Week 11: Paris Agreement: The Global Stocktake by Dr Todd & Dr Toyin
We are the first generation that can end poverty, the last that can end Climate Change.” -Ban Ki Moon (Secretary General, United Nations).
The Paris Agreement is a legal binding treaty on climate change. It was adopted at the COP 21, which was held in Paris in December 2015, by 196 parties, but it was fully set into action in November, 2016. It aims to reduce climate change, global warming, and achieve a climate neutral world for all parties of the Agreement.
Revamp Rave Network held the twelfth class for its Second Virtual Cohort Programme on the 16th of July, 2022, on the topic “Paris Agreement: The Global Stocktake” by Dr Todd Ngara and Dr Oluwatoyin Osho
Dr Todd Ngara shared the global point of view on the Paris Agreement, with the focus on the global stocktake. He shared that the global stocktake of the Paris Agreement is a process for taking stock of the implementation of the Paris Agreement with the aim to assess the world’s collective progress towards achieving the purpose of the agreement and it’s long-term goals (Article 14).
He further stated that the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is a climate action plan, which cuts across all sectors, to reduce emissions and adopt climate impacts, and each party to the Paris Agreement is required to establish an NDC, which would be updated every 5 years.
Dr. Todd discussed the Paris Agreement as setting out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C, and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. This also aims to strengthen countries’ ability to deal with the impacts of climate change, and support them in their efforts.
In conclusion, he highlighted three steps as mandates of the global stocktake, which included information collection by developed countries, for NDCs, etc, mandating tasks during Technical Assessment Component, and expected outcomes from the consideration of output component.
Dr. Toyin highlighted what governments can do as she discussed the GST (Global Stocktake) as she took our session of the course. She said that alongside the GST is the NDCs and the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) which forms what is known as the ratcheting mechanism. This mechanism involves a 5-year progressive cycle of long-term strategies, informing parties in the updating and enhancing of their actions, and support, and informing the global stocktake (every five years), which also invites other sources of information.
Article 14 of the Paris Agreement, which is most crucial to the global stocktake, states that “parties to this agreement shall periodically take stock of the implementation of this Agreement to assess the collective progress towards achieving the purpose of this Agreement and its long-term goals (global stocktake).”
She highlighted a number of actions that the government can engage in to fully participate in the global stocktake and they are the Climate Change Legislations, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Climate Policies (strategic policies which foster low-carbon, and climate compatible economic development path to build a climate resilient society), Adaptation Plans and Strategies, and National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change.
The Climate Change Act established in 2021, “provides the legislative framework for achieving low Green House Gas emissions, mainstream climate change actions, inclusive of green growth, and sustainable economic development. “ She further stated that this act has led to Climate Change Fund, Carbon Budget, and the National Climate Change Action Plan.
In 2020, Green House Gases (GHG) in Nigeria came to a total of 126.9 million tonnes, wherein the energy sector accounts for the largest source (about 60% of the total GHG emissions and this simply means there is a lot of work to be done.
Dr. Toyin concluded by recommending that if the NDCs are fully implemented, this would contribute to achieving a significant reduction in global warming.
