December 22, 2023
Welcome to the December 2023 edition of Ocean & Climate News. This issue focuses on the UNFCCC COP28 in Dubai (30 November – 12 December 2023), its significant outcomes, perspectives on ocean outcomes from ocean leaders, highlights from the Global Ocean Forum’s participation at COP28, leveraging the Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023 for greater ocean and climate action on the road to Azerbaijan, and the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion. This issue will also provide a status update on the Cross-sectoral Project, BBNJ Informal discussions, and will close with other relevant ocean and climate news.
COP28 Key Outcomes
The 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates operationalized the Loss and Damage Fund and concluded the first global stocktake of climate action under the Paris Agreement. Parties adopted a decision calling for accelerated short-term action and an orderly transition away from fossil fuels – the first-ever UNFCCC COP decision to address fossil fuels. The Parties also adopted a framework for the global goal on adaptation (GGA) with 2030 targets for all parties to conduct assessments, adopt and implement adaptation plans and policy instruments, and set up monitoring and systems for their national adaptation efforts. Breakthroughs relating to nature-based climate action, including forests, mangroves, and oceans, were endorsed by Parties and stakeholders during COP28. Importantly, the ocean gained increased recognition with explicit mention in these decisions, though there is still much work to be done within the ocean-climate nexus.
Perspectives on the Ocean Outcomes of COP28
Turning the Tide for Ocean-Climate Action at COP28
By Whitney Berry and Luis Estévez-Salmeron, Ocean Conservancy
With both successes and shortcomings, COP28’s adoption of the UAE Consensus was an overall step in the right direction for reducing our dependency on fossil fuels. However, without concrete action plans or commitments to phase out their use, the agreement falls short and creates a false sense of achievement. Therefore, countries must work hard to deliver on their promise to phase-out fossil fuels, keep the 1.5°C degree goal of the Paris Agreement within reach, and minimize the worst consequences of climate change. Without the ocean, these ambitions are unattainable.
COP28 marked a turning point for the ocean-climate nexus agenda.
For decades we have been working to address the negative impacts of human activity on the health of the ocean and the communities that depend on it. However, the ocean is not solely a victim of climate change but is a necessary source of solutions. COP28 represented an excellent opportunity to further advance our global ambition for ocean-climate action and push for the inclusion of ocean-based climate solutions in national climate strategies, such as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and national adaptation plans (NAPs), because it marked the conclusion of the first ever Global Stocktake (GST). The GST is an assessment of the global progress made towards the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions, build resilience to climate change and provide the means of implementation and support. Furthermore, the conference in Dubai helped advance the implementation of the Glasgow–Sharm el-Sheikh Work Programme on the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), which aims to create a framework and clear targets to help enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change.
Working together as the Friends of the Ocean and Climate Group, Parties coordinated text submissions for the GST and supported language championed by the ocean community (Parties and non-Party stakeholders) for the Global Goal on Adaptation. The ocean language included in the GST and GGA highlights the importance of the ocean as part of our collective efforts towards climate mitigation and in adapting to the impacts of climate change. The GST also acknowledges the ocean-climate progress achieved through the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue. Altogether, the inclusion of the ocean in both outcomes at COP28 highlights that the international community understands the ocean and climate are “two sides of the same coin” and that we cannot deliver on our climate goals without including the ocean as an important element of the global climate response. These outcomes, especially the GST, will help inform and drive the inclusion of ocean-based climate actions in the next round of NDCs.
COP28 also marked a critical turning point, with Parties, scientists, and civil society pushing for the global conversation to focus on action and implementation. At the forefront of this push was the ocean-climate community. Political declarations including the Rise Up Blue Call to Action and the Ocean Panel Call to Action showcase the intention and ambition of the ocean-climate community in advancing concrete ocean-climate actions globally. These declarations were further complemented by the announcement of the Ocean Breakthroughs under the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, which build on the Ocean for Climate Declaration and identify five key ocean-climate opportunities for action (marine conservation, maritime shipping, ocean renewable energy, aquatic food, and coastal tourism). These commitments will help close the emissions reductions gap to achieve our global climate goals while protecting the ocean.
