The presidency of COP31 published today a first summary of the proposals from countries, ranging from the elimination of fossil fuels to increased funding for adaptation, and which could eventually be incorporated into the final political text of the summit.
The reflection document, which results from consultations with delegations present at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference held on Tuesday and Wednesday, reflects the broad range of concerns expressed and the points of divergence.
The text itself acknowledges that it does not reflect consensus nor the degree of support for each proposal, since some were presented by several countries and others by only a few, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.
The reaffirmation of multilateralism and the Paris Agreement, as well as the response to the anticipated overshoot of the 1.5°C limit, aiming to keep it to a maximum, are among the proposals presented, just as accelerating mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening adaptation in the face of the climate crisis.
The text also includes the target of increasing the share of electricity in global energy consumption to 35% by 2035, a priority of the Turkish presidency, not forgetting renewable energies, energy efficiency, electrical grids and energy storage, but also calls for respect for national circumstances and for not imposing a single energy pathway.
The roadmap proposed by Brazil for phasing out fossil fuels and fighting deforestation is also part of the document, as well as “proposals to establish a baseline for the commitment to triple adaptation financing, as well as to promote financial instruments that do not increase debt,” according to EFE.
Consultations will continue today and it is expected that delegations will present written proposals over the weekend, with a first draft of the final text expected to be released at the beginning of next week.
Approval of the final declaration, which brings together the main policy directions of the summit, requires consensus. COP31 ends on November 20.
Diana Acconcia, representative of the European Commission, stated at a press conference that the summary “faithfully reflects the positions expressed,” including those of Europe, but clarified that it serves as a basis for further consultations and not for the negotiation of an agreement.
For its part, Jasper Inventor, head of the Greenpeace delegation at COP31, argued that governments should combine the proposals and craft “a recipe with real climate actions, rather than a diluted agreement that does not reach the minimum common denominator.”
In statements to the Agence France-Presse, Alden Meyer, a specialist at the E3G think tank, considered that “the big question is what will withstand the opposition of the different groups of countries.”
The presidency of the negotiations “must be very cautious, as the legitimacy of the whole process is being questioned by certain groups of countries,” he added, referring to Russia and the Arab group.
