Page 23 - Respond 2014 | RTCC Publications

rtcc respond

AOSIS PLAN

OFFERS TEMPLATE

FOR CLIMATE

BREAKTHROUGH

By Ambassador Marlene Moses

s the international community continues to develop the post-2020 climate
change regime to be signed in Paris, it is important that we do not lose
Asight of the work we must do here in Warsaw, frst, to lower greenhouse
gas emissions in line with scientifc recommendations in the short-term and,
second, to set the stage for an agreement ambitious enough to protect the most
vulnerable people among us for generations to come.

It is well established that emissions must peak in the next few years, well before
2020, and decline steeply thereafter if we hope to avoid the worst consequences of
climate change.

The stakes are particularly high for low-lying and coastal nations, which are now
experiencing life-altering impacts from record tidal surges, ocean acidifcation,
intense storms and droughts, and, unless action is take in the next few years, face • Options for leveraging the work if initiatives and
total inundation from sea level rise by the end of the century entities inside and outside UNFCCC to maximize
efforts and ensuring successful implementation of
In light of the urgency, AOSIS has submitted a proposal to complement the MAPs, and;
negotiations on the post-2020 agreement with a line of talks squarely focused on • Identifcation of areas needing further investigation
developing Mitigation Action Plans (MAPs) that provide Parties with strategies to and/or technical work.
rapidly scale up technologies and policies already proven to cut emissions.
The experts should continue work in 2014 with a view
The idea is to engage the best and brightest minds working on climate and energy to completing the MAPs before the U.N. Secretary
issues – offcials from relevant ministries, leading scientists, engineers, policy General’s Leader’s Summit in 2014. We believe that our
analysts, and representatives from civil society, community organizations and proposal shares the goals that the Secretary-General
the private sector – in a collaborative process capable of delivering results in the has set for the Summit and that our proposal can help
timeframe required. him achieve those goals, namely to catalyze action in
areas with high mitigation opportunities and to raise
At this meeting, Parties should choose a list of promising policies and mitigation ambition.
technologies—particularly those with development and adaptation co-benefts—for
additional work to be conducted next year. Furthermore, they should give experts The international community has proven time and again
a mandate to develop draft MAPs for each option with detailed information on the it can make substantial emission reductions using a
following: combination of smart policies and readily available
technologies. Our plan calls on us to do just that, but
• A quantifcation of greenhouse gas reductions achievable; on a much larger scale and with a renewed sense of
• An analysis of the costs and other barriers to implementation in specifc focus. It won’t be easy, but the consequences of failure
socioeconomic and regional circumstances; are unimaginable.
• Strategies for overcoming barriers, including enhanced provision of fnancial
resources, technology, and capacity building by developed countries to Ambassador Marlene Moses is the Chair of the Alliance of
developing countries; Small Island States.

21 www.rtcc.orgBackground photo: © J Hill www.fickr.com/photos/jhill www.rtcc.org 21