31 October

• Abdulla Shahid, (Maldives, speaking as President of the UN General Assembly), called for enhanced efforts to meet the USD 100 billion finance goal with equal shares for mitigation and adaptation, monitoring private sector net zero targets, and investing in green jobs.
• Guinea, for the G-77/CHINA, called on developed countries to enhance their absolute economy-wide emissions reduction targets and scale up provision of support, stressed climate finance as key to success at COP26, and underscored the need to fulfil long-standing climate finance commitments, such as the USD 100 billion goal.
• Gabon, for the AFRICAN GROUP, underscored its expectation that resolution on the consideration of Africa’s special needs and circumstances would be reached, noting scientific evidence of the continent’s vulnerability. He called for: reaching agreement on the operationalization of the global goal on adaptation by COP27, concluding work on the new finance goal at COP27, and for the “transparency package” to ensure adequate support for developing country reporting.
• Bolivia, for the LIKE-MINDED GROUP OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (LMDCs), lamented developed countries’ “history of broken promises,” pointing to a lack of ambition in the Kyoto Protocol’s second commitment period and the failure to fulfill the USD 100 annual finance commitment. He underscored that calling on all countries to reach net zero by 2050 is “anti-equity” and said unilateral carbon border adjustments are discriminatory.
• Antigua and Barbuda, for the ALLIANCE OF SMALL ISLAND STATES (AOSIS), called for a formal platform to take stock of the gap to the 1.5°C goal, a COP 26 decision for major economies to phase out fossil fuel subsidies by 2023, and a concrete outcome at COP 26 on financial support for loss and damage, noting this should be additional to the USD 100 billion goal. She emphasized the need for grant-based finance to ensure vulnerable countries’ fiscal space.
• India, on behalf of BRAZIL, SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA and CHINA, (underscored the Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities Principle) of and special circumstances of developing countries especially in the context of COVID-19. He urged developed countries to dramatically reduce their emissions and increase support to developing countries on finance, technology transfer, and capacity building. He called for a new quantified finance goal and a clear roadmap to achieve it.
• Papua New Guinea, for the COALITION FOR RAINFOREST NATIONS, highlighted the global importance of reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD+) and the need for constructive outcomes on transparency. On Article 6, she urged against “taxing mitigation to fund adaptation”, noting all future credits must be covered by Nationally determined contributions.
• WOMEN AND GENDER lamented the murders of environmental defenders, calling for safeguarding human rights and investing in regenerative justice. The impacts of failing to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C will be devastating, she said, underscoring “there is no time for hollow speeches.”
• FARMERS stressed the potential of farmers and agriculture to contribute to climate action, noting that only 15% of climate finance has been allocated to agriculture and calling for this imbalance to be redressed.
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLES expressed concern about nature-based solutions developed without Indigenous Peoples’ input and their free, prior, and informed consent. She called for the adoption and implementation of the draft second workplan of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples’ Platform (LCIPP).
• YOUTH NGOs called for “action today at COP26,” urging parties to finalize the Paris rulebook. Citing the UN Secretary-General’s call to “give youth a seat at the decision-making table,” they asked for meaningful constituency engagement at the meeting.

1 November

• Lamenting that small island states suffer the consequences of industrialization and climate change, and highlighting that COVID-19 wiped away 75% of his country’s tourism industry, President of Seychelles Wavel John Charles Ramkalawan called for an end to using income status as a criterion for support, and instead adopting a “vulnerability index.”
• President of Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba said his country is the most carbon-positive country in the world, has adopted a climate law, and will submit a new NDC after Glasgow. He called on major economies to submit new NDCs in line with 1.5°C, proposed a “Marshall Plan on climate,” and urged developed countries to increase the collective climate finance goal by tenfold beyond 2025 to meet developing countries’ needs.
• President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta underscored the nexus between climate change and security, highlighting the impact of extreme weather events on the African continent. He said Kenya is “doing her fair share,” outlining expectations that COP 26 will deliver on ambition, finance, adaptation, loss and damage, and implementing the Paris Agreement.
• A youth representative from Egypt, in a video message, shared lessons from his experience working with local communities, stressing opportunities to achieve economic empowerment through green initiatives.
• WeThe15 campaign ambassador Edward Ndopu reminded leaders of their extraordinary power to change the trajectory the world is on and urged them to help guarantee a safer future for every life.
• Elizabeth Wathuti, Kenyan youth climate and environmental activist, reminded leaders that their decisions at COP 26 will determine whether children will have food and water.

2 November

• Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania, highlighted Tanzania’s commitment to reduce economy-wide emissions between 30% and 35% relative to a business-as-usual scenario by 2030, and annual planting of 276 million trees. She queried, if developing countries can show leadership in climate action, why are large emitters lagging behind?

