Vulnerable Nations Demand Climate Emergency Pact From COP26

Climate vulnerable nations adopt ‘Dhaka-Glasgow Declaration’ outlining their demands for COP26

Forum of more than 50 climate vulnerable nations from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Pacific issue their demands for COP26

CVF Dhaka-Glasgow Declaration urges especially high emitting countries to keep the 1.5 degrees goal within reach through annual climate target ambition raising at each COP

Leaders also call for a delivery plan for $100 billion climate finance from developed states

2 November 2021, GLASGOW: The world’s most climate vulnerable countries have agreed to a set of comprehensive demands that communicates their interests and expectations for the make-or-break United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, to be considered a success.

At the heart of the demands is the call for the outcome of COP26 to incorporate a “Climate Emergency Pact” encompassing a delivery plan for the annual $100 billion in climate finance from developed countries between 2020-2024 split 50:50 between adaptation and mitigation and independent annual monitoring of its implementation involving the IMF. In addition, the proposed Pact would mandate yearly ambition raising for governments and especially major carbon emitters for every year through to 2025. The Pact is aimed at restoring confidence in the Paris regime’s ability to deliver despite failures in the materialization of climate finance and of parties to the Paris Agreement “to comply with the Agreement by updating or renewing enhanced NDCs.”

The Climate Emergency Pact, together with 5 other top priorities for COP26, were contained in the ‘Dhaka-Glasgow Declaration of the Climate Vulnerable Forum’ adopted at the Forum’s High-Level Leaders’ Dialogue – the CVF’s global highest-level meeting– during the World Leaders Summit in Glasgow on Tuesday.

Chaired by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, had the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG), Mr Antonio Guterres, COP26 President, His Excellency Mr Alok Sharma, joined leaders, ministers and high officials representing the CVF countries.

“We have also come up with a “Climate Emergency Pact”. This Pact addresses the climate finance Delivery Plan. It also asks for raising of ambition at every single COP, especially from the major pollution emitting nations. This will ensure continuous progress so that the temperature rise is contained within 1.5 degree Celsius. We call upon the Presidency of COP26, and all Members of the UNFCCC, to adopt the Climate Emergency Pact as a part of the COP26 Declaration.” H.E. Hasina said during the CVF Leaders’ meeting at COP26.

Prime Minister Hasina added that “the members of the CVF are among the countries most affected by the adverse impacts of climate change. This is despite us having any historical role or responsibility for this crisis,” and “at the same time, we, the most vulnerable countries, do not have neither sufficient capability or capacity to overcome these challenges. This unfortunate dilemma, and for survival, we have been swayed to adopt measures on our own to face the devastating consequences of climate change.”

In this regard, Prime Minister Hasina further highlighted that 38 CVF nations would be pursuing “Climate Prosperity Plans”, following the Bangladesh ‘Mujib’ plan, to guide their development path through a low-carbon strategy and of climate resilience to achieve climate prosperity.

In their declaration, the CVF leaders “charged the international community to respond proportionately to the unprecedented global injustice of the climate crisis … that threatens the very existence of a number of our most vulnerable and least responsible nations.”

They are demanding for major polluting countries to redouble efforts “during this decade to keep the 1.5ºC limit on warming within reach, deliver and work to upscale and improve promised climate finance, to accelerate adaptation…and to ensure the necessary life- and livelihood preserving support for loss and damage of the most vulnerable.”

The CVF also confirmed seven (7) new member states, expanding the membership of the Forum from 48 nations to 55 nations, with the following countries joining: Benin, Eswatini, Guinea, Guyana, Liberia, Nicaragua, Uganda.

Through the Dhaka-Glasgow declaration, the CVF countries are also urging COP26 to deliver on the following priorities:

1. Loss & Damage
2. Robust Carbon Markets
3. Accelerating Adaptation
4. New & Improved Climate Finance
5. Shifting Trillions

The Dhaka-Glasgow Deceleration also articulated the CVF’s priorities in six areas beyond the work of the UNFCCC, including limiting maritime emissions, and oceans protection, support for transition to renewable energy, scaling efforts for protecting people displaced during disasters, and committing resources for a just transition towards low carbon development and promoting green jobs.

“You [climate vulnerable nations] stand on the frontlines of the unveiling COVID-19 crisis and escalating climate emergency. The first to suffer and last to receive help. Solidarity is missing ... we simply must do more,” UNSG Guterres said, adding “I support the CVF Climate Emergency Pact. This is how we keep 1.5 degrees alive.”

The pressure is now on the COP26 UK Presidency to steer the climate talks towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and achieve the transformational change needed in climate policy and action, as thousands of delegates from all over the world convene in Glasgow over the next two weeks.

“Not only are you the countries most affected by climate change, you are the leaders in tackling it,” H.E. Alok Sharma, Rt. Hon. COP26 President, United Kingdom said, stressing that the G20 countries are committed to boost adaptation finance.

The Dhaka-Glasgow Declaration is the outcome of four regional consultations and a global senior official meeting held throughout this year, in which countries most-threatened by the impacts of global warming across four continents identified their key concerns to tackle the climate emergency.

Over the coming days, the CVF, under the Bangladesh Presidency, will host a number of speaking events to ensure that vulnerable countries demands’ are being heard at the negotiations, which ends on 12 November.

Link to the CVF Dhaka-Glasgow: https://thecvf.org/our-voice/statements/dhaka-glasgow-declaration-of-the-cvf

Link to video recording: https://unfccc-cop26.streamworld.de/webcast/high-level-event-forging-a-cvf-cop-26-climate-emer

QUOTE SHEET

H.E. John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate of the United States of America, said: “I know the anger that you [CVF Members] feel and that you should feel. For a long time the developed world and some of the developing world made choices that carried you to risks, and you pay the highest price in many cases. We have to move to the different place. We have to do this together.”

H. E. Mr Bruce Bilimon, Minister of Health Marshall Islands, said: “The Dhaka-Glasgow CVF Declaration sets the much-needed tone for securing the vitally critical 1.5-degree temperature target. Countries like mine continue to demonstrate the leadership that is needed now – and we need to see that same unified leadership from the G20 and other major emitters. We need the G20 countries to step up their climate finance commitments and also elevate the share of climate adaptation financing to match mitigation. A 50:50 split between mitigation and adaptation funding is very critical for us.”

About the CVF

The CVF is an international forum for countries most threatened by climate change. Founded in 2009, it is composed of 55 members across five regions including Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific, and represents some 1.2 billion people worldwide. The Forum is led by a rotating chair for an ordinary period of two years, with Bangladesh currently chairing for the second time for the period 2020-2022. For more, visit: https://thecvf.org/about/

CVF members

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, the Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Kiribati, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Palau, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, Saint Lucia, Senegal, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Yemen.

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