GFDD/Funglode is Officially Accredited to the UN Climate Change Community following Its Attendance of the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC

GFDD/Funglode was present at the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Marrakesh, Morocco from Monday November 7 to Friday November 11, 2016. GFDD’s UN Programs and Outreach Manager, Marc Jourdan attended the session together with twenty thousand other climate change experts from across the globe, stemming from both the public and the private sector. During GFDD’s
attendance of the main plenary session, Salaheddine Mezouar, COP 22 President, confirmed the official accreditation confirmation of GFDD as an observer organization of the UNFCCC process.

Throughout the week, GFDD participated in a host of informal consultations on the mechanisms for compliance and implementation under the Paris Climate Agreement. These meetings took place as parties to the UNFCCC prepare for the next review period of the UNFCCC scheduled for
2018 to assess the success of parties in holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.

In parallel with these plenary sessions and informal consultations, GFDD attended a selection of the several thousand side events organized by UN Member States, UN Agencies and Observer organizations to the UNFCCC. The panel discussions focused on a variety of
issues ranging from the interlinkages between climate change and public health issues to the role of the private sector in climate policy. Bill Weihl Director of Sustainability at Facebook encouraged investment by the private sector in low carbon solutions by stating that “The cost of renewables in many places is now at cost parity with cheapest form of energy generation.” Expressing himself during the health panel, Nick Watts of The Lancet announced the launch of The
Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change, explaining that he saw “tackling climate change as the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century”.

Several agencies used the marketing opportunity that the conference represents for climate policy projects, to present their latest publications. UNEP presented its 2016 emissions GAP report which tracks progress in restricting global warming to 1.5 – 2 degrees Celsius and
confirms that “we are actually on track for global warming of up to 3.4 degree Celsius”.  The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report, published on Monday, also found the global temperature in 2016 is running 1.2C above pre-industrial levels. This is dangerously close to the 1.5C target included as an aim of the Paris Climate Agreement last December and calls for continued efforts of all relevant stakeholders to effectively combat climate change.

Following GFDD’s extensive networking with observer organizations to the UNFCCC process and UN agencies, the foundation was delighted to obtain confirmation on the final day of negotiations that it had been granted permanent observer status to the UNFCCC, allowing it to host substantive sessions during the next COP in 2017.

COP 22 President Salaheddine Mezouar concluded the first week of negotiations with an informal stocktaking plenary session stating
that work under the Conference of the Parties was only “getting started,” but was “going well”. He noted he expected results by the middle of the following week. He informed participants of the conference that he had appointed members of his delegation to undertake consultations on several items, including: the adoption of the rules of procedure for implementation the Paris Climate Agreement; vulnerability of Africa; and a platform for local
communities and indigenous peoples.

GFDD continues to monitor the sessions of the COP22 which continue until Friday November 18, 2016.

For more information please visit the official website of the conference at:
http://unfccc.int/meetings/marrakech_nov_2016/meeting/9567.php