Bonn, 27 June 2019. Today marks the closing of the United Nations Climate Conference in Bonn, Germany. As the most vulnerable continue to suffer from the climate emergency’s impacts, such as ongoing heat waves in Europe and record-breaking cyclones in Africa and Asia, government officials leave Bonn with moderate progress in negotiation on various issues. However, they now must urgently confront the wide gap between current commitments to climate action and the harsh reality of an accelerating climate crisis.
Sven Harmeling, CARE’s Global Policy Lead on Climate Change and Resilience:
“In the wake of the UN Climate Action Summit and COP25, outcries sound from the public demanding climate justice amidst fears of catastrophe and a climate apartheid future. While more than 20 countries announced in Bonn to improve their national climate plans, now, more than ever, the big emitters must follow their lead. We continue to reiterate the same message to decision makers: heed our warning before it’s too late. Government leaders must now step up and provide the emergency action required instead of making empty promises.”
Discussions on supporting efforts to address loss and damage, particularly in developing countries, have progressed in Bonn in preparation for a revision of the UN support scheme for vulnerable countries by COP25 (December, Chile). However, developed countries continue to resist demands by poor countries to substantially scale-up finance to address climate impacts, of which they have been the primary perpetrators. CARE urges developed countries to turn to a more constructive mode in preparation for COP25 and side with the most vulnerable. CARE also welcomes moderate progress on agricultural issues, and calls on leaders to maintain the momentum to fight climate change and gender equality through the adoption of a new gender action plan at COP25.
The Bonn session is followed by a preparation meeting in Dubai for the UN Climate Action Summit to be held in New York on September 23, and a meeting of the Board of the Green Climate Fund, which is in a critical process for obtaining new funding to assist developing countries.
Obed Koringo, CARE’s representative to the climate summit preparatory meeting:
“After the Bonn session, we call on countries to champion necessary responses to the demands by the UN Secretary General for the upcoming UN Climate Action Summit. Heated debate about the IPCC’s Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C is unacceptable. Ongoing dispute on the irrefutable impacts of climate change must end now. In the coming months, we must see significant, urgent national action to halve emissions globally by 2030, and we need at least a doubling of the financial pledges made by developed countries to the Green Climate Fund.”
Camilla Schramek
Head of Climate Change Communications