Timeline: 9 Steps to COP24

Lily Jamaludin
Posted by Lily Jamaludin September 4, 2018

[vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Background: Experts have called this year the most important one since agreeing to the Paris Agreement sin 2015. By December, UN negotiators are expected to have all the guidelines that will ensure the agreement finally comes to life.

As the Co-chair stated in the opening plenary, “Bangkok is our last stop before Katowice [COP24]…we can only succeed…if we all succeed together here now.”

The Co-chair isn’t wrong.

Bangkok is the last chance for countries to set the technical groundwork for the Paris Rulebook.

But there are still 9 more events that could help countries make progress on the Paris Goals.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTI3aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZjZG4ua25pZ2h0bGFiLmNvbSUyRmxpYnMlMkZ0aW1lbGluZTMlMkZsYXRlc3QlMkZlbWJlZCUyRmluZGV4Lmh0bWwlM0Zzb3VyY2UlM0QxMWtxUGdadFllX1gxS2ZhYlp5Q0JqWW9zLW9oVWFlb2pqNnkxWjVPYU5fbyUyNmZvbnQlM0REZWZhdWx0JTI2bGFuZyUzRGVuJTI2aW5pdGlhbF96b29tJTNEMiUyNmhlaWdodCUzRDY1MCUyNyUyMHdpZHRoJTNEJTI3MTAwJTI1JTI3JTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTI3NjUwJTI3JTIwd2Via2l0YWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTIwbW96YWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjcwJTI3JTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNF[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]

Global Climate Action Summit, San Francisco (September 12-14) — The GCA Summit is the first-ever global climate summit, focused exclusively on the actions and ambitions of businesses, cities, and citizens worldwide. It’s intended to showcase climate action taking place at all levels – not just from a national-approach. With government representatives expected to attend and observe, this summit is an opportunity for non-state actors, from civil society, NGOs, and faith-based communities “to tell government, ‘we are doing this, we are already doing this, and we can do more if you giver us those signals,’” said Yamide Dagnet from World Resources Institute.
G7 Environment, Energy and Ocean Ministerial (19-21 September) — The G7 Environment, Energy and Ocean Ministers will convene to discuss the theme, ‘Working together on climate change, oceans and clean energy’. With Canada taking on the Presidency for this meeting, it is another time to pressure other G7 countries to provide more climate finance.
The One Planet Summit (September 26) is an opportunity for countries to focus on mobilisation for public and private climate financing. Organised by the Government of France jointly with the UN, the World Bank Group and Bloomberg Philanthropies, the summit will also account for the implementation of 12 international commitments made at the first summit.
The Eighth meeting of the Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage (September 19-21) will be held in Bonn this year, WIM promotes the implementation of approaches to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts. In particular, this is a time for countries to focus specifically on climate finance for loss and damage experienced by countries particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
In October, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will be launching its special report, Global Warming of 1.5ºC (October 1-5) in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The report focuses on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emissions. According to Dagnet, “it’s going to be absolutely critical, and we hope this particular report will provide the impetus and sense of urgency that will trigger the signals we want to see in Katowice.”
That month, we’ll also see the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group in Bali, Indonesia (October 12-14). Crucially, this is an opportunity for these international financial institutions to demonstrate how they can contribute to the $100 billion goal, and how they can align and scale up their climate finance support.
Brazil Elections (October 7-28) Although the Brazil elections aren’t a climate conference, the outcome of this election might play a big role in climate negotiations moving forward. As Brazil is a potential president for upcoming COPs, a right-wing win might severely damage international progress. Jair Bolsonaro, the de facto presidential frontrunner, stated that he would follow Donald Trump out of the Paris Agreement.
Pre-COP (October 21-24) Pre-COP 2018 will take place in Poland from 21-24 October. It will provide Ministers with the opportunity for an honest exchange of views on key issues of the COP24 agenda before the negotiations begin in Katowice.
This brings us to the Climate Vulnerable Forum Virtual Summit (November 22). Notably, this summit will be organised entirely online, “to maximize cost-effectiveness, inclusivity and global participation, while minimising any adverse climate impacts.” This is an opportunity to hear from from both vulnerable countries and their allies about how they intend to commit.
At the end of that month, the G20 Summit (November 30 – December 1) will be happening in Buenos Aires. As this year’s priorities include the future of work, infrastructure for development, a sustainable food future, and gender perspective, climate change has ample opportunity to be brought up.

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Election Notes: There are a few elections coming up, which might play a big role in climate negotiations moving forward—particularly if right-wing parties come into power.
Brazil (Oct 7): Look out first for Brazil in October.  Jair Bolsonaro, the de facto presidential frontrunner, stated that he would follow Donald Trump out of the Paris Agreement. He has a big challenger in Marina Silva, the long time super-activist.
Fiji Elections (TBD): Also significant are the Fijian elections. They are meant to be scheduled for September but still don’t have a date. The cut-off will be early November. With a swing vote, we could have a new Fijian team handing over to the Polish leadership in COP24.
US Elections (Nov 6) : Not Trump.  But all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate will be contested. This means Trump could either see a lot of his support in Congress disappear, or be bolstered.
For more on the US elections, check out this great summary from Axios

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