Earth Today | ‘Pick up the pace!’

THE ALLIANCE of Small Island States (AOSIS) has called for a significant pick-up in the pace of the global response to climate change, in the wake of the United Nations 62nd Meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB).

Also known as the Bonn Climate Change Conference, the meeting of the SB was held in Germany from June 16 to 26.

At the same time, AOSIS – which represents 39 small island and low-lying coastal developing states in international climate change and sustainable development negotiations – has rubbished any questioning of the science of climate change and the essential need to reach for the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature goal.

“As we reflect on the closure of the 62nd Session of the SB, AOSIS acknowledges the progress made. However, the pace of action remains far behind the accelerating impacts our nations are already enduring. Small island developing states should not be the collateral damage of other countries’ lack of climate action,” said Ilana Seid, chair of AOSIS in her press statement from the meeting.

“We are concerned by the attack on science we have witnessed throughout these SB sessions. Acting upon the latest and best available science to keep 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach is a priority for AOSIS. It is alarming that the reflection of scientific fact is being challenged. That the mere mentioning of 1.5 degrees Celsius seems to be a red flag is an extremely concerning development,” she added.

SIDS have long championed the 1.5 degrees Celsius target as key to ensuring that they do not become victims to their vulnerabilities. The target is also reflected in the historic global climate deal, the Paris Agreement in which countries have committed to “holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, recognising that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change”.

With climate change risks, including extreme hurricanes and droughts, a clear and present danger to small island developing states, AOSIS has also called for the “urgent acceleration of mitigation ambition”.

“We are severely off track and international commitments to drastically reduce emissions and keep our world on a 1.5 degrees Celsius pathway are not being kept.We call on all Parties to submit enhanced, 1.5 degrees Celsius-aligned NDCs (nationally determined contributions) well ahead of COP30 (Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change),” Seid said.

COP30 is set for Belém, Brazil later this year, where on the agenda are climate finance, deforestation and the role of forests in climate mitigation together with the Global Stocktake and NDCs.

“There is no room for delay. Every fraction of a degree matters, and every moment lost risks lives and creates more potential climate refugees,” the AOSIS chair added.

AOSIS has also noted the need to give swift attention to operationalising the Global Goal on Adaptation to “ensure it delivers real resilience on the ground”, even as climate finance must be “scaled up, predictable, and accessible, especially for adaptation and addressing loss and damage”.

“Developed countries must meet and exceed their commitments, including mobilisation of the New Collective Quantified Goal which was agreed to last year.The Just Transition must be inclusive and equitable. The shift to low-carbon economies must uplift, not leave behind, the vulnerable, and there is much work to be done here if COP30 is to be a success,” Seid maintained.

She has, too, flagged the urgent need to get the implementation phase of the Global Stocktake underway, “translating pledges into pathways that deliver tangible outcomes”.

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