OACPS Leaders Statement _COP29_EN

 

BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 11, 2024 – The Organisation of African Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) will formally launch its urgent call for climate action at COP29 tomorrow, with leaders gathering to present their unified demands for climate justice and historical responsibility.

The launch event, titled “Urgent Climate Action and Justice for our peoples, places and deserved prosperity, in the face of more frequent and intense climate-related disasters,” will be held at the Moana Blue Pacific Pavilion in Baku on Tuesday, November 12, from 14:00 to 14:50.

The OACPS President of Council from the Republic of the Congo, along with COP29 Co-Chairs from the Republic of Suriname and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and the OACPS Secretary-General will host the presentation of the statement to OACPS Heads of State and Governments and Heads of Delegation.

Representing 79 nations and over 1.5 billion people, OACPS leaders emphasized their unique position as stewards of vital global ecosystems. While serving as custodians of vast ocean territories and tropical forests – described as “the lungs of our Blue Planet” – these nations contribute only 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions yet bear the heaviest burden of climate impacts.

Recent climate disasters underscore the urgency of their appeal. The statement details devastating impacts including Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean, severe droughts and floods across Southern and Eastern Africa, and the destruction caused by Tropical Cyclones Judy, Kevin, and Lola in the Pacific. These events continue to wreak havoc on communities’ lives, livelihoods, and long-term development prospects.

The 2023 Global Stocktake findings and UN Emissions Gap Report 2024 paint a dire picture. Current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) fall short of maintaining temperature rise below 1.5°C, with IPCC projections warning of “inconceivable, irreversible damage” to ecosystems and communities if this threshold is crossed.

The OACPS demands include:

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1. Climate Finance:
– Establishment of a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) with a minimum of USD 100 billion annually
– Regular reviews to reflect evolving needs
– Support for implementing NDCs and National Adaptation Plans
– Doubling of adaptation finance by 2025 based on 2019 levels2. Loss and Damage Fund:
– Immediate operationalization with urgent fulfillment of pledges
– Standalone, grant-based structure
– Coverage for both economic and non-economic losses
– Support for extreme disasters and slow onset events
– Inclusive accessibility for all OACPS members
– Consideration of both terrestrial and oceanic impacts3. Adaptation and Capacity Building:
– Accelerated implementation of the Paris Agreement’s adaptation goals
– Technology transfer and capacity-building support by 2025
– Swift finalization of vulnerability reduction indicators
– Enhanced support for ocean-based climate action through GCF, GEF, and Adaptation Fund

4. Debt Crisis Resolution:
– Implementation of Bridgetown Initiative 3.0
– Address unsustainable debt burdens
– Reduce high capital costs
– Unlock grant-based and concessional financing

5. Policy Frameworks:
– Robust Article 6 mechanisms with social safeguards
– Environmental integrity measures
– Transparent review processes
– Support for SIDS, LDCs, and African LLDCs

The statement welcomed the “United Arab Emirates Framework for Global Climate Resilience” while pushing for swift consensus on vulnerability reduction indicators. Leaders strongly endorsed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory proceedings on climate change, viewing them as crucial for advancing equitable responses and securing reparations for loss and damage.

Emphasizing that their calls for equitable and simplified access to climate finance have “gone unanswered for too long,” OACPS leaders declared, “We cannot wait for more disasters to prompt more pledges to act.” They urged developed nations, as the largest emitters, to enhance their NDCs with substantial emissions cuts.

The organization concluded with a call for “courageous leadership” from other nations, expressing their commitment to collective action in building a world where climate justice prevails. Their unified stance at COP29 represents the voices of some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable populations across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, demanding immediate and transformative action in global climate policy.

The launch event registration can be confirmed by contacting pendo.maro@acp.int and peter.nyongesa@acp.int.