Today, Friday 13 November, the COP31 presidency published a “reflections” text on consultations it has been holding with heads of national delegations on a potential “cover decision”.
This is not a fully formed draft text, but instead contains an organised summary of the issues that countries have said they would like to see being included.
The “reflections” include a “commitment to multilateralism” and the principles of the Paris Agreement, through to “respond[ing] to 1.5C overshoot”, as well as “gaps in mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, finance…climate observation and data”.
Not surprisingly, the text also mentions “increas[ing] electrification globally to 35% by 2035” – a priority for the presidency – as well as methane, oceans, mountains and many other issues.
It lists developing country asks, such as “developed countries to deliver on the obligations under Article 9.1” [on providing public climate finance], as well as priorities for developed and vulnerable countries, such as “recognis[ing] the central role of best available science and the IPCC”.
Also in the document are references to the transition away from fossil fuels (“TAFF”), the Brazil-led roadmaps on TAFF and deforestation and the ICJ advisory opinion on climate change.
There is space to mention “accelerating research, development and deployment of CCUS and CDR”.
There’s even a surprise mention of a “third commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol”. This is the now largely defunct deal under which developed countries – and only developed countries – had binding carbon-cutting targets until the end of the “second commitment period” in 2020.
In short, it contains everything everyone has said they want a cover decision to include.
Remember the plea from Chris Bowen, president of negotiations, that the text not become a “lengthy political statement”? That always seemed optimistic.
Closed consultations with heads of national delegations are set to continue from 11:00-13:00 today here in Antalya.
We’re still expecting countries to be asked to make text submissions on the cover decision over the weekend, with a proper draft text emerging early next week.
In my impression, I cannot remember if any Party had mentioned this… I am suspecting this might be a misinterpretation of the Arab Group’s strongly worded intervention, in which it opposed any return to the Kyoto Protocol-era approach of assigning obligations…