Exploring the Concept of Global Stocktake

As stipulated by the 2015 Paris Agreement, the Global Stocktake (GST) is essentially an evaluative process that gauges the progress made in battling climate change and identifies areas of improvement.

• Its primary objective is to escalate the global response in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation, finance, and the availability of technology.

Current Stocktake and the Need for Course Correction:

• The current stocktake marks the first exercise under the Paris Agreement, which is slated to occur every five years.
• Scientific evidence indicates that the existing actions are insufficient to curb global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• To meet the target, the world must reduce emissions by nearly half by 2030 from the 2019 levels. However, the current trajectory points towards a 3-degree Celsius rise by 2100.

The Bonn Meeting 2023

The annual meeting scheduled in Bonn at the headquarters of the UN Climate Change Convention aims to bolster the global response to climate change.

• A significant task at this year's meeting in Bonn is the Global Stocktake (GST).

Challenges in GST Discussions

• While countries can determine their contribution to climate action, collective efforts prove insufficient, requiring some form of enforcement.
• Discrepancies surface between developed and developing countries regarding the allocation of responsibility.
• Developed countries demand more from major emitters like China and India, whereas developing countries emphasize unfulfilled commitments.
• The United States' Stance:
  • The US asserts that bridging the gap is not exclusively the responsibility of developed countries.
  • It opposes the inclusion of suggestions for 'closing pre-2020 gaps' in GST decisions.
• India's Standpoint:
  • India dismisses 'prescriptive messages' from GST regarding the content of a country's climate action plan, also known as Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs.
  • India insists on setting its climate targets in line with national goals and advocates for the closing of pre-2020 gaps.
• China's Viewpoint:
  • China expresses dissatisfaction with the inadequate inclusion of demands from 134 developing countries concerning pre-2020 gaps in GST discussions thus far.
  • It underscores the need to address pre-2020 gaps and highlights carbon dioxide emissions produced before 1990.

Conclusion:

• The GST discussions involve contentious issues such as finance, adaptation, and technology transfer.
• Technical discussions in Bonn will pave the way for final decisions on the GST at the year-ending climate conference in Dubai.