While we celebrate the progress made at COP28, we must acknowledge that there is a long way to go. And if we are to succeed, the ocean must be front and center in the transition to a sustainable future.
COP28: A Breakthrough for the Ocean in the Outcome of the Global Stocktake
By Loreley Picourt, Executive Director, Ocean & Climate Platform
On 13 December, after two weeks of intense negotiations bringing together almost 200 countries and more than 80 000 registered participants, the COP28 concluded with the landmark adoption of the first Global Stocktake outcome (GST). Despite being an unprecedented step on the road to fossil fuel phase out, many stakeholders have expressed their disappointment over an equally historic but weak outcome.
Navigating in these complex waters, the ocean made it across the finish line with unprecedented recognition of its contribution in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Indeed, expectations of the ocean community were high and adequately anticipated with the publication of recommendations for Integrating the Ocean into the CMA 5 decision. These options were well reflected in the GST outcome with several references to the ocean from the Preamble, which notes “the importance of ensuring the integrity of all ecosystems, including (…) the ocean”; to the guidance and ways forward.
The ocean’s potential for mitigation was amply recognized in the GST outcome to deliver on emissions reductions targets. Building on the COP26 final decision, Parties emphasized “the importance of conserving, protecting and restoring nature and ecosystems towards achieving the Paris Agreement temperature goal including […] marine ecosystems acting as sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases” (Article 33). In addition, they invited “Parties to […] scale up, as appropriate, ocean-based mitigation action” (Article 35), thereby recognizing the broader portfolio of ocean-based mitigation solutions, i.e., decarbonizing the shipping industry or scaling offshore renewable energy.
The final text also underscored the role of the ocean and marine and coastal ecosystems in supporting adaptation to climate change and its impacts, and enhancing resilience. Encouraging “the implementation of integrated, multi-sectoral solutions, such as (…) nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches, and protecting, conserving and restoring nature and ecosystems, including (..) marine and coastal ecosystems” (Article 55), it further noted that “ocean-based adaptation and resilience measures (…) can reduce a range of climate change risks and provide multiple co-benefits” (Article 56). Complementary to the GST, COP28 marked the finalization of the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), including a specific target on “reducing climate impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity, and accelerating the use of ecosystem-based adaptation and nature-based solutions including through their management, enhancement, restoration and conservation and the protection of […] marine and coastal ecosystems”.
Parties took a step further and included the ocean in the Guidance and ways forward. In line with the COP27 final decision, they called for the “strengthening of ocean-based action, as appropriate” (Article 180). In doing so, Parties emphasized the crucial role of the ocean in the global response to the GST, designed to correct course and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This provides them with an opportunity to further leverage these solutions in the context of their national strategies. Hereby, Parties welcomed the outcomes of the 2023 Ocean and Climate Change Dialogue, stressing both its role to help Parties enhance their ocean-based measures, and potential to inform their NDCs.
Moreover, the text stresses on several occasions the necessity to build synergies between the Paris Agreement and other global frameworks, especially the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Sustainable Goals (Articles 33, 63 and 163). It also emphasizes the important role and active engagement of non-Party stakeholders in supporting Parties and contributing to the significant progress towards the Paris Agreement and enhancing ambition (Article 158).
The ocean community was strongly mobilized, particularly with the launch of the Ocean Breakthroughs ahead of COP28, and rallied its forces at the Ocean Pavilion and through the organization of hundreds of ocean-related events, including two flagship events on Saturday 9 December, dedicated to Nature as our best ally for climate action, and to Power the Ocean Breakthroughs. Non-Party stakeholders made a splash with several announcements to scale up ocean-based climate action, including:
- the launch of the Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA) by leading climate and ocean institutions, along with an initial pledge of more than $USD 250 millions to advance ocean-based solutions to fight climate change.
