Highlights and images for 6 December 2019

Greta Thunberg, Swedish youth activist, arrives at COP 25.

The Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference continued with a palpable sense of increased pressure and, perhaps, frustration. With only one further negotiation day left for the subsidiary bodies to finish their technical work before concluding on Monday, delegates worked overtime on a wide range of issues.

In many rooms, discussions moved into “informal informals” intended for parties to have frank discussions and hopefully work through disagreements. These included agriculture, Article 6 (market and non-market mechanisms), gender, and the Adaptation Fund, among several others. Negotiators asked for more time on other issues, notably loss and damage and the review of the long-term global goal. Many expect Article 6 negotiations to run into the second week in order to allow ministers to make key political decisions that can guide the technical deliberations.

A unique meeting was held to discuss the global goal on adaptation in response to calls from the African Group to put the global goal on the agenda. Many developing countries stressed the importance of adaptation and held firm that the global goal on adaptation was equally important to the global temperature goals. Developed countries noted the ongoing work on adaptation elsewhere on the agenda, and the potential of that work to make progress toward the global goal.

The COP Presidency drew attention to the temperature goal, holding an informal meeting with ministers to discuss the ambition of nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Chile highlighted the Climate Ambition Alliance, a group of 70 countries, with businesses and cities, committing to work toward net zero emissions. The UK announced they would submit an enhanced NDC early next year, and the EU spoke about its Green Deal. Several developing countries spoke to their efforts to raise ambition, but also their need for support and imperative to adapt to the disproportionate effects they are experiencing.

The Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action held four events, on water, industry, oceans and coastal zones, and land use. Throughout the events, speakers shared insights and provoked ideas on how partnerships among countries and other actors - businesses, cities, and other organizations - can help achieve a below 1.5°C world. Many stressed that “science is not negotiable” and should inform all climate action.

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 Throughout the Day

Informal consultations on the Adaptation Committee report.

Informal consultations on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Delegates huddle during the informal consultations on National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

SBSTA informal consultations on emissions from fuel used for international aviation and maritime transport.

An informal consultation is held with Heads of Delegation to discuss a way forward on Article 6.

Article 6 informal consultations (L-R): Perumal Arumugam, UNFCCC Secretariat; Article 6 Co-Facilitator Hugh Sealy, Barbados; Julio Cordano, COP 25 Presidency, Chile; Article 6 Co-Facilitator Peer Stiansen, Norway; SBSTA Chair Paul Watkinson, France; and Sergey Kononov, UNFCCC Secretariat.

Informal Roundtable on NDCs Mitigation Ambition

Delegates gather for the information roundtable to discuss NDCs mitigation ambition.

Julio Cordano, COP 25 Presidency, Chile

Archie Young, UK

C.K. Mishra, Vice-Minister and Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, India

Alue Dohong, Vice-Minister of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia

Informal Meeting on the Global Goal on Adaptation

The information meeting on the global goal on adaptation focused on four key questions: the relationship between the global goal on adaptation and other aspects of the Paris Agreement; how progress toward the goal could inform national adaptation efforts; relevant information gaps; and how the three components of the global goal should be addressed.

Maesela Kekana, South Africa

Kate Sangster, Australia

Kulthoum Motsumi, Egypt, speaking on behalf of G-77/China

Julio Cordano, COP 25 Presidency, Chile

Presidency Consultations

Delegates gather for the presidency consultations on the outcome of the negotiations.

Lois Young, Belize

Wael Aboulmagd, Egypt

Sonam Wangdi, Bhutan

Ravi Prasad, India

Greta Thunberg at COP 25

Press and spectators rush to see Greta Thunberg arrive at COP 25.

After being mobbed by the press, she is escorted into a VIP room for her own safety.

Greta Thunberg, Swedish youth activist, leaves the venue in a zero-emissions car.

Civil Society Demonstrations

Members of civil society demonstrate in the corridors, saying that climate justice cannot wait.

Representatives of the Human Rights and Climate Change Working Group enact a drama in the courtyard, highlighting that different 'ingredients' are needed to reach a positive outcome on the Article 6 'soup,' saying that having only one ingredient is not enough - all are critical for ambition to be reached.

Representatives of #FridaysForFuture conduct a silent sit-in at the venue, recognizing all the youth activists, particularly those from the global South, who were not able to attend the negotiations.