Yesterday, negotiations included high-level ministerial events on the new collective quantified goal on finance (NCQG) and just transitions, and informal consultations among others convened on the NCQG, Global Stocktake (GST), mitigation, just transition pathways, and the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). Several meetings related to market approaches convened, including a joint contact group to discuss the interlinkages between Articles 6.2 and 6.4 of the Paris Agreement.
On the Health Thematic day, Health ministers from over 50 countries joined the COP28 conference amidst calls to phase out fossil fuels to help save lives, given the health problems associated with air pollution from fossil fuel production and use. Early warning systems and early action were key themes, given the range of negative health impacts of climate change.
Towards the end of the day, 70 states and 39 organizations backed the UAE declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace. The Declaration includes a collective commitment to increase investment and actions to improve resilience in countries and communities affected by conflict, fragility, or humanitarian crisis.
Understanding these impacts and planning for them require accurate and timely information about the climate system. To be used and usable, this information must be tailored to the needs of practitioners, communities, and policymakers. Earth Information Day, which also took place during the day, focused on how to achieve this goal and make climate information accessible and available to all.
Just transition emerged as the hot topic of the day. Some called for a section on just transition in the GST, citing its centrality to the future of climate action. Many developing countries called for greater attention to, and support for, realizing a just transition toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient future in multiple negotiation rooms. They called for a new section in the Global Stocktake text, which could elevate a just transition to the level of the major pillars of climate action, such as mitigation and adaptation.
On loss and damage, countries suggested different emphases on the links between mitigation and loss and damage. Many noted the IPCC shows that loss and damage is already a reality, and several stressed that related needs will increase without near-term emissions reductions.
Developing countries welcomed the initial pledges for the fund and funding arrangements and called for increasing resources after the initial capitalization phase. They underlined loss and damage finance should be new, additional, predictable, and permanent. One developing country group suggested scaling it up to USD 100 billion annually by 2030.
C.A.R.E. 