Global stocktake report: Ambition and urgency needed to meet Paris goals

The 2015 Paris Agreement was a landmark moment in international climate action, bringing countries together with a shared commitment to combat the existential threat of climate change. 

Since its inception, nations across the globe have been proactive in taking measures to mitigate its impacts. Yet, a new technical report on the global stocktake highlights an urgent need to expedite ambition and implementation.

Global stocktake 

Established as an integral part of the Paris Agreement, the global stocktake is an assessment that is conducted every five years. The evaluation is used to gauge humanity’s collective response to the mounting climate crisis and pave a strategic path ahead. 

The primary goal is to inform the forthcoming round of nationally determined contributions, slated for presentation in 2025.

This extensive review commenced with a rigorous data collection phase in 2021. Contributions for the assessment came from many sources including international organizations, non-party stakeholders, and the parties to the Agreement itself. 

Comprehensive dialogue 

Over the course of 2022 and 2023, a comprehensive technical dialogue was organized by two distinguished co-chairs, Farhan Akhtar and Harald Winkler.

With the UN Climate Change secretariat’s support, the dialogue spanned various pivotal domains – from mitigation and adaptation to loss, damage, and response measures. 

Inspiring global action

“The technical dialogues were based on the best available science, drawing on the latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other sources of knowledge, with broad participation of experts and non-Party Stakeholders with diverse backgrounds,” said Akhtar.

“Across the discussions it was clear that the Paris Agreement has inspired widespread action that has significantly reduced forecasts of future warming. This global stocktake is taking place at a crucial moment to inspire further global action in responding to the climate crisis.”

COP28

The global stocktake report unveils 17 technical findings from these discussions. The report underscores the strides made thus far but also magnifies the immense work that lies ahead. It meticulously points out the evident gaps but also illuminates the opportunities and solutions to bridge them. 

All eyes are now set on Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, where the first global stocktake’s culmination will transpire at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28. 

“More than 137 non-Party stakeholders submitted input on their actions and support for the Paris Agreement goals, in total over 170,000 pages of written submissions were received, and we had over 252 hours of meetings and discussions over the three meetings of the technical dialogue – in plenaries, roundtables and world café formats,” said Winkler.  

“As the report’s technical findings show, much more is needed now, on all fronts and by all actors to meet the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.”

Ambition and urgency 

As the stocktake progresses into its final phase, a series of high-level events will be held to discuss the implications of these technical findings. These discussions will assist in identifying opportunities, good practices, and challenges to enhance climate action and support.

“This global stocktake report provides clear direction on how we can meet the expectations of the Paris Agreement by taking decisive action in this critical decade,” said COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Al Jaber. 

“To keep 1.5 within reach we must act with ‘ambition and urgency’ to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030. That is why the COP28 Presidency has put forward an ambitious action agenda centered around fast- tracking a just and well managed energy transition that leaves no one behind, fixing climate finance, focusing on people’s lives and livelihoods, and underpinning everything with full inclusivity.” 

“I believe we can deliver all of this while creating sustainable economic growth for our people, but we must urgently disrupt business as usual and unite like never before to move from ambition to action and from rhetoric to real results.”

Actionable commitments

Dr. Al Jaber says he is calling on leaders from both the public and private sector to come to COP28 with real and actionable commitments to address climate change. 

“We need to rapidly decarbonize both the supply side and demand side of the energy system at the same time. We need to triple renewable energy by 2030, commercialize other zero carbon solutions like hydrogen and scale up the energy system free of all unabated fossil fuels, while we eliminate the emissions of the energies we use today,” noted Dr. Al Jaber.

“We need to protect and enhance nature, safeguard carbon sinks and transform food systems that account for one third of emissions. And we need fundamental reform of the international financial architecture that was built for the last century.”

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