Weather and environmental changes - Bonn conference aims to find resolution on funding for climate issues.
Approximately 6000 professionals from nearly every country are currently gathering in Bonn to find a resolution for the challenging topic of climate financing, which dates back to 2009. This involved industrialized nations giving billions of dollars in aid to developing countries each year. This commitment was established in the Paris Climate Agreement and continued until 2025, reaching the target sum of $100 billion annually by 2022. Now, the question arises on how to proceed with financing after 2025. Attendees of the upcoming World Climate Conference in November in Baku, Azerbaijan, are anticipated to come to an agreement on this issue.
United Nations Climate Chief Simon Stiell urged for increased efforts from delegates during his opening address at the World Conference Center in Bonn on Monday. "We cannot afford to hesitate over the next ten days," the Grenadian politician emphasized. "It's clear that we need to accelerate climate change mitigation measures."
Specifically, Bonn serves as the location for the annual interim conference leading up to the yearly World Climate Conference in June. This year, the meeting takes on particular importance, given the financial debates centering around climate finance. "Bonn is crucial because it helps the negotiating parties at least show where they could shift," remarked David Ryfisch, climate expert at Germanwatch in an interview with the German Press Agency. "There must be renewed trust since the $100 billion mark was only exceeded in 2022, causing a breach in trust between industrialized and developing countries."
Northern nations are pushing for not only the industrialized countries but also countries like the Gulf States to participate in climate funding. "There is a massive gap between the required funding and what's currently available," explained Ryfisch.
Before reaching a decision, it's doubtful that any concrete drafts will be proposed in Bonn. However, “the negotiations will be very intense,” predicts Jan Kowalzig, climate expert from the aid organization Oxfam. "In recent years, there have been mostly expert-level discussions on a technical level, but this year there will be negotiations as well," Kowalzig said in an interview with the German Press Agency. As a result, this round in Bonn holds significant importance, and we can enthusiastically anticipate how the negotiations will unfold."
The latest findings from a UNICEF report reveal that potentially fatal consequences may stem from extreme heat and air pollution for newborns and toddlers, including death. Further, malnutrition inciting around half of all under-five child deaths globally is projected to worsen due to climate change. Additionally, life-threatening diseases like malaria are expected to spread further.
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- The upcoming World Climate Conference in November will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where delegates aim to reach an agreement on the funding for climate issues past 2025, as established in the Paris Climate Agreement.
- At the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, United Nations Climate Chief Simon Stiell urged for increased efforts from delegates to accelerate climate change mitigation measures, emphasizing that there cannot be any hesitation.
- The annual interim conference in Bonn is crucial, as it helps negotiating parties show where they could shift and renew trust, particularly regarding the $100 billion annual climate financing commitment that was only exceeded in 2022.
- Northern nations are pushing for industrialized countries and nations like the Gulf States to participate in climate financing, addressing the massive gap between the required funding and what's currently available.
- Climate expert Jan Kowalzig from the aid organization Oxfam anticipates intensely significant negotiations in Bonn, as this round holds significance and may reveal how the climate financing discussions unfold.
