COP Troika Calls For Updated Climate Plans To Meet 1.5°C Goal

The COP Presidencies Troika, consisting of the UAE, Azerbaijan, and Brazil, have invited early movers to present enhanced and ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) aligned with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target. These contributions are expected to be announced at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

In March, the COP Presidencies for the 2023, 2024, and 2025 UN Climate Change Conferences established the COP Presidencies Troika and introduced the ‘Roadmap to Mission 1.5°C’ to “significantly enhance international cooperation… and implementation over this critical decade and keeping 1.5°C within reach.”

The Troika is now urging parties to submit updated NDCs, with the submission period set between November 2024 and February 2025.

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“To this end, the Roadmap to Mission 1.5 COP Presidencies Troika is inviting early movers who will submit next generation NDCs, informed by the outcome of the Global Stocktake, between COP29 and February 2025, to demonstrate their leadership at UNGA. This will be an important opportunity for leaders to signal their commitment to keep 1.5 within reach. The UAE, Azerbaijan, and Brazil, in our national capacities, will be among those countries who will provide corresponding signals at UNGA,” said a letter sent to all 196 parties on Tuesday.

With only six years remaining until 2030, there is a pressing need for accelerated efforts across all components of the Paris Agreement due to the climate crisis. “Our shared success requires tangible progress on mitigation, adaptation, and the means of implementation and support, along with scaling up financial flows to support just and equitable transitions towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development,” the letter added.

The Troika emphasized that to maintain the 1.5°C target and enhance global resilience, a shift in the current development model is essential. This transformation must incorporate diverse pathways and approaches, adhere to the latest scientific findings, and be guided by principles of equity. It should ensure that climate goals also promote social inclusion, economic prosperity, and a fair transition for everyone, while supporting sustainable development and poverty eradication efforts.

At the recent UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB60) session in June, there was a strong emphasis on the need for the next generation of NDCs to be shaped by the outcomes of the GST and to represent a significant improvement in implementation.

With current emission levels far from meeting the Paris Agreement goals, the United Nations Environment Programme has warned that the world is on track for a 2.7°C rise in temperature.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also highlighted concerns before the Bonn climate meeting in June, pointing out that parties appear to be backtracking on their climate commitments.“I see a lack of ambition. A lack of trust. A lack of support. A lack of cooperation. And an abundance of problems around clarity and credibility. The climate agenda is being undermined. At a time when we should be accelerating action, there is backtracking. At a time when we should be filling gaps, those gaps are growing. Meanwhile, the human rights of climate activists are being trampled. The most vulnerable are suffering the most,” he had said.

In its initial letter to all UN Climate Convention member countries on July 17, the COP29 Presidency, led by Mukhtar Babayev, urged nations to strengthen their climate plans to align with the 1.5°C target and secure the necessary financing to implement these plans.

“The COP29 Presidency’s top negotiating priority is agreeing a fair and ambitious New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance (NCQG) adequate to the urgency and scale of the problem, taking into account the needs and priorities of developing country Parties. Our efforts should include the full scope and potential of the resources that need to be made available,” the letter stated.

“Growing geopolitical tensions and uncertainty in the international environment must not distract us from the imperative to collaborate and address climate change as the greatest transnational challenge of the century,” it added.

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