Staff Reporter 

UN Climate Change published a report last week highlighting the level of ambition of national climate plans from around the world. Following the report, the Least Development Countries (LDC) called for deep emission cuts and scaled-up climate finance.

The National Determined Contributions (NDC) synthesis report published last week, report on NDCs from all 191 Parties to the Paris Agreement, including the 86 new or updated NCDs communicated by 113 Parties.

NDCs are the efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Paris Agreement–a legally binding international treaty on climate change–requires each party to prepare, outline and communicate their NDCs.

A press release from the LDCs group stated that while the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change mentioned that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will require the 2030 greenhouse gas emissions level to be a 45 percent reduction from the 2010 level, existing NDCs will instead lead the world to a 16.3 percent increase.

Chairperson of the LDCs group, Sonam P Wangdi, also secretary of the National Environment Commission, said that there remains a frightening gap between the current trajectory of global emissions, the emissions reductions planned, and the emissions reductions needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

He said: “Deeper emission cuts are urgently needed. This will require a swift, just transition away from fossil fuels and rapid changes across all aspects of society.”

According to the report published on September 17 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, climate finance in 2019 increased by 1.3 Billion from  USD 79.6 Billion in 2018.

However, the press release from the LCD group stated that climate finance mobilised by developing countries remains far short of commitments made.

Reports from United Nations Environment Programme show that adaptation costs in developing countries reach an estimate of USD 70 Billion annually.

International Institute for Environment and Development stated that the costs for LDCs to implement their climate action plans is close to USD 93.7 Billion every year.

Sonam P Wangdi said that over a decade ago, developed countries committed to mobilise USD 100 Billion in climate finance annually “but we are yet to see that delivered.”

He said: “Developed countries delivering on their decade-old commitment for climate finance to support vulnerable countries to adapt to climate change impacts, build resilience, address the loss and damage it causes, and leapfrog to low-carbon development pathways will be critical for building trust and accelerating the global response to climate change.”

Speaking at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on September 20, Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering asserted the importance of supporting countries that are already affected on one hand and the need to assist and sustain countries that have made successful conservation efforts so far.