Young and Future Generations Day took place at COP 25, showcasing and celebrating youth climate action around the globe.
As the Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference continued, several of the key issues received increased attention. Discussions on loss and damage continued throughout much of the day, with progress emerging, but some deep divisions among parties, particularly on finance, remaining. Delegates addressing loss and damage, and those discussing Article 6 (market and non-market mechanisms) worked into the night.
Transparency issues were discussed in several contexts, all aimed at transitioning toward the Paris Agreement’s national reporting system. Countries discussed how to revise the terms of reference for the Consultative Group of Experts, a body that supports developing countries in their national reporting, in light of the Paris Agreement’s reporting obligations. Other negotiations focused on the tables and forms that countries will use to prepare their national reports in the future system.
While negotiations focused on transitioning toward the Paris Agreement’s institutional machinery, other events were highlighting a range of issues key to climate action. A special event on unpacking the new scientific knowledge and key findings in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate showcased findings related to, among others, hazards in high mountain regions that affect water availability and quality, recreational activities, and tourism. In the Arctic, the Special Report outlines the regions at risk from permafrost thaw by 2050, leading some communities to plan their relocation.
The COP Presidency held a ministerial event on forests with the aim of encouraging countries to leverage forests to reduce emissions and build resilience through their nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Ministers from a range of countries, many from Latin America, and other global organizations spoke to forests’ role in climate action, and to supporting local communities and forest owners. Chile announced it would double its reforestation target in its forthcoming NDC and Pakistan and Armenia pledged to plant 10 billion and 10 million trees, respectively.
The Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action discussed agri-food chains in a roundtable with businesses, farmers, and international organizations, among others. High-Level Champion for the Partnership, Gonzalo Muñoz outlined the challenge: to realize a hunger-free, prosperous, and climate-safe world by 2020. Closing the roundtable, UNFCCC Senior Director Martin Frick underscored the need to support farmers and farming, particularly family and small-scale farmers.
For more details on the day’s negotiations and to hear what delegates said in the corridors, see our daily Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).
Informal Consultations and Contact Groups Throughout the Day
SBI informal consultations on the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE).
Informal consultations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement are moved to the plenary room to accommodate the large number of participants.
Informal consultations on the Koronivia joint work on agriculture.
Delegates consult informally.
SBI informal consultations on matters relating to gender and climate change.
SBI/SBSTA informal consultations on the Adaptation Committee.
The subsidiary bodies' chairs hold a dialogue with observer constituencies.
High-Level Event on Forests
The first high-level panel discussed the importance of reducing deforestation and forest degradation, sustainable forest management, and restoration of degraded landscapes to mitigate climate change and improve resilience.
Pamela Castillo Barahona, Vice-Minister of Environment, Costa Rica
Negus Lemma, Director General, Climate Change and Biodiversity, Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Biodiversity, Ethiopia
Eva Müller, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Germany
Erik Grigoryan, Minister of Environment, Armenia
Jennifer Morris, President, Conservation International
The second panel provided a space for private sector actors to showcase their initiatives and discuss strategies to engage consumers in forest-based climate actions.
Young and Future Generations Day
Family photo of young climate activists attending COP 25.
Gonzalo Muñoz, COP 25 High-Level Champion, Chile
Niclas Svenningsen, UNFCCC Secretariat
Adriana Valenzuela, Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) (left)
Valvanera Ulargui, Director General, Spanish Office of Climate Change
Youth from Poland, Nigeria, the Philippines, Pakistan, Fiji, Chile, and Canada, share their stories of youth activism for climate change.
A youth briefing is held with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa.
Nila Patty, Youth NGOs
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa
Youth family photo with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa
Joint SBSTA-IPCC Special Event: Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate
The second joint SBSTA-IPCC event was held to discuss the findings of the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate.
SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France
IPCC Chair Hoesung Lee
Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC Deputy Executive Secretary
Andrés Couve, Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation, Chile
Launch of Senior Women's Network and Mentoring Initiative
Delegates gather for the launch of the senior women's network and mentoring initiative, aimed at increasing the capacity and participation of women in the climate negotiation proccesses.
Meilin Leon, Ministry of Environment, Chile
SBSTA Vice Chair Annela Anger-Kraavi, Estonia, and SBSTA Rapporteur Stella Gama, Malawi
Civil Society Demonstrations
Members of civil society demonstrate against carbon markets, citing that: carbon markets do not reduce emissions or deliver real climate action; have negative impacts on indigenous peoples and local communities; are a dangerous distraction for the solution to the climate crisis; and that carbon markets strengthen corporate power.
Around the Venue
Sergio Bergman, Minister of Environment, Argentina (center)
Ditebogo Lebea and Tyler Booth, South African Youth Delegates, with Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth (center)
Koronivia Co-Facilitators Monika Figaj, Poland, and Milagros Sandoval, Peru, consult with Dirk Nemitz, UNFCCC Secretariat.
Delegates from Uzbekistan speak informally between sessions.
Laura López, UNFCCC Secretariat, during an interview with the media.
Around the exhibition area.
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ENB images are free for use with attribution. For the Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference, please use Photo by IISD/ENB Kiara Worth.
