Written by Neeshad Shafi.
If you skim the news from last year, 2017 may have seemed like a tough year for climate change.
The United States and the Caribbean suffered a devastating hurricane season.
People across Africa felt the impact of consecutive seasons of drought that scorched harvests and depressed livelihoods.
Severe rains and flooding forced tens of thousands of evacuations across Asia.
Above all, 2017 was one of the hottest years on record for the globe.
While the global average surface temperature won’t match what we saw in 2016, it is now one of the three warmest years on record, according to a statement issued by the World Meteorological Organization.
To ensure that the Paris Agreement becomes a success, it is imperative that governments integrate their global obligations with their climate policies.
To deliver on this obligation, governments must transparently present their guidelines for developing the Paris “rulebook”.
This will establish the more technical rules and processes needed to fulfill the Paris Agreement’s great ambitions, which were negotiated at COP23 and to be finalized at COP 24 later this year.
First and foremost, given the urgency of climate action, the system must be up and running in 2020.
Delaying the adoption of the guidelines would jeopardise the Paris Agreement and weakens its political momentum.
Climate action cannot be limited to reducing emissions.
Other aspects such as mitigation, adaptation, provision of finance to the most vulnerable countries, transfer of technologies and capacity building, investment to create quality employment, decent work and just transition are crucial aspects of climate action.
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and related planning on reporting commitments must reflect the requirements of transparency and quality of data.
NDCs must also translate the specific responsibility of richer countries into concrete action to support the poorest and most vulnerable countries, those most affected by the devastating impacts of climate change. Moreover combating climate change and promoting sustainable development require the active and effective engagement of all actors of society.
Governments cannot act alone, I cannot stress enough the importance of public participation and access to information to empower citizens and ensure they play an active role in the transition towards a just and sustainable future.
A New Year of Hope
The New Year began with New York City’s decision to sever ties with its fossil fuel investments and prove itself as an example to other cities and to corporates that a roadmap to zero carbon is achievable, and that this route can be profitable both for businesses and the planet.
These actions will help build momentum for the global shift required to reduce emissions and stave off the worst consequences of climate change.
Setting high, ambitious goals will help to create a virtuous circle of climate action, giving policy makers the confidence to push harder, creating a market that will reward more sustainable businesses, and encouraging the development of the innovative products we will need to tackle climate change.
Young people are bringing critical passion to the climate debate; it’s their future at stake. As key drivers of change in the world, 1.2 billion young people can help bolster climate action and implement innovative solutions in locally and globally.
While international political agreements and technological innovations to cut emissions tend to get the most attention, billions of individual decisions taken by young people across the world add up to a significant driver of climate action.
As such, harnessing young people’s energy, knowledge, reach, critical thinking and innovative ideas and solutions is indispensable for the achievement of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs.
Shaping a Sustainable Future
Given the nature and scale of the solutions required, the implementation of the Paris Agreement offers a historic opportunity for governments and other stakeholders to embrace an inclusive and transformative agenda that enables the international community to combat climate change while promoting sustainable development.
What we clearly need is to get policy aligned, finance flowing and change occurring on the ground. The Paris Rule Book guidelines to be adopted in 2018 are of the utmost importance for the future of the global climate regime.
It also demonstrates that cooperation, from the grassroots level on upwards, is critical to success. This will lead in building a fair and sustainable world for this and future generations.
Our responsibility is huge as citizens of mother Earth. Today is a moment of great hope, we must never forget that the hard work of making the Paris Agreement a reality has only just begun. We should act now and together.
===========
Neeshad Shafi is the Co-Founder and National Coordinator at Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar, Communication Manager at Womenpreneur, a Middle East North Africa based not-for-profit organization which offers programs on women empowerment, entrepreneurship and business development. He is also Youth member with UN Inter Agency Network for Youth Development. He is currently serving as Co-Founder and National Coordinator for Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar (AYCMQ), Middle East Officer for CliMates, Founding Team Youth Climate Lab, Founding member and Focal point for CAN (Climate Action Network) Arab World, Liaison Officer in GCC for Citizens Climate Lobby and MIT Climate Co-Lab Fellow. He has also been active in UNFCCC climate negotiation process since 2012 and involved in COP22 in Marrakech as well as COP21 in Paris on invitation from civil society for advocating the importance of Arab youth as partners for climate action.
Press link for more: WEFlive.com
jpratt27 