Statement for Opening Plenaries ABA

Excellencies, esteemed guests, colleagues,

Ghana, as the current Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Chair, represents 1.5 billion people worldwide and is made up of 58 members most vulnerable to climate change – from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Pacific – will continuously strive to advocate for more climate action, to safeguard the 1.5°C goals for the Earth’s protection and our own. This is indeed a matter of survival for all vulnerable countries.

It is a great pleasure to see you all in person, ready to collaborate, coordinate, and make a difference in the spirit of cooperation for our nations and the most vulnerable.

I believe that COP27 will promote and catalyze practical action that transforms commitments and pledges into concrete climate contributions.

Excellencies,

Loss and damage, adaptation, mitigation, and finance must be at the center of the negotiations at COP27.

One of the main priorities for the CVF countries is funding for loss and damage. A dedicated international funding commitment together with funding mechanisms including a financing facility must be established under the UNFCCC to address climate change loss and damage by responsible, wealthy, capable, and highly polluting nations.

In this context, the G7 & V20 Global Shield Against Climate and Disaster Risks should be included within the COP27 outcome, to rapidly scale up loss and damage funding and financial protection for the most vulnerable.

COP27 must also mandate the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to fully integrate loss and damage as a distinct activity area for programs and funding.

The CVF also calls for COP27 to mandate the IPCC to develop a Special Report on Loss and Damage to expand international dialogue and knowledge on climate change-attributable loss and damage.

COP27 must deliver on this major priority for the world’s most vulnerable. We look forward to playing a very active role in cooperation with you all to support that outcome.

Excellencies,

Adaptation will support the protection of people from the climate change impacts already occurring. In this context, COP27 must secure a stand-alone “Implementation Plan” to improve transparency, predictability, and accountability for achieving the crucial doubling of international adaptation finance from developed countries by 2025, as agreed at COP26. On National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), we expect to leave Sharm El Sheikh with a COP decision that provides guidance to all the financing mechanisms under the UNFCCC to provide predictable financing for implementing prioritized adaptation actions from the completed NAPs.

The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) will be crucial to rapidly scaling up and facilitating adaptation action at the global level. We must secure its full operationalization to support the most vulnerable countries not only to survive but also to thrive. We should not target the bare minimum but aim to be transformational, and move from vulnerability through resilience to prosperity, and catalyze effective support in terms of capacity-building, finance, and technology.

Excellencies,

The 1.5°C goal is enshrined in the Paris Agreement but current policies are on track to surpass 2.4°C of global warming. We must push the major emitting nations, whose 2030 NDC emissions reductions are not aligned with the 1.5°C goal, to review and strengthen these targets. COP27 must mandate bolder action to close any gaps in the 1.5°C goal specifically in 2023 and also throughout this critical decade.

Furthermore, the COP26-mandated “work programme to urgently scale up mitigation ambition and implementation” must ensure preparation of a robust COP27 decision that substantially strengthens the scale and pace of efforts to keep the 1.5°C goal alive.

We are also looking forward to the first annual “high-level roundtable on pre-2030 ambition” which must support the process of scaling up ambition for bolder action.

Excellencies,

The CVF is calling for access to climate finance to be streamlined and facilitated particularly for vulnerable developing countries such as ours.

Delivery of climate finance in the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQC) must be needs-based in terms of scale and volume, and responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable developing countries, notably by emphasizing grant-based funding for adaptation in nations most endangered by the changing climate. In particular, it must not increase indebtedness of poor and venerable countries.

Overall, the NCQC must scale up climate finance to developing countries and consider the existing obligations of Parties under the UNFCCC, as well as lessons learned from the shortcomings of the USD 100 billion goals.

Excellencies,

Ghana, as CVF Chair, looks forward to working with you all over the next two weeks to achieve the strongest possible outcomes, and in pursuit of a future where our people, prosperity, and planet are protected.

Thank you all for your attention.