- thirty shipping sector leaders – including Maersk, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines – committed to accelerate the decarbonization of the sector by scaling up zero-emissions fuel derived from renewables-based hydrogen to nearly 11 million tons by 2030.
- the launch of the Financial Roadmap for the Mangrove Breakthrough.
- the announcement, by the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), of the mobilization of more than US$200 million of new direct investment to support coral conservation and protection.
The expectations were high for this COP, and while many stakeholders have mixed feelings about its outcomes, notable advancements have been achieved, providing States with a clear roadmap to adjust their climate trajectories. The outcome of the GST clearly emphasizes the crucial role of the ocean in the global response needed to correct course to achieve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement. The adoption of the first Global Stocktake is not the end game but the foundation for greater ambition to be deployed at the national level, including in the upcoming revision of Parties’ climate strategies.
Now, as emphasized by Simon Stiel during the closing plenary, “All governments and businesses need to translate these pledges into tangible actions in the real economy.” With the Ocean Breakthroughs, the ocean community now has a lighthouse to guide accelerated action and investments in ocean-based sectors to deliver on Nature and Climate goals, as we embark towards the upcoming COPs to be held in Azerbaijan in 2024 and Brazil in 2025.
View more analysis on COP28 and its ocean outcomes from the Ocean & Climate Platform here.
Reflections on COP28
By Dr. Peter Ricketts, Acadia University Professor and Global Ocean Forum Board Director
Once again, the oceans community continued to build momentum and presence at the annual COP meetings, with COP28 having the most oceans related events, activities, and input into negotiations than any previous COP. For the second time, an Ocean Pavilion was organized, which was bigger and better than the year before, and attracted large crowds despite being located at the very edge of the Blue Zone in what was a large and spread out venue site. Also, the Ocean Decade and Ocean-X Pavilion was well attended and very active. On top of this, the Virtual Oceans Pavilion for COP28 provided a platform for some engaged events, discussions, and activities, and once again provided a landing page for the many oceans related events at COP and a portal for those unable to attend in person to take part in the exciting ocean momentum in the climate change process.
For the first time, the Oceans Action Day formally included the land-coast-ocean interface, and the Oceans Breakthroughs was launched successfully. Oceans are finally becoming substantively incorporated into the negotiations, with the Ocean and Climate Change Dialogues and the Global Stocktake Report giving strong presence of oceans within the important COP28 outcomes statements. Good progress on financing is also important for oceans, given the incredible need of many coastal and ocean developing states for critical capacity building in addressing mitigation and adaptation, as well as coping with the loss and damage resulting from the increasing impacts of climate change.
The GOF side event highlighted the need to continue to focus on nature-based solutions as we cope with the devastating impacts of climate change, and while harder engineered solutions have their place, using and enhancing nature’s capacity to adapt to changing natural conditions is the most sustainable way to approach climate change.
Finally, the High Seas Treaty was very present at COP28, with the preparations for ratification being the focus of numerous discussions. The intent is to have the treaty ratified by the 3rd UN Oceans Conference being held in Greece in April 2025, but before that it is important to develop the capacity to implement the regulations and sustainably manage the high seas and areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Global Ocean Forum at UNFCCC COP28
Virtual Ocean Pavilion
The COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion came to a close with the end of the UNFCCC COP28, on 12 December 2023. After opening on 22 November 2023, the Pavilion was host to eight live events, twelve exhibit booths, a 40+ page Treasure Trove, a COP28 Ocean Events calendar with over 300 events, a Pavilion quiz which came with an accompanying certificate and much more! The Pavilion garnered 1,265 registrants, 50% of whom were active users of the Pavilion. Exhibit booths and live events, as in years past, proved to be the most popular aspect of the Virtual Ocean Pavilion. While the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion Preview Event: Showcasing the Ocean at COP28 had the most viewers, all live events were well-attended. For more information about the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion, look for the Pavilion summary report which will be available in mid-January here.
