BATHINDA: With 2024 on track to be the hottest year ever, world leaders are gathering at United Nations General Assembly have a responsibility to show that they are raising climate leadership and adding multilateral approaches to global challenges. Despite political rifts and geopolitical divides, it is not an option.
The independent climate change think tanks E3G has chalked out the problem to be taken up in the UNGA. E3G points out that the government at the UN General Assembly this year is only a few months away from important deadlines included
A new climate finance goals for developing countries – to be agreed on COP29: The government in New York must find the moment to source and set up structures for greater impact on implementation, delivery and closing the financing gap. And new momentum behind the agenda for reforming the international financial architecture is necessary, to make it better for climate action. Leaders must reinvest their political capital behind multilateral development bank reforms and give early signals on filling the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), the main fund to support the poorest developing countries. Meanwhile, political champions must now come forward to support to ensure an ambitious outcome for the financial negotiations on the ‘New Collective Quantified Goal’ (NCQG) in Baku.
A new national climate plan – to be submitted to the UN by each government in February 2025: the UNGA is the first step to signal a commitment to lead the climate transition by announcing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) aligned to 1.5oC. The country’s plan is essential to translate the historic COP28 agreement to transition from fossil fuels, triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030, and address adaptation and resilience into action at the domestic level. This year’s Summit of the Future (September 22-23) will issue a Pact for the Future that will strengthen and build on this much-needed momentum.
10 year anniversary of the Paris Agreement – at the COP30 in Brazil in November 2025: The Paris Agreement is one of, if not the, greatest success story of multilateralism in recent history. With geopolitical tensions putting more pressure on multilateralism and the UN climate process, this year’s UNGA is a critical moment to join political decision-making to show why climate action should be – not a good – priority for governments around the world. . Leaders must articulate clearly the geopolitical risks of climate failure – and the benefits of bold, joint action.
Cosima Cassel, Senior Policy Advisor, E3G said: “The UNGA is an important moment to raise climate ambitions ahead of COP29. setting an ambitious national climate action plan (NDC) ahead of COP30.”
Kaysie Brown, Associate Director, E3G said: “Among the many global challenges, one crisis requires undivided attention: climate change. With climate action priorities now included in the UNGA, leaders can clearly demonstrate that global cooperation can used, seize green economic opportunities, and avoid unnecessary costs.
Leo Roberts, Program Lead, E3G said: “Averting unsustainable climate change clearly requires a rapid and managed transition from fossil fuels to clean energy-led economies. The UNGA is an important moment for leaders to send a clear signal to the world – that they understand the energy transition commitments made at COP28, and are now committed to making them a reality, at home and abroad. These signals are essential to build the political momentum needed to ensure a positive outcome at COP29 and COP30.
Rob Moore, Associate Director, E3G said: “An international finance and development system that gets money flowing to emerging markets and developing economies on the front lines of climate change is essential to ensure climate security and sustainable growth. After much talk of progress in the year -last year, there is a risk of political stagnation. The UNGA provides a platform for progressive leaders to show that they have plans to improve and improve the international financial architecture, build bridges with the Global South and set the stage for agreeing new global climate finance goals at COP29.
