Dakar Declaration on Climate Change 2023

Ministers from the world’s 46 least developed countries (LDCs) issued a joint Dakar Declaration on Climate Change outlining their expectations and priorities for COP28.

Key points from the declaration:

1. Urgent Global Emissions Reductions:

• The declaration calls for urgent global emissions reductions to address the rapidly approaching 1.5°C global warming threshold.

2. Increased Climate Finance:

• Developed countries are urged to present a clear road map for at least doubling adaptation finance delivered by 2025 through public, grant-based financing.
• A New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance should provide new and additional resources, exceeding the current $100 billion per year floor.

3. Operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund:

• The declaration emphasizes the need for a strong outcome operationalizing the new Loss and Damage Fund to address the impacts of climate change.

4. Ambitious Global Stocktake:

• The ministers call for an ambitious Global Stocktake to close the gaps in global climate action.

5. Responsibility and Historical Emissions:

• LDCs account for more than 14% of the global population but only about 1% of emissions from fossil fuels and industrial processes.
• The declaration underscores that LDCs bear the least historical responsibility for climate change and are disproportionately affected by it.

6. Alignment with 1.5°C Goal:

• Parties, particularly major emitters, are urged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions urgently and significantly.
• 2030 targets in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) should be revisited and strengthened to align with the 1.5°C warming limit.

7. UNFCCC Centralized Carbon Market Mechanism:

• The declaration calls for the operationalization of the UNFCCC centralised carbon market mechanism by 2024, with recognition of the needs of LDCs.
• Implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement’s capacity-building program is emphasized.

8. Limiting Warming to 1.5°C:

• The declaration states that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement, will be out of reach if global production and consumption patterns continue.

9. Accelerating Climate Action:

• COP28 is seen as an opportunity to accelerate climate action towards 1.5°C pathways and meet the needs of LDCs.
• Deep global emissions reductions, scaling up renewable energy, and ensuring no one is left behind are highlighted as essential for a successful COP28.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2023

Category: International / World Current Affairs