Select materials, such as documents and videos at exhibit booths and recordings of the live events, will still be available on-demand through 12 January 2024. After that date, all materials will be transferred to the ROCA Initiative website and event videos will be posted on the Global Ocean Forum’s YouTube channel. If you did not get the chance to watch the events live or haven’t yet visited all exhibit booths, now is your chance!
As this was the Global Ocean Forum’s third year in organizing the Virtual Ocean Pavilion at the COP together with Plymouth Marine Laboratory and other partners, we are keen to get your feedback and learn what we have done well and what can be improved. Please consider taking this short (3-5 min) survey – we would really appreciate it. See you at COP29!
Investing in Ocean Nature-based Solutions to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change
Jointly organized by the Global Ocean Forum (International Coastal and Ocean Organization), the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University, the Government of Chile, the International Partnership on MPAs, Biodiversity and Climate Change, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the COP28 side event Investing in Ocean Nature-based Solutions to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change was held on 10 December 2023. The event, which featured Mr. Richard Delaney, Dr. Richard Spinrad, Dr. Nathalie Hilmi, Dr. Peter Ricketts, Mr. Tony MacDonald, Dr. Indumathie Hewawasam and Dr. Larry Hildebrand, showcased how national/international partnerships: 1) promote mitigation and adaptation through MPAs and other ocean nature-based solutions; and 2) foster investments on ocean nature-based solutions. View the event recording here.
Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023
The Report on Assessing Progress on Ocean and Climate Action: 2022-2023 was officially launched on 22 November 2023 at the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion’s Preview Event. While a number of its key recommendations made it to the ocean outcomes of COP28, several critical ocean and climate action items identified in the report will continue to need mobilization and support by Parties and non-Party stakeholders going forward. Let us leverage the contributions of 67 co-authors from 46 organizations to this report by using its robust recommendations in promoting the ocean and climate agenda on the road to COP29 in Azerbaijan. The report is accessible here.
Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain’s Legacy Remembered at COP28
Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain made significant contributions to the field of marine policy from the global, national, regional and state levels. Some of the greatest impacts she made extended to the lives and careers of around 100 students and professionals whom she influenced and exposed to the various levels and aspects of ocean governance by providing them opportunities to work with her on various international and domestic initiatives. Reflections on Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain’s ocean and climate legacy shared by some of her peers at COP28 are included below. Please consider donating to the 2023-2024 campaign for the Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain Memorial Fund to enable the Global Ocean Forum to support Fellows, the Virtual Ocean Pavilion at the UNFCCC COPs and the “ROCA” report for years to come.
Loreley Picourt, Executive Director, Ocean and Climate Platform; Focal Point, MP-GCA on Ocean and Coastal Zones, during the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion Preview Event: Showcasing the Ocean at COP28:
I became a focal point of the MP-GCA in 2020 because I was honored to be contacted by Biliana Cicin-Sain to take over from the fantastic leadership that she showed all of us with how she raised the status of the ocean in the climate discussions. This has been one of my biggest honors in my short-lived career so far as an ocean advocate, so I wanted to start by acknowledging it.
Dr. Vladimir Ryabinin, Executive Secretary, IOC-UNESCO, during the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion High-Level Closing Event: Climate and the BBNJ Agreement:
So first of all, I think this event (on climate and the BBNJ Agreement) is a wonderful occasion to remember Biliana Cicin-Sain. Let’s just pay some tribute to her wonderful memory.
Kristina Gjerde, Senior High Seas Advisor, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), reflecting on the close of the COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion:
It makes me happy to think of Biliana smiling on us from above! She was a key motivator and convenor from at least 2002 when she invited Elisabeth Mann Borgese to speak on the need for a “protocol” to UNCLOS on MGR at my first Global Ocean Forum meeting in Paris.
