27 September 2016
CCAC WG Discusses Agenda, Communiqué for HLA on Short-Lived Climate Pollutants
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The 18th Working Group (WG) meeting of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) convened to, inter alia, prepare for the High-Level Assembly (HLA) that will meet on the sidelines of the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UNFCCC in Marrakesh, Morocco, in November 2016.

Participants discussed the draft agenda for the HLA and possible elements for a draft communiqué, both of which will be revised and updated in advance of the HLA.

CCAC22 September 2016: The 18th Working Group (WG) meeting of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) convened to, inter alia, prepare for the High-Level Assembly (HLA) that will meet on the sidelines of the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UNFCCC in Marrakesh, Morocco, in November 2016. Participants discussed the draft agenda for the HLA and possible elements for a draft communiqué, both of which will be revised and updated in advance of the HLA.

Partners discussed, in detail, the Diesel and Oil and Gas Initiatives, both of which are expected to be addressed during the HLA. More specifically, they focused on how the CCAC can catalyze more action and scale up policy work on black carbon, and opportunities for ministerial engagement. The WG approved the Global Strategy to Introduce Low Sulfur Fuels and Cleaner Diesel Vehicles, and agreed to add a component on obtaining better data on methane leaks from the oil and gas sector to the Oil and Gas Initiative. Partners were also briefed on the remaining single sector initiatives, including: household energy; bricks production; agriculture; waste; hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); and cross-cutting initiatives such as Supporting National Planning for Action on SLCPs (SNAP), health, finance and regional assessments.

The WG also discussed a proposed “two target” approach to achieve both climate and development goals for countries. It suggests the adoption of a near-term objective to cut the rate of warming in half over the next 25 years by simultaneously mitigating both long-lived CO2 and SLCPs in order to improve the likelihood of realizing the long-term climate target under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Goals for health, food security, poverty, energy access and gender equality.

The WG also addressed CCAC governance issues, namely related to: the Task Team on Partnership and Process, including a proposal to change the funding process through establishing a finance advisory group and introducing concept notes; the CCAC Trust Fund; the Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) renewal process; and Steering Committee participation.

During plenary discussions, participants addressed, among other things, how to raise awareness about the importance of reducing SLCPs and increase ministerial participation in the HLA, through, inter alia, developing a communications strategy.

The meeting convened in Paris, France, from 20 – 21 September 2015. The 19th WG meeting will meet in Marrakesh just prior to the HLA. The 20th WG meeting will meet in Santiago, Chile, most likely the last week in April 2017 to discuss among other things, the proposed two-target approach, and will be preceded by a science-policy dialogue.

The CCAC is a voluntary international coalition of governments, international organizations, the private sector and non-governmental organizations, which aims to: reduce emissions of SLCPs, including black carbon, methane and HFCs, which are responsible for a substantial proportion of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and, thus, warming; avoid millions of premature deaths; promote food and energy security; and address near-term climate change.

The CCAC was established in February 2012 by Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden and the US, together with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). It is open to countries and non-state actors, and currently has 111 partners consisting of 50 country partners and 61 non-state partners. [CCAC Press Release] [IISD RS Coverage of the CCAC WG] [CCAC Website]

 

 


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