WWF to participate in UN climate talks at COP 23

The World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF, has announced that it will participate in meetings in Bonn to highlight key issues that go to the heart of the implementation of the Paris Agreement; keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees C.

Close to a year after the landmark treaty’s coming into force, member states must make substantive progress on the actual content of the agreement’s implementation guidelines in order for it to be fully operational by 2020. They must also launch a process to encourage national governments to increase the ambition of their national targets, NDCs, by 2020.

Following the COP decision in Paris to bring non-State actors, like business, cities, investors and subnational governments, into the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, there will be a strong focus on their role and achievements, and discussions on how to more effectively integrate them into international and national efforts.

Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Leader of WWF’s Global Climate and Energy Programme, said, "Recent extreme weather events that we have witnessed globally are a stark reminder of what is at stake. In Bonn, we must spark the momentum necessary to accelerate the climate action happening now, and scale up efforts, in line with keeping warming to 1.5 degrees C."

"COP23 will be the biggest test yet of the commitment and resolve of parties to deliver on the Paris Agreement. With the collaboration of non-party stakeholders, parties can pass this test by showing ambition and urgency in each of these areas."

Dr. Deepti Mahajan Mittal, Programme Leader, Climate and Energy at Emirates Wildlife Society in association with World Wide Fund For Nature, EWS-WWF, said, "COP 23 is shining a spotlight on closing the global emissions gap which is critical if we are to limit warming to below 1.5 degrees. The current Nationally Determined Contributions will not be adequate to meet the Paris Agreement goals and we hope to see the dialogue at COP inspire more ambition globally."

She added, "Here in the UAE, we have a strong foundation for more climate ambition thanks to the adoption earlier in the year by the UAE Cabinet of the National Climate Change Plan 2050 and launch of the UAE Energy Plan 2050."