ABNJ News
Cross-sectoral Project
On November 29, 2023, the Global Ocean Forum (GOF) organized a Capacity Needs Assessment Workshop for co-executing partners of the Cross-sectoral Project: Building and Enhancing Sectoral and Cross-sectoral Capacity to Support Sustainable Resource Use and Biodiversity Conservation in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. Partners agreed on a capacity needs assessment strategy which will guide the capacity needs assessment process across our two pilot regions: the Southeast Pacific and the Pacific Islands. The capacity needs assessment in the Southeast Pacific will be led by Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN) and supported by the Comisión Permanente del Pacífico Sur (CPPS); the capacity needs assessment in the Pacific Islands will be led by the University of the South Pacific (USP) and supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Office of the Pacific Ocean Commissioner (OPOC).
The capacity needs assessment process will be guided by the Train-Sea-Coast protocol, among other global guidance, and includes four components:
Under the Problem Analysis, national profiles for marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) will be developed for CPPS and Pacific Islands Forum member countries in the pilot regions classified as developing under UN designation. Two international ABNJ expert consultants will provide guidance for the capacity needs assessment process, including Dr. Transform Aqorau of Solomon Islands National University who will serve as the consultant for the Pacific Islands.
BBNJ Informal Dialogues
The latest BBNJ Informal Dialogue was held on 18 December 2023. The BBNJ Informal Dialogues have been looking at the road ahead from the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78) to the first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 1) to the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion High-Level Closing Event: Climate Change and the BBNJ Agreement
The final COP28 Virtual Ocean Pavilion event held on 12 December 2023 explored the mitigation and adaptation potential of the vast high seas, along with its ecosystems and resources, presented by the recently adopted BBNJ Agreement. In response to the question “What’s next after the ship reaches the shore?” HE Mrs. Rena Lee (Singapore), President of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on BBNJ, set the stage for the discussion by stating, “We need to reprovision the ship so that it can set sail again in order for us to be able do what we say we want to do.” Additional speakers included Rt Hon Lord Benyon (UK), Mr. Kestutis Sadauskas (EU), Ms. Darcy DeMarsico (Canada), Mr. Fuad Bateh (IGC delegate), Mr. Vladimir Ryabinin (IOC-UNESCO), Mr. Vladimir Jares (UN DOALOS), Ms. Vera Agostini (FAO), Ms. Isabelle Vanderbeck (UNEP), and Ms. Kristina Gjerde (IUCN). The interdependency of ocean and climate, ocean-based mitigation and adaptation, and the role the BBNJ Agreement must play in achieving the global 30×30 and other relevant targets emerged as key discussion points. A recording of the event is available on the Global Ocean Forum’s YouTube channel.
Ocean Events Around the World in 2024
Monaco Blue Initiative
The Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) was launched in 2010 by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and is co-organized by the Oceanographic Institute – Prince Albert I of Monaco Foundation, and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. This platform aims to facilitate debate among key players in global ocean conservation and governance to develop practical solutions for the many challenges facing the ocean today. Participants include government representatives, international organizations, civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, the scientific community, and members of the media. The MBI will take place from 17-18 March 2024 during the Monaco Ocean Week, which will run from 18-22 March 2024.
Ocean Decade Conference
2024 will mark the fourth year of implementation of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Focused on ‘delivering the science we need for the ocean we want,’ the 2024 Ocean Decade Conference, which will be hosted by the Government of Spain in Barcelona from 10 – 12 April 2024, will bring together the global Ocean Decade community and partners to celebrate and take stock of progress, and set joint priorities for the future. An important milestone on the path to 2030, the event will cover the full range of Ocean Decade Challenges including critical issues such as climate change, food security, sustainable management of biodiversity, sustainable ocean economy, pollution, and natural hazards.
