Bangkok Opens the Diplomatic Season - 10 Key moments leading to COP24

by Arthur Wyns

“ Bangkok is our last stop before COP24. We can only succeed…if we all succeed together here now, ” the Co-chair of the Ad-Hoc working program of the Paris Agreement (APA) encouraged at the start of the Bangkok session. Much of technical groundwork for the Paris Rulebook.

Bangkok is the last chance for countries to set the technical groundwork for the Paris Rulebook.

But there are still 9 more events that could help countries make progress on the Paris Goals.

Global Climate Action Summit , San Francisco (September 12-14) - The GCA Summit is the first-ever global climate summit, focused exclusively on the actions and ambitions of businesses, cities, and citizens worldwide. It’s intended to showcase climate action taking place at all levels – not just from a national-approach. With government representatives expected to attend and observe, this summit is an opportunity for non-state actors, from civil society, NGOs, and faith-based communities “to tell government, ‘we are doing this, we are already doing this, and we can do more if you give us those signals,’” said Yamide Dagnet from World Resources Institute.

G7 Environment, Energy and Ocean Ministerial (19-21 September) — The G7 Environment, Energy and Ocean Ministers will convene to discuss the theme, ‘Working together on climate change, oceans and clean energy’. With Canada taking on the Presidency for this meeting, it is another time to pressure other G7 countries to provide more climate finance.

The One Planet Summit (September 26) is an opportunity for countries to focus on mobilisation for public and private climate financing. Organised by the Government of France jointly with the UN, the World Bank Group and Bloomberg Philanthropies, the summit will also account for the implementation of 12 international commitments made at the first summit.

The Eighth meeting of the Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage - WIM EXCOM - (September 19-21) will be held in Bonn this year, WIM promotes the implementation of approaches to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts. In particular, this is a time for countries to focus specifically on climate finance for loss and damage experienced by countries particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. In October, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will be launching its special report, Global Warming of 1.5ºC (October 1-5) in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The report focuses on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emissions. According to Dagnet, “it’s going to be absolutely critical, and we hope this particular report will provide the impetus and sense of urgency that will trigger the signals we want to see in Katowice.”

That month, we’ll also see the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group in Bali , Indonesia (October 12-14). Crucially, this is an opportunity for these international financial institutions to demonstrate how they can contribute to the $100 billion goal, and how they can align and scale up their climate finance support.

Brazil Elections (October 7-28) although the Brazil elections aren’t a climate conference, the outcome of this election might play a big role in climate negotiations moving forward. As Brazil is a potential president for upcoming COPs, a right-wing win might severely damage international progress. Jair Bolsonaro, the de facto presidential frontrunner, stated that he would follow Donald Trump out of the Paris Agreement.

Pre-COP (October 21-24) Pre-COP 2018 will take place in Poland from 21-24 October. It will provide Ministers with the opportunity for an honest exchange of views on key issues of the COP24 agenda before the negotiations begin in Katowice.

This brings us to the Climate Vulnerable Forum Virtual Summit (November 22). Notably, this summit will be organised entirely online, “to maximize cost-effectiveness, inclusivity and global participation, while minimising any adverse climate impacts.” This is an opportunity to hear from from both vulnerable countries and their allies about how they intend to commit.

At the end of November, the G20 Summit (November 30 – December 1) will be happening in Buenos Aires. As this year’s priorities include the future of work, infrastructure for development, a sustainable food future, and gender perspective, climate change has ample opportunity to be brought up.

This article was written by Arthur Wyns from Climate Tracker, an organisation supporting young journalists to cover climate change issues. Climate Tracker was generously supported by FES to participate in the UN Climate Negotiations in Bangkok