An environmental organisation in Germany says there is a great deal of work to be done before COP31.
The mid-year UN climate negotiations – in Bonn, Germany – wrapped up last week, the first major climate negotiating session since COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
Negotiators failed to find agreement in numerous areas, such as scaling up global emissions cuts and funding for climate adaptation.
Germanwatch’s head of international climate policy Laura Schäfer said the central lines of conflict at Bonn will shape COP31 in November.
She said the talks clearly showed international climate policy continues to fall short of the challenges of the climate crisis.
“Particularly damaging was the fact that the US, alongside with many other industrialized countries, are scaling back international climate finance commitments, and that they’re therefore unlikely to meet the pledges made only a few years ago.
“Hence climate finance was one key point in a lot of negotiation rooms without a very clear perspective on how to achieve the $300 billion agreed as new climate finance goal.”
The US has recently withdrawn from a number of climate agreements under President Trump, who has called the climate crisis a con job.
Schäfer told RNZ Pacific that one thing highlighted by countries in press rooms at Bonn is that the climate crisis is accelerating.
“Those countries most vulnerable need binding assurances that they will receive effective support in dealing with the impacts of the crisis,” she said.
A group of countries and civil society representatives in Bonn called out growing “co-ordinated attacks” by fossil fuel interests at the talks.
Under the banner ‘Friends of Science’, representatives said the voices in the rooms are aimed at undermining the role of climate science.
The Pacific Islands Climate Action Network’s Sindra Sharma said science is the heart of decision-making in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process.
“When anyone in these negotiations suggests we delay the science or soften its connection to the decisions we are here to make, I want them to understand what that means in practice.
“When you deny us the science, you deny us the ability to come here on a level playing field, and you deny us the ability to plan for our own uncertain future.”
Fiji’s Environment and Climate Change permanent secretary Sivendra Michael also spoke up for science.
Michael said they have been hearing voices in the room that are doing their best to undermine science.
“We are seeing certain countries holding the process hostage as vulnerable people suffer heat stress and king tides and storms, drought and famine.
“Scientists have given us the information we need to prepare for climate impacts and to fight for the future that we want.”
The talks in Bonn finished last week.
