Seminar: Options for the Political Phase of the Global Stocktake
The online seminar held on 09 March 2023 laid out options how the process and structure of the political phase of the Global Stocktake at UNFCCC COP28 can be organized to facilitate ambitious climate action. A discussion paper was presented and views from eminent panel members shared. The seminar was organized by Oeko-Institut, NewClimate Institute, Wuppertal Institute and DLR Projektträger.
The seminar consisted of a presentation of the discussion paper “Options for the political phase of the Global Stocktake”, responses by three discussants, and questions from the audience. The discussants were Anna Pérez Català (Institut du développement durable et des relations internationals, IDDRI), Marine Pouget (Climate Action Network – France), and Daniel Buira (Tempus Analítica).
The discussion paper explores several options for the political phase of the Global Stocktake (GST). For its organization it sets out two general options, either using the themes of GST (mitigation, adaptation, means of implementation) or organising discussions sector by sector. As for the outputs of the phase, the paper discusses a cover decision, political declarations or sectoral commitments, one or several CMA decisions, and a technical annex. A video of the presentation of the paper is available here.
There was agreement among the discussants that a sectoral approach would be more effective in giving clear signals on actionable solutions and thereby connect better to discussions at the national and international levels. By looking at sectors, it is easier to identify barriers and enabling conditions. There was a suggestion that the GST should produce a “handbook” - a technical annex with best practices and concrete messages on increased ambition by sector.
In terms of international cooperation, it was pointed out that while some barriers and enabling conditions were mainly national, some were international, and a sectoral approach could be used to discuss options for cooperation. If countries submitted information on their challenges and made this a topic within the GST, it could be a starting point for international cooperation, e.g. the GST could suggest international cooperation initiatives to address identified barriers. In that respect, a sectoral perspective may also help on interactions with other international organisations, which often have a sectoral mandate.
There was some discussion on whether a sectoral approach would stretch the mandate of the GST, which is only about collective progress. However, it was pointed out that, as per the Katowice decision (19/CMA.1), the mandate of the GST is to provide forward-looking guidance to enhance ambition and cooperation. Participants posited that the GST needs to highlight what has to happen in terms of systems transformation, and limiting to accepted language would not deliver on its mandate.
Another question raised was whether a sectoral approach would work for developing countries. Some participants posited that many developing countries focus on adaptation, finance, and equity, which are supposedly difficult to discuss with a sectoral approach. Others argued that while with a thematic approach it was easier to point to inequity e.g. in terms of historical emissions, current emissions and GDP per capita, equity could also be discussed from a sectoral perspective – and sectoral transformations were needed to address inequity. For example, disadvantages in the transport sector are bigger in the Global South, e.g. in terms of implications on health, the gender element of safety of public transport, or mobility options for the poor. Bringing equity into the transformations, supported by the right enabling conditions, would be crucial for tackling these disadvantages.
Participants also discussed the participation of non-party stakeholders. It was pointed out that the technical phase of the GST was a new experience in the sense that non-party stakeholders were involved actively in the discussions. The political phase should also strongly include civil society and representatives of sectors since they are the ones who will need to undertake the transformation.
Discussion Paper „Options for the political phase of the Global Stocktake”
