In year of 'negative news', UN climate chief says 1.5 deg C goal still achievable

UN climate chief Simon Stiell on Monday said that despite a year dominated by negative headlines, many of the world's largest economies are showing encouraging signs of action on climate change and that keeping global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius is still possible.

- 

At the opening of the mid-year UN climate conference in Bonn, Germany, Stiell said worsening climate impacts in every country highlight the need for continued cooperation.

"This year, beneath the noisier negative news, there are plenty of good reasons for optimism. We are seeing green lights for climate actions from many of the world's biggest economies, sending powerful demand signals to investors and doers," he said.

Stiell said countries must use the Bonn talks to finalise indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation.

Negotiators in Bonn must "deep-dive" to create a roadmap for mobilising USD 1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to help developing countries fight climate change, he said.

At COP29 in Azerbaijan's Baku last November, countries agreed to triple climate finance to USD 300 billion a year by 2035, part of a broader goal to mobilise USD 1.3 trillion.

In Bonn, countries are expected to begin consultations on the "Baku to Belem Roadmap", which will guide the delivery of this goal.

Stiell urged countries to ensure that the Mitigation Work Programme -- established at COP26 in Glasgow to urgently scale up mitigation ambition -- builds momentum for “actionable solutions that respond to the urgency".