The following is a transcript of a statement made by UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell to journalists at COP28 on Wednesday 6 December 2023.
My statement will be brief. We can only overcome the climate crisis by ditching business-as-usual.
At Sharm el-Sheikh I said we would do things differently. So over the last year, on loss & damage, we opted for an innovative approach – a Transitional Committee – which drove forward progress much faster.
The win on Loss and Damage here in Dubai gave this COP a spring in its step. But it is just a start.
Now all governments must give their negotiators clear marching orders: we need highest ambition, not point-scoring or lowest common denominator politics.
The Global Stocktake is the vehicle to get climate action on track.
Finance is the great enabler for climate action. The negotiations must put it front and center.
Loss and damage was a win, but we’re kidding ourselves if we think it’s a tick in the box for finance and support at this COP; more is required.
We need enhanced transparency, and to deliver our promise to fund climate action across the world.
Let’s be honest – good intentions won’t halve emissions this decade or save lives right now. Only serious progress on finance can deliver frontline results.
We’ve said we’ll double adaptation finance – now we have to deliver, including on the details, and set ourselves up to go much further.
We must not lose any focus on the Global Goal for Adaptation.
Eight billion people are on the frontlines. Right now only 50 countries have National Adaptation Plans.
On the Global Stocktake, we have a starting text on the table… But it’s a grab bag of wish lists and heavy on posturing.
The key now is to sort the wheat from the chaff. If we want to save lives now and keep [the] 1.5 goal within reach, the highest ambition COP outcomes must stay front and center.
At the end of next week, we need COP to deliver a bullet train to speed up climate action. We currently have an old caboose chugging over rickety tracks.
But the tools are all there on the table, the technologies and solutions exist.
It’s time for governments and negotiators to pick them up and put them to work.
UN Climate Change will be working with Parties every step of the way, as the honest broker and convenor. We’ll make sure all countries have a seat at the table and can use their full voice.