8 November

• Guinea, for the G-77/CHINA stressed finance, including for information from the Standing Committee on Finance to form the basis of the replenishment processes of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Green Climate Fund (GCF). He also highlighted: transparency, including transparency of support; loss and damage; and balance between adaptation and mitigation. He stressed an outcome that works only for developed countries will be unacceptable.
• Bhutan, for the LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (LDCs), emphasized that the cover decisions must include the need for enhanced nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in 2022. He outlined priorities, including: finance, especially meeting the USD 100 billion target, agreeing on a post-2025 goal and finance for loss and damage; operationalization and funding of the Santiago Network; Article 6; transparency, with flexibility for LDCs; the global goal on adaptation; and common time frames.

9 November (Resumption of high-level segment)

• Isatou Touray, Vice-President, the Gambia, highlighted the need for urgent action, saying her country is doing more than its fair share and other countries should honor their past pledges.

(ENB records that “Statements continued throughout the afternoon.”)

10 November

• On adaptation, Aminauth Shauna, Minister of the Environment, Maldives, said that parties have agreed to a two-year work programme on the global goal for adaptation under the subsidiary bodies, with the involvement of the CMA Presidencies to maintain the political profile of the goal.
• Gabon, for the AFRICAN GROUP, stressed developed countries need to bring ambitious NDCs to the table, and stressed ambition is linked to support.
• Bhutan, for the LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, said ambition on 1.5°C needs to be strengthened in the cover decisions. The EIG said the cover decisions should refer to tipping points, and give a clear signal on ambition.
• Antigua and Barbuda, for the ALLIANCE OF SMALL ISLAND STATES, called for decisive language.
• Bolivia, for the LIKE-MINDED GROUP OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES characterized the cover decisions as a developed country narrative that shifts responsibility onto developing countries and reduces common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) to a slogan, calling for including historic responsibility, CBDR, and pre-2020 action.
• On adaptation, the AFRICAN GROUP highlighted the global goal on adaptation as critical for the Paris Agreement’s full and effective implementation, calling for the launch of a work programme for the goal’s full and sustained operationalization. The LDCs said there had been good progress on the global goal on adaptation, supporting a work programme with a timeline of two years.
• On finance, Guinea, for the G-77/CHINA, with Bolivia, for the LMDCs, underscored their frustration with finance discussions, saying developing countries refuse to engage and continue to raise questions about which countries will contribute to the new collective finance goal. He called for concrete arrangements, rather than workshops, for deliberations on the new collective finance goal, and for the continuation of the long-term finance work programme to assess delivery of the USD 100 billion annual goal.
• The AFRICAN GROUP underscored the importance of adaptation finance, noting a voluntary mechanism on share of proceeds under Article 6 is not sufficient. The LDCs expressed concern about the remaining differences and volume of work needed for an ambitious outcome on Article 6.
• On Article 6, the LDCs noted concern on share of proceeds and overall mitigation of global emissions, highlighting they could consider the transition of CDM projects that meet acceptable standards. The EIG underscored the need for a robust system with full accounting. The G-77/CHINA highlighted linkages between Article 6 and the transparency framework.
• On loss and damage, the G-77/CHINA urged governance of loss and damage by both COP and CMA, and inclusion of loss and damage in both the transparency framework and the cover decisions. The LDCs highlighted finance for loss and damage.
• The AFRICAN GROUP noted the need for the Presidency to fulfill its commitment to consult on Africa’s special circumstances.

11 November

• GLOBAL CAMPAIGN TO DEMAND CLIMATE JUSTICE lamented the lower status given to loss and damage, the absence of a clear obligation for developed countries to scale up finance for loss and damage, and problematic references to nature-based solutions.
• FARMERS urged parties to recognize the role of farming in adaptation and mitigation, and more finance for sustainable agriculture.
• INDIGENOUS PEOPLES called for the cover decisions to clearly differentiate between Indigenous Peoples and local communities, recognize Indigenous knowledge and best available science, and include recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ rights. On Article 6, he said human rights and Indigenous Peoples’ rights should be included in the text on Article 6.8, and called for an independent redress mechanism on Article 6.4.
• WOMEN AND GENDER criticized the language on nature-based solutions, saying the focus should be on ecosystem-based approaches. She said a weak text on Article 6 undermines the Paris Agreement and called for safeguarding human and Indigenous Peoples’ rights, a just transition, a gender-responsive approach, as well as an independent grievance mechanism in all Article 6 activities.
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ENB Summary Report 31 October–12 November 2021