September 25, 2024

UNGA Climate Summit 2024 — Countries Must Deliver Ambitious Climate Plans to Keep 1.5°C Goal Alive

New York City, 24-26 September 2024 –A cohort of civil society organizations have published an open letter  outlining 10 tests for countries’ new climate plans — Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs — that will make or break 1.5°C . These plans are critical to keeping to the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C alive.

At COP28 in Dubai, in 2023, countries reached a diplomatic breakthrough and agreed to “transition away from fossil fuels” and triple renewable energy capacity by 2030. Earlier this week heads of state committed to the Pact for the Future reiterating the commitments made at Dubai. 

Nama Chowdhary, from 350.org, says “these updated NDCs will be among the most important documents produced this century and will set the course for the future of the planet. They are the cornerstone of resilient development and are about much more than just reducing emissions—they are a roadmap for job creation, energy security, and economic innovation. Countries must show leadership by laying out detailed, ambitious, and transparent plans to meet the 1.5°C goal.”

While the urgency of the climate crisis intensifies, both individual countries and global efforts need to catch up to what is needed. With climate impacts already devastating communities worldwide, governments must deliver on their commitments. This is especially true for wealthier nations and fossil fuel producers, who must take the lead and support developing countries critically.

“In this third round of NDCs, the world’s richest nations must rise to the challenge,” said Chowdhary. “We cannot achieve a world that stays within 1.5°C without addressing the vast inequities in climate finance and technology access. Every country must submit a high-ambition NDC that reflects the moment’s gravity. Climate leadership is about action, not rhetoric. These NDCs will either set us on a path toward a sustainable, livable future or lock us into catastrophic warming. The time to act is now—governments must rise to the challenge and submit NDCs that reflect the urgency of the climate crisis.”

As countries develop their NDCs, ten essential tests will determine whether these plans meet the 1.5°C goal:

  1. Is there an explicit commitment to end fossil fuel expansion and foster a just economic transition? Governments must enact policies to cut both consumption and production of fossil fuels, with a minimum benchmark of not opening new upstream coal, oil, and gas. Countries should set clear timelines and ambitious goals to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, redirecting those funds toward social welfare and a clean, equitable energy transition.
  2. Is there an ambitious, 1.5C-aligned greenhouse gas reduction target? A fair and equitable NDC that’s aligned with the global 1.5C goal—that also enables net zero global emissions by 2050—is the minimum standard for collective action, ensuring that we limit the most catastrophic impacts of climate change and secure a safe, livable future for all. 
  3. Does the NDC include economy-wide and sector specific targets? The COP28 decision (paragraph 39) is clear that this, along with multi-level delivery plans, is vital to foster implementation accountability and to accelerate delivery. An effective NDC will not simply engage with the energy sector but also transport, buildings, industry, agriculture, forestry, land use, cities, and regions. 
  4. Does the plan include stronger actions to help protect communities against climate impacts? NDCs should incorporate clear adaptation and loss and damage objectives. As climate change worsens, countries must continue to build resilience against dangerous climate impacts.
  5. Is the plan aligned with the global goal to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency gains by 2030? As detailed in the COP28 decision (paragraph 28). 
  6. Is the plan transparent, detailed, and free from deceptive metrics? The plan should explicitly list absolute emission cuts, reductions and assumptions from land use, land use change, forestry (LULUCF), and CO2 removals. The NDC needs to also be consistent with other national, sectoral, regional, and local development plans. 
  7. Are the targets backed by strong government policy? NDC targets need to be supported by government policies to ensure urgent, effective implementation, developed through inclusive and participatory processes that involve Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, and youth. Strong policy agendas will also create certainty for progress in the climate transition and spur investments. 
  8. Have governments committed to significantly scale-up climate finance? A 1.5C world cannot be achieved without significantly ramping up climate finance to support a just transition in lower-income countries. Wealthier countries need to dramatically increase affordable, accessible needs- and grant-based finance through an ambitious new climate finance goal at COP29 (the New Collective Quantified Goal) and the continued delivery of 100 billion U.S. dollars in climate finance through 2025.
  9. Does the plan include measures to protect and restore ecosystems? Goals must address all types of ecosystems—forests, mangroves, grasslands, mountains, and water-related habitats—including halting and reversing deforestation by 2030 and aligning with the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Ecosystem-based approaches and nature-based solutions should be integrated into mitigation and adaptation solutions.
  10. Does the NDC comprehensively address food systems? Actions should reduce food loss, repurpose harmful subsidies, promote sustainable agriculture, and provide adaptation support for farmers through sustainable land and water management. The largest agricultural emitters should deliver cuts in methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Ecosystem-based approaches and nature-based solutions should enhance food security and benefit local communities, including small-holder and family farmers.  

About the UNGA Climate Summit 2024  

The UNGA Climate Summit brings together global leaders to address pressing climate challenges. With a focus on the upcoming NDC submissions, the summit will emphasize the need for collective global action to secure a sustainable future and limit global warming to 1.5°C.

 

ENDS

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