Joint declaration by the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states and the EU on climate change

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Maria Tomasik
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We, the ACP-EU Council of Ministers,

Representing 107 countries from Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and the European Union, committed to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

Guided by the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement;

In pursuit of the full and effective implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement;

Committed to the attainment of the long term goals of the Paris Agreement for development, prosperity and security of our planet and people;

Acknowledging the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters that have affected many ACP Countries, such as tropical cyclone Gita in the Pacific, hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Caribbean, and the recent drought in the Horn and Southern part of Africa:

  1. Note with serious concern that the current aggregate effects of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) are not sufficient to bring us on a pathway towards the long-term goal of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2oC above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 °C.
  2. Reaffirm our existing commitments to strengthen the global response to the threat of Climate Change from all countries.
  3. Acknowledge the urgent need to create enabling environments through regulatory frameworks and to invest in further transformational changes.
  4. Recognise the efforts of many countries towards the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol and encourage those countries that have not yet done so, to ratify the Doha Amendment.
  5. Appreciate the growing global momentum to accelerate the transition to low greenhouse gas emissions development and climate resilient economies, and support the continued efforts of the ACP and EU countries in this regard, including regional, national, and non-state actors; note that parties are invited to prepare long-term strategies by 2020; also note the enhanced international cooperation on the mitigation of and adaptation to Climate Change, inter alia through the NDC Partnership and the InsuResilience Global Partnership.
  6. Look forward to further evidence from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and in particular the Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5oC above pre-industrial levels and related greenhouse gas emission pathways.
  7. Welcome the launch of the Talanoa Dialogue to take stock of the collective efforts of Parties in relation to progress towards the long-term temperature goal and to inform the preparation of Nationally Determined Contributions pursuant to Article 4.8 of the Paris Agreement.
  8. Call on the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement to accelerate the completion of its work programme in order to fulfil its mandate at the twenty-fourth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 24) in Katowice, Poland (3-14 December 2018).
  9. Stress that the agreed rule book for the implementation of the Paris Agreement should:
  • Be robust and comprehensive, and preserve the integrity of the Paris Agreement;
  • Cover all aspects of mitigation, adaptation and the means of implementation and support in a tailored and balanced manner, in accordance with the mandate of the Paris Agreement;
  • Be applicable to all Parties; and
  • Provide a common transparency framework for tracking progress, with built-in flexibility to take into account different capacities and build upon collective experience.
  1. Recall that the Paris Agreement will be implemented to reflect equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances.
  2. Welcome the decision of the Twenty-third session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23), to organise the Suva Expert Dialogue, to explore a wide range of information, inputs and views on ways to facilitate the mobilisation and securing of expertise and enhancement of support, including finance, technology and capacity building, for averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow onset events.
  3. Express our gratitude and support to the current Fijian and incoming Polish Presidencies.
  4. Welcome the launch of the Intra-ACP Global Climate Change Alliance Plus Programme (2018-2022), an initiative of the ACP Group of States funded with 70 million EUR from the European Development Fund, to support ACP Member States to better address climate change.
  5. Welcome also the Intra-ACP Climate Services Programme, an initiative of the ACP Group of States, funded with 85 million EUR, also from the European Development Fund, to strengthen the capacities of regional hydro-meteorological organisations to take advantage of the full and open access to high-resolution data and value-added information from the EU’s Earth Observation Programme, Copernicus.
  6. Reiterate our commitment to build on our joint efforts that support ambitious climate action and to seek further opportunities to work together and mobilise further investment towards the full and effective implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement.

Affirm our intention to intensify our collaborative work in the international arena on specific common interests with particular focus on UNFCCC COP 24 to be held from 3–14 December 2018, in Katowice, Poland.