COP 24 UNFCCC: Highlights, Achievements, Significance & More | UPSC Notes

COP 24 UNFCCC is short for the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It was a crucial event that brought together global leaders, policymakers, and experts to address the pressing challenges of climate change. It was held in Katowice, Poland. It aimed to finalize the implementation guidelines for the Paris Agreement. The Paris agreement was a landmark international treaty focused on combating climate change. 

COP 24 UNFCCC focused on key issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, climate finance, and adaptation measures. It served as a platform for countries to strengthen their commitments to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. 

COP 24 UNFCCC UPSC is one of the important topics for the UPSC IAS Exam. It covers a significant part of the Environment subject in the General Studies paper-3 syllabus. In this article, we shall study in detail what is COP 24, its objective, highlights, significance, and its relevance for UPSC.

What is COP 24 UNFCCC?

COP 24 stands for the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The conference also included the third session of the first meeting of the parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA1-3 or CMA1.3), which decided on procedures to implement the Agreement, and the fourteenth meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP14).

Objectives of COP 24 UNFCCC

The key objective of the meeting is to adopt the implementation guidelines of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, which is to cut greenhouse gas emissions intensity of its gross domestic product by 33% to 35% by 2030 to raise the capacity of non-fossil fuel generation to 40% from 28% in 2015 and significantly increase forest cover to reduce carbon dioxide.

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Key Highlights of COP 24 UNFCCC

UNFCCC COP 24 (Conference of the Parties 24) was held in Katowice, Poland, in December 2018. The main aim of COP 24 was to finalize the implementation guidelines for the Paris Agreement.

• The parties reached an agreement on the Paris Rulebook. The rulebook provides a framework for measuring, reporting, and verifying countries' GHG emissions.
• The Talanoa Dialogue was launched to facilitate discussions on raising ambition and addressing climate change.
• The Katowice Climate Package was adopted. The importance of climate finance for developing countries was emphasized.
• The importance of transparent and accurate reporting of climate actions was highlighted.
• The need for urgent and enhanced action to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius was recognized.
• A strong emphasis was placed on the role of forests and their protection in climate change mitigation efforts.
• The need for collaboration between governments, civil society, and businesses to address climate change effectively was highlighted.
• COP 24 laid the groundwork for future climate action. It highlighted the continued importance of global cooperation.

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India at COP 24 Summit 2018

India reaffirmed its INDC’s dedication to achieving the objectives set forth in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

India made the case that the delicate balance between rich and developing nations must be preserved and that concepts like equity, climate justice, common but differentiated responsibility, and respectable capacities must be given their proper weight. India highlighted its significant disapproval of the Paris Agreement’s rulebook’s lack of equality in the global stock-take, which measures how far humanity has come in realizing the agreement’s objectives as a whole. For countries to publish their emissions, they needed a strict transparency policy.

Significant Outcomes of COP 24 UNFCCC

Here are the outcomes of COP 24 UNFCCC:

• UNFCCC COP 24 resulted in the adoption of the Katowice Climate Package. This established the implementation guidelines for the Paris Agreement.
• The guidelines outline transparency, reporting, and accountability mechanisms for countries in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• A commitment was made to enhance climate finance to support climate actions in developing nations. 
• The developed countries pledged to contribute $100 billion annually by 2020.
• The Talanoa Dialogue was launched during COP 24. It is a process aimed at facilitating global climate action and increasing ambition.
• Parties recognized the importance of addressing loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change, particularly in vulnerable regions.
• The "Just Transition" concept was emphasized. The need to ensure a fair and equitable transition toward a low-carbon economy was highlighted.
• Various initiatives and partnerships were announced to accelerate climate action. This included the following:
• Powering Past Coal Alliance and Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction.
• COP 24 reinforced the global commitment to combat climate change. It demonstrated the collective determination to implement the goals of the Paris Agreement.

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Achievements of COP 24 UNFCCC 

Some achievements of COP 24 UNFCCC are listed below:

• Development of the “Katowice rule book” which dictates how the Paris Agreement will be implemented and how nations will be held accountable and the process of tracking and transparency of data produced.
• Poland announced a “forests for climate” program, emphasizing the critical role that forests play in resolving climate-related issues.
• 50 nations have endorsed the “Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration.” The statement underlines the necessity of “a just transition of the workforce” and the creation of “decent work and quality jobs” as part of emission-reducing initiatives.
• At a summit on the problem of coal use, which was also organized by Canada and the United Kingdom, 80 nations decided to phase out coal use by 2030.

Significance of UNFCCC COP 24

COP 24 UNFCCC is important because it assures that the true potential of the Paris Agreement can be achieved. This includes stepping up climate action to help reach the main objective of the agreement, which is to keep the average global temperature below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

With regard to all components of the global climate regime that nations are constructing, the full implementation of the Paris Agreement signifies the opening of real activities.

• Adaptation to impacts of Climate Change,
• Ambitious reductions of emissions,
• With strong means of implementation to support developing countries, in the form of technology cooperation, capacity building, and, especially, financial support.

The high-level political phase of the Fiji-led Talanoa Dialogue, which aims to evaluate progress toward the temperature objectives contained in the Paris Agreement, will take place at COP 24 UNFCCC, in addition to the implementation instructions for the Paris Agreement.

During a series of Global Climate Action events at the COP in Katowice, the climate action of Non-Party actors will also be highlighted.

Click on the link to download the notes on the Bonn Climate Change Conference for UPSC!

Criticism of UNFCCC COP 24 

Despite not being finished, work was made on plans to transfer funding from developed to developing countries to aid in their plans to reduce pollution and mitigate climate change, as well as on plans to monitor how the monies would be utilized by the receiving countries. The controversial tax suggested in Canada and other forms of carbon pricing was seen more as a business opportunity to create new, cleaner technology.

Even while the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report pointing to a worsening climate change situation set the underlying tone for the event, it was not addressed this time around on the crucial idea of carbon trading laws and uniform credits among nations.

Click on the link to download the notes on the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) for UPSC!

Way Forward

According to the IPCC’s 1.5°C Report, which was published in October 2018, the world is on track to exceed the 1.5°C global warming limit between 2030 and 2052 at the current rate of emissions.

The world is clearly being challenged by this study to address climate change. Therefore, it is vital to reach an agreement on divisive subjects like climate financing and transparent stock-taking issues related to climate justice.

Also, check out the article on Biodiversity for UPSC preparation!

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