Our Ocean Conference
A key objective of all Our Ocean Conferences is to foster collaborative efforts and encourage the submission of clear and measurable voluntary commitments anchored in the six Areas of Action: Marine Protected Areas; Sustainable Blue Economies; Climate Change; Maritime Security; Sustainable Fisheries; and Marine Pollution. The overall aim is the protection and sustainable management of our seas and oceans and their resources. The focus areas identified by Greece for the 9th Our Ocean Conference include Sustainable Tourism in coastal areas and islands; Green Shipping; Plastic and Microplastic Pollution; and the Green transition in the Mediterranean Sea. All participating entities and organizations are invited to submit their commitments ahead of the Conference, which will take place from 15-17 April 2024 in Greece.
International Conference on Small Island Developing States
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are in the crossfires of multiple crises: climate change, the economic and social repercussions of COVID-19, and a crisis of debt. The pandemic hugely impacted all island nations, especially those dependent on tourism. Global lockdowns left large holes in islands’ coffers and severely set back efforts to invest in the Sustainable Development Goals. Meanwhile, climate action is becoming increasingly urgent, as weather-related disasters have doubled in two decades: with island nations both most vulnerable and least responsible. The international community will gather to review SIDS’ sustainable development progress and propose a new decade of partnerships and solutions to supercharge their path to resilient prosperity. The 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States will be held from 27-30 May 2024 in Antigua and Barbuda.
Stakeholder Meeting in Preparation for the Third UN Ocean Conference
In advance of the Third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France in June 2025, Costa Rica will host a stakeholder meeting in June 2024. This event is focused on gaining the perspectives of civil society organizations (CSOs) and follows “a call to all the voices of the ocean”, a global consultation that was open until 15 June 2023. This effort was led by Rémi Parmentier, Co-Founder of the Varda Group, and Loreley Picourt, Executive Director of the Ocean & Climate Platform, at the request of the governments of France and Costa Rica, co-organizers of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference.
SB59 Bonn Climate Conference
The annual sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are typically held at the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB) in Bonn, Germany. The conference continues discussions on issues of critical importance, such as the global stocktake, global goal on adaptation, just transition, loss and damage and the mitigation work program. The conference is expected to make progress on these and other important issues and prepare draft decisions for adoption at COP 29 / CMP 19 / CMA 6 in Azerbaijan in November/December 2024. While the official dates for the 2024 Bonn Climate Conference have not yet been announced, the conference is likely to take place during the first UNFCCC sessional period of 3-13 June 2024.
World Congress of Ocean
The 12th Annual World Congress of Ocean (WCO 2024) will be held in Singapore in November 2024. This international gathering, and aims to promote the sustainable use and conservation of the world’s oceans, as well as to provide a platform for sharing knowledge and ideas about marine conservation and management. The 11th Annual World Congress of Ocean (WCO 2023) was held in Sapporo, Japan from 15-17 November 2023. Dr. Peter Ricketts gave welcome remarks and the opening Keynote Address on Maritime Security in the Age of Climate Change. His address focused on the expansion of risk and security issues as a result of the impacts of climate change on maritime activities. The WCO was also held in conjunction with congresses on Environment, Education, and the Knowledge Economy. Ocean presentations were given on ocean economy, science, engineering, energy, and management, as well as maritime law, environmental protection, fisheries, and aquaculture. Dr. Ricketts also gave a presentation on Progress in Integrating Oceans into the UN Climate Change Convention, in which he spoke about the work of the Global Ocean Forum and the legacy of Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain in bringing oceans into the UNFCCC negotiations.
UNFCCC COP29
Following COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan was selected as the host for COP29. The 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP29) will convene in November 2024. It will include the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 29), the 19th meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 19), and the sixth meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 6) that will convene to complete the first enhanced transparency framework and the new collective quantified goal on finance, among other matters. The 61st sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 61) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 61) will also meet.
Prepared by Catie Mitchell, Sarah Davidson, and Miriam Balgos