COP30 presidency issues note on addressing four unresolved issues

< warm> santa maria de belem, brasil: The COP30 administration issued a summary note on addressing four unresolved issues that were part of Presidency consultations, early Monday.

Some of these options, especially on article 9.1 – which mandates that developed country parties shall provide financial resources to assist developing country parties with both mitigation and adaptation efforts — will be an important issue of negotiation for India during the week.

This summary will further form the basis for a package out of Belem, the Presidency has said. But divergences have started emerging, observers said.

There were consultations on the Presidency’s summary document on Monday. During the consultations, deep divisions on these four issues again came to the fourth.

According to observers, the European Union and other rich countries have said they cannot link ambition to support everywhere in reference to article 9. Some of them have also said they do not support 9.1 or reference to adaptation finance.

On article 9.1, the summary provides three options: a three-year Belem work programme and Action Plan on the implementation of article 9.1, tripling adaptation finance and establishing fair burden-sharing arrangements; achievement of $100 billion in 2022, New Collective Quantified Goal, fully covering commitment of developed countries to provide support to developing countries, welcoming efforts to reform the international financial architecture, including reform of multilateral development banks (MDBs); and reaffirming New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) and resolving to accelerate implementation, with developed countries taking the lead in delivery and noting “Baku to Belem Roadmap to $1.3T.”

“What is promised under New Collective Quantified Goal was a mobilisation goal. Now we are talking about implementation under article 9.1 on delivery of finance. Rich countries see this as a red line. They are instead asking developing countries to accelerate mitigation. How is that possible without implementation of 9.1?” asked a developing country negotiator

HT had reported on Sunday that a summary of rich and developing countries’ views will be published on four of the most debated issues.

These include article 9.1, which mandates that developed country parties provide financial resources to assist developing country parties for mitigation and adaptation, and concerns over climate-related, trade-restrictive unilateral measures — both being pushed by developing countries led by India.

The other two are: responding to the status report on nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and addressing the 1.5°C emissions and implementation gap, and reporting and review pursuant to article 13 of the Paris Agreement, including synthesis of biennial transparency reports — priorities for small island nations and developed countries such as EU members.

On the issue of unilateral trade measures, another concerning issue for India which it has been raising in the past few COPs also, option 1 is to implement and operationalise Article 3.5 of the Convention, including through an annual dialogue on climate change-related trade restrictive unilateral trade measures. Article 3.5 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) states that parties should cooperate to promote a supportive and open international economic system that would lead to sustainable economic growth and development in all Parties.

Another option is discussions related to cross-border impacts of climate policies to continue being addressed under response measures forum or hold round tables on the nexus between trade and climate change in 2026 and 2027, with outputs serving as inputs to second global stocktake

Some more options include creating a platform on climate-related trade measures for understanding the cross-border impacts on developing countries.

Observers said developing countries will not accept roundtables or dialogues on this matter since it is of huge consequence for their economies.

On addressing the NDC gap, there are five options with some of them being consequential. One of the options is annual consideration of the NDC and biannual transparency report synthesis report, and exploration of opportunities, barriers and enablers to achieve the global efforts agreed in the context of the first GST by tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030; accelerate action to transition away from fossil fuels and halting and reverting deforestation; COP30 Presidency to re-invigorate mission 1.5°C; working inclusively with parties, sub-national actors, civil society, and the private sector, to develop a 1.5°C response plan to address the pre 2030 action and ambition gaps; invite COP Presidencies to develop the roadmap to identify opportunities to accelerate the implementation of, and international cooperation and investment in NDCs to close the gaps, and convene a coalition of climate ministers to inform the roadmap to be published before COP31 and present findings at the annual high-level roundtable on pre-2030 ambition at COP31; and a high-level roundtable discussion on the mitigation, adaptation and finance gaps in relation to keeping 1.5°C alive among others.

“The presidency identified a high degree of convergence and alignment emerging both from written and oral inputs. The presidency sees an opportunity for this summary to serve as a preliminary glimpse of where an overall package of outputs from the consultations could emerge from Parties. Where we saw potential divergence of views, we tried to reflect them in options that could be taken by parties as either mutually supportive or mutually excluding, as they see fit. In Presidency consultations we will invite parties to reflect on balance and potential misrepresentation of topics within or outside of options to ensure our process continues guided by what parties feel is the right direction and pace,” the summary stated.

Ministers have arrived in Belem for the high level talks this week at COP30. They are expected to debate on these options, which could further lead to inputs into the cover text or agreement from Belem.

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