The next two weeks could determine the fate of the planet in the next 12 years, as world leaders are set to finalize the implementation guidelines for the Paris Agreement and discuss actions to curb climate change at the 24th Conference of Parties (COP24), 2 to14 December in Katowice, Poland.
The main output of COP24 is the Paris Rulebook, following the IPCC Special Report 15 that set a 12-year deadline for limiting temperature rise to a maximum of 1.5℃. A UN Climate Change news report explained that the Paris Rulebook is expected to “provide clarity on how to implement the landmark agreement fairly and transparently for all.”
“This year is likely to be one of the four hottest years on record. Greenhouses gas concentrations in the atmosphere are at record levels and emissions continue to rise. Climate change impacts have never been worse. This reality is telling us that we need to do much more – COP24 needs to make that happen,” Patricia Espinosa, the UN’s Climate Chief, said in the news report.
“The 2015 Paris Agreement entered into force faster than any other agreement of its kind. I now call on all countries to come together, to build upon this success and to make the agreement fully functional,” COP24 President Michał Kurtyka said.
The global research organization World Resources Institute (WRI) established the Project for Advancing Climate Transparency (PACT) to advance the development of robust and effective transparency and accountability rules and processes for the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the Paris Rulebook is a key document in meeting the Paris Agreement goals and setting these into action.
While the Paris Agreement established a global framework to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change impacts, the Paris Rulebook is critical to set it to motion, providing countries with guidelines on how to implement their climate plans and ensuring transparency and accountability through a schedule for reporting and reviewing progress of their respective commitments.
Aside from the Rulebook, COP 24’s expected outcomes include strengthened national climate plans by 2020 and finance discussions that would enable investments on climate solutions.
COP24 developments can be followed through their official website. Messages on climate change to world leaders in COP24 can also be sent using #TakeYourSeat.
You may also want to check out COP24: What Needs to Happen, a brief video that illustrates the critical tasks for negotiators at COP24, especially following the alarming IPCC 1.5℃ climate report.
