Research Paper 99 September 2019
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Research Paper 99 September 2019 ENSURING AN OPERATIONAL EQUITY-BASED GLOBAL STOCKTAKE UNDER THE PARIS AGREEMENT Hesham AL-ZAHRANI, CHAI Qimin, FU Sha, Yaw OSAFO, Adriano SANTHIAGO DE OLIVEIRA, Anushree TRIPATHI, Harald WINKLER, Vicente Paolo YU III RESEARCH PAPERS 99 ENSURING AN OPERATIONAL EQUITY-BASED GLOBAL STOCKTAKE UNDER THE PARIS AGREEMENT Hesham AL-ZAHRANI, CHAI Qimin, FU Sha, Yaw OSAFO, Adriano SANTHIAGO DE OLIVEIRA, Anushree TRIPATHI, Harald WINKLER, Vicente Paolo YU III * SOUTH CENTRE SEPTEMBER 2019 * The authors participated in the intergovernmental negotiations in relation to the Global Stocktake at the 24th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Katowice, Poland. However, this research paper is written in the personal capacity of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of their respective institutions or governments. 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(41) 022 791 80 50 [email protected] www.southcentre.int Follow the South Centre’s Twitter: South_Centre ABSTRACT One of the key provisions of the Paris Agreement that was adopted in December 2015 at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is Article 14 on the global stocktake (GST). The GST is intended to be the mechanism by which the Convention Parties that are Parties to the Paris Agreement would be able to periodically take stock of the implementation of the Paris Agreement and to assess collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the Agreement and its long-term goals. This research paper discusses how equity as a principle and a concept played a key role in shaping the modalities for the GST, and looks in detail at the operational modalities for the GST that were agreed upon in Katowice in December 2018 in relation to how equity should be considered and made operational. L'une des dispositions clés de l'Accord de Paris adopté en décembre 2015 à la 21e session de la Conférence des Parties à la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques figure dans l'article 14, qui prévoit la mise en place d'un bilan mondial quinquennal. Ce mécanisme a pour objectif de permettre aux Parties à la Convention qui sont Parties à l'Accord de Paris de pouvoir faire le point périodiquement sur la mise en œuvre de l'Accord de Paris et d'évaluer les progrès collectifs accomplis dans la réalisation des buts de l'Accord et de ses objectifs à long terme. Ce document de recherche aborde le rôle clé joué par le principe et le concept d'équité dans l'élaboration des règles d’application de l’Accord concernant le bilan quinquennal et examine en détail les modalités opérationnelles le concernant, qui ont été convenues à Katowice en décembre 2018, et de quelle manière le principe d'équité doit être envisagé et mis en œuvre. Una de las disposiciones clave del Acuerdo de París que se adoptó en diciembre de 2015 en el 21° período de sesiones de la Conferencia de las Partes en la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático es el Artículo 14 sobre el Balance Mundial (GST, por sus siglas en inglés Global Stocktake). Se pretende que el GST sea el mecanismo mediante el cual las Partes en la Convención que son Partes en el Acuerdo de París puedan examinar periódicamente la aplicación del Acuerdo de París y evaluar los progresos colectivos hacia la concreción del objetivo del Acuerdo y sus objetivos a largo plazo. En este documento de investigación se analiza cómo la equidad como principio y concepto desempeñó un papel clave en la configuración de las modalidades para el GST, y se examinan en detalle las modalidades operativas para el GST que se acordaron en Katowice en diciembre de 2018 en relación con la forma en que la equidad debe considerarse y ponerse en funcionamiento. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1 II. EQUITY AS A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE IN THE UNFCCC AND ITS PARIS AGREEMENT ............................................................................................................................... 2 III. SITUATING EQUITY TEXTUALLY IN THE UNFCCC AND ITS PARIS AGREEMENT ....... 6 IV. REFLECTING EQUITY IN THE GLOBAL STOCKTAKE UNDER ARTICLE 14 OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT .................................................................................................................. 13 A. Elements for Reflecting Equity in Operational Terms in the Global Stocktake ........ 14 B. Possible Elements to Operationalize Equity in the Global Stocktake Consistent with Developing Country Perspectives ................................................................................ 17 C. Operationalizing Equity in the Global Stocktake from the Katowice COP24 Outcome ....................................................................................................................... 18 1. Understanding the Global Stocktake Modalities in the Katowice Global Stocktake Decision ................................................................................................... 19 2. Equity in the Operational Modalities for the Global Stocktake .......................... 22 V. CONCLUSIONS .............................................................................................................. 27 I. INTRODUCTION One of the key provisions of the Paris Agreement (PA) that was adopted in December 2015 at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or the Convention) is Article 14 on the global stocktake (GST). The GST is intended to be the mechanism by which the Convention Parties that are Parties to the Paris Agreement would be able to periodically take stock of the implementation of the Paris Agreement and to assess collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the Agreement and its long-term goals. It is supposed to be conducted, according to the Paris Agreement, “in a comprehensive and facilitative manner, considering mitigation, adaptation and the means of implementation and support, and in the light of equity and the best available science.” The first GST will take place in 2023 and every five years thereafter. The outcome of the GST is supposed to inform Parties in updating and enhancing, in a nationally determined manner, their actions and support in accordance with the provisions of the Paris Agreement, as well as in enhancing international cooperation for climate action. This research paper discusses how equity as a principle and a concept played a key role in shaping the modalities for the GST, and looks in detail at the operational modalities for the GST that were agreed upon in Katowice in December 2018 in relation to how equity should be considered and made operational. Following this introductory Section I, Sections II and III of the paper discuss how equity is reflected in the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement both conceptually and textually. Section IV then looks at how equity can be understood and reflected in operational terms in the GST process, identifying what these elements could be and situating equity directly in terms of the GST operational modalities text. Section V is the concluding section. 2 Research Papers II. EQUITY AS A FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE IN THE UNFCCC AND ITS PARIS AGREEMENT For developing countries, the concept of equity – or the idea of fairness - is a foundational concept that underlies the framing and operationalization of the Paris Agreement under the Convention.1 This is a key concept because equity is the basis for the entire normative design of the Convention (as the framework instrument) and its related legal instruments