UN Climate Change launched earlier this year its first-ever Annual Report, laying out the key 2017 achievements and pointing to the future of the climate change process. The report covers many areas of the 2017 work of UN Climate Change, which includes the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, as well as their bodies, institutional arrangements, organs and the secretariat.
Climate change is a significant threat the planet has to face. As noted by UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, an astonishing 17 of the 18 warmest years on record have occurred in the 21st century. The past three years were the hottest since records began. Ms. Espinosa said:
Climate Change is the single biggest threat to life, security and prosperity on Earth. This annual report shows how UN Climate Change is doing everything it can to support, encourage and build on the global response to climate change.
Speaking with actions, at the UN Climate Change conference (COP23) presided over by Fiji last November, almost 30,000 people from all levels came together in Bonn, Germany, to drive action on climate change. The conference saw financial commitments amounting to almost USD 1 billion to tackle climate change.
Governments took key decisions, among them launching the Talanoa Dialogue, the first-ever Gender Action Plan, a platform for indigenous peoples and local communities, and an agreement on agriculture.
In addition, throughout 2017, UN Climate Change continued to deliver on its core tasks:
- supporting the intergovernmental process,
- bringing transparency to climate commitments,
- supporting Parties in building resilience and adapting to climate change,
- facilitating the mobilization of finance and diffusion of technology, and
- fostering cooperation with non-Party stakeholders to realize the Paris Agreement’s potential.
The report also looks at the outlook for the year ahead, including increasing the number of ratifications of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol so it can enter into force, the Talanoa Dialogue which will inform and inspire Parties as they increase their commitments, and adopting the outcomes of the work programme of the Paris Agreement at the end of 2018.
Throughout 2018 and beyond, let us do all in our power, together, to accelerate action. Only by doing so can we succeed in protecting our planet from climate change and securing a low-carbon, sustainable future.
Countries are now gathered in Bonn focused on critical interim work leading to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland, including preparation of the Paris Agreement Work Programme, which will guide implementation of the Paris Agreement.
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