: we discussed it here.

The position of developed countries

Developed countries, supported in this by African states, argue that it is necessary to focus on how to implement the dialogue before defining the rest and addressing more divisive issues – so as to arrive at COP30 with at least a draft. Their proposal is to write summary reports of these negotiations in order to inform the second Global Stocktake process of what they will do, so as not to lose track of this work. In addition, the European Union proposes to establish an annual ministerial dialogue to give it “the political relevance it deserves” and argues that the dialogue should continue until 2028, as indicated in the mandate. However, there are those who believe that it should end by 2026 so as not to overlap with the process for the new Global Stocktake, which will begin as early as 2027.

Today, in the chamber, the Philippine delegation summed up the deep divide between the views of the various Parties on this dialogue, arguing that the EU’s proposed arrangements imply an annual update of NDC commitments, but that this is economically unsustainable. Would developed countries be prepared to update their commitments on financing, technology transfer and capacity building on an annual basis?

We are now halfway through these interim negotiations, and there is still no concrete progress on this issue. We will continue to follow the proceedings over the next few days and hope to return to you with more promising news.

Article by Anna Pelicci, head of the Italian Climate Network delegation in Bonn.

Cover image: photo by Anna